In a previous lesson, we learned how to use desde hace to talk about actions that started in the past and are still ongoing. Another very common way to express this in Spanish is using the hace... que structure.
| I have been observing the moon with this telescope for an hour. | Hace una hora que observo la luna con este telescopio. |
| We have been waiting for the lunar eclipse for two hours. | Hace dos horas que esperamos el eclipse de luna. |
Sentence Structure
To say that an action has been happening for a certain amount of time, use this formula:
- Hace
- [duration of time] + que
- [present tense verb]
- [duration of time] + que
Notice that Spanish uses the simple present tense for an action that is still happening, whereas English uses "have been doing."
| We have been calculating the orbit of this comet for a month. | Hace un mes que calculamos la órbita de este cometa. |
| I have been watching the eclipse with the telescope for twenty minutes. | Hace veinte minutos que miro el eclipse con el telescopio. |
Asking Questions
To ask if someone has been doing something for a certain amount of time, just wrap the same structure in question marks.
| Have you been observing the universe for a long time? | ¿Hace mucho tiempo que ustedes observan el universo? |
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