Spanish A2

Hacer + Time Expressions

How would you say you have studied Spanish for a certain amount of time? When talking about when we did an activity of for how long we have been doing it, it is very common to use the temporal phrase hacer + time expression.

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Use of Hacer + Time Expression

Rule 1. The verb hacer by itself means to do something, but when combined with a period of time, it indicates the duration or process of an activity.

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Rule 2. It can also indicate when an activity was completed.

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Form of Hacer + Time Expression

This expression uses the third form of the verb hacer + a time expression that indicates for how long or when you did the activity. How the accompanying activity verb is conjugated specifies whether the activity has been concluded or continues into the present.

Rule 3. This structure expresses that the activity began in the past and continues in the present:

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In this example, the speaker explains that he has been learning Spanish in Ecuador for two months.

Rule 4. This structure expresses that the activity took place in the past and has been concluded:

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In this case, he is not indicating how long he has been studying but that he finished studying Spanish two months ago.

Quiz

1/3

_________ tres meses que voy a clases de música.