Learn Spanish (Latin America): Hace veinte minutos que miro el eclipse con el telescopio. - I have been watching the eclipse with the telescope for twenty minutes.

Hace veinte minutos que miro el eclipse con el telescopio.

I have been watching the eclipse with the telescope for twenty minutes.

Breakdown of Hace veinte minutos que miro el eclipse con el telescopio.

mirar

to look at / to watch

Questions & Answers about Hace veinte minutos que miro el eclipse con el telescopio.

Why does this sentence use the present tense miro when the English translation says "have been watching"?

In Spanish, when an action started in the past and is still happening right now, you use the present tense. English uses the present perfect continuous ("have been watching"), but Spanish simply uses the present tense to literally say "It makes twenty minutes that I watch."

What is the exact role of hace and que in this sentence?

The formula hace + [amount of time] + que + [present tense verb] is the standard way to express how long you have been doing something. Hace comes from the verb hacer (to make/do) and que connects the time to the action. Together, they frame the ongoing action.

Could I use veo instead of miro here?

You could, but miro emphasizes the deliberate action of observing or looking at something. Veo is more about the passive physical ability to see. Since the person is actively focusing through a telescope, miro is the best choice for "watching."

Is it possible to change the word order and put the time at the end of the sentence?

Yes! You can flip the sentence, but you have to drop que and add desde (since) before hace. The sentence becomes: Miro el eclipse con el telescopio desde hace veinte minutos. Both structures mean the exact same thing.