Capitulo Diez - Gramatica 3 - Hace/Hacía with time expressions

Question 1

What are hace and hacía used for in Spanish?

Answer 1

Hace and hacía are used to talk about ongoing actions and their duration. They can also be used to say how long it has been since someone has done something or since something has occurred.

Question 2

Using hace:
how do you express an action that has been occurring over a period of time and is still going on?

Answer 2

1. To express an action that has been occurring over a period of time and is still going on:

hace + period of time + que + present indicative

Hace tres años que vivimos en este barrio.

We’ve been living in this neighborhood for three years.

Question 3

Using hace: how do you say how long it has been since you have done something?

Answer 3

To say how long it has been since you have done something:

hace + period of time + que + no + present indicative

Hace seis meses que no salimos de la ciudad.

We haven’t left the city in six months.

Question 4

Using hace: how do you express how long ago an event took place?

Answer 4

To express how long ago an event took place:

preterite + hace + period of time

Vine aquí hace tres años.

I came here three years ago.

Question 5

Using hacía: how do you say how long an action had been going on in the past before a more recent past event?

Answer 5

To say how long an action had been going on in the past before a more recent past event:

hacía + period of time + que + imperfect

Cuando nos mundamos a esta nueva, hacía cinco años que vivíamos en ese apartamento.

When we moved to this new house, we had been living in that apartment for five years.

Question 6

Using hace to ask a question: how do you ask how long an action or event has been going on?

Answer 6

To ask how long an action or event has been going on:

hace + present indicative

¿Cuánto tiempo hace que vives aquí?

How long have you been living here?

Question 7

Using hace to ask a question: how do you ask how long it has been since an action or event last occurred?

Answer 7

To ask how long it has been since an action or event last occurred:

hace + no + present

¿Cuánto tiempo hace que no hablas con tus abuelos?

How long has it been since you’ve spoken with your grandparents?

Question 8

Using hace to ask a question: how do you ask how long ago an action took place?

Answer 8

To ask how long ago an action took place:

hace + preterite

¿Cuánto tiempo hace que hablaste con tus abuelos?

How long ago did you speak to your grandparents?

Question 9

Using hacía to ask a question: how do you ask how long an action or event had been going on in the past?

Answer 9

To ask how long an action or event had been going on in the past:

hacía + imperfect

¿Cuánto tiempo hacía que no podías ir a las clases cuando decidiste ir al médico?

How long had you not been able to go to classes when you decided to go to the doctor?