Note that pendant(during, for) would also be a suitable preposition in the two examples above. Unlike pour, you can use it in all tensesNo definition set for tensesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (see section below.)
French Articles
How to use the prepositions of time ‘pour,’ ‘pendant,’ and ‘depuis’ in French?
By: Agnés Finot Fri Aug 30 2024
FrenchPrepositions
Use the prepositionsNo definition set for prepositionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of time pour(for), pendant(for, during), and depuis(for, since) to say when something happens or for how long it happens. For my students, the most difficult part of using French prepositions of time is translating the English preposition “for,” because we have these three prepositions to say this in French. In this post, we’ll review the differences among and how to use pour, pendant, and depuis. Let's take a look!
Table of Contents
How to use the preposition ‘pour’ in French?
Use pour(for, in order to) to express deadlines and future events in French. When my students want to translate “for” in the context of time, I have noticed that they often want to use pour. It is true that pour is mainly used to say "for," but in the sense of “in order to do something,” and I believe this is the cause of confusion.
Pour gagner à ce jeu de cartes, tu dois obtenir 500 points.
In order to win this card game, you must get 500 points.
We actually don’t use pour to express time that often, but when we do, this is how:
Pour(for) is great to use for deadlines or to indicate a specific moment in time.
Il me faut ce rapport pour le 3 mars !
I need this report for March third!
Tu peux réserver le restaurant pour 19h ?
Can you book the restaurant for 7 pm?
Pour(for) is also useful to express the duration of a future event with verbs like aller(to go), partir(to leave), or voyager(to travel). Put these verbs in the French future tense, and add the length of time!
J’irai en stage au Canada pour six mois.
I will be working as an intern in Canada for six months.
Je vais partir en voyage d’affaires au Brésil pour 3 semaines.
I’m going to go on a business trip to Brazil for three weeks.
Important
Finally, you can use pour to say how long it will take you to finish something. We use the expression en avoir pour(it will take + length of time). For example, if you are in the shower and your younger sister is knocking on the door, getting angry because she needs to get ready, you could say:
J’en ai pour deux minutes !
I'll be done in two minutes!
Another example:
Le maçon en a pour trois semaines.
It will take the builder three weeks.
How to use the preposition ‘pendant’ in French?
You can use pendant(for, during) as a preposition of time in the past, future, and present tenses. In the past and future tenses, pendant can express how long an action took or will take. In the present tense, pendant expresses a habitual action. The expression pendant que(while) can be used in all three tenses!
How to use ‘pendant’ to express how long an action takes in French?
Use the preposition of time pendant with the past or future tenses to say how long an action took or will take. But the action must not be connected to the present.
Here are two examples:
Je t'ai attendu pendant 20 minutes et je suis partie.
I’ve waited for you for 20 minutes and I left!
Cet été, j’irai en Suisse pendant deux semaines.
This summer, I will go to Switzerland for two weeks.
In the above examples, you can see that pendant is followed by a number, and is therefore translated as "for."
On the other hand, if pendant is followed by a noun, it's translated as "during":
Elle a beaucoup rigolé pendant le film.
She laughed a lot during the movie.
A mistake my students often make is to use pour with the past tense.
❌ J’ai étudié le français pour deux ans.
This is incorrect because, as seen above, you would have to use the future tense with pour:
✅ Je vais étudier le français pour deux ans.
I am going to study French for two years.
✅ J’ai étudié le français pendant deux ans. Mais maintenant, je ne l’étudie plus.
I studied French for two years, but now I no longer study it.
In my examples in the past above, I use the French passé composé, because this tense is used for punctual actions. But in the context of a description, you can use pendant with l'imparfait, or the French imperfect tense:
Pendant la deuxième guerre mondiale, la population était rationnée.
During the first world war, the population was rationed.
n either case, you need to keep in mind that the action has no connection to the present.
How to use the ‘pendant’ to express a habit in French?
Pendant expresses a habit when you use it in the French present tense.
Tous les soirs, je lis pendant une heure avant de m’endormir.
Every evening, I read for one hour before falling asleep.
How to use ‘pendant que’ in French?
Use pendant que to say "while." This time expression can be used to describe the past, the present, or the future:
Pendant que tu travaillais, je m’amusais !
While you were working, I was having fun!
Pendant que je prépare le dîner, mon fils fait ses devoirs.
While I prepare dinner, my son does his homework.
Pendant que je serai en vacances, tu veilleras sur mon chien.
While I am on holiday, you will take care of my dog.
A familiar expression we use a lot in my family is pendant que tu y es. It means "while you're there," or "while you're at it."
Vide le lave vaisselle, pendant que tu y es !
Empty the dishwasher, while you’re at it!
Ramène-moi une baguette, pendant que tu y es !
Bring me back a baguette, while you’re there!
Beware, it can sound a bit bossy!
Tip
Forgot how to say “for”? Remember that “during” = durant. Durant also sounds more chic than pendant. Keep that in mind for your essays and formal reports, but do not use it too much in conversations!
We’ve seen how to use pour and pendant. Last but not least, let's look at depuis.
How to use the preposition ‘depuis’ in French?
Use the French preposition of time depuis to say "for" or "since." Depuis can be used in the present and past tense in French. When depuis means "for," it is most often used witht he present tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing. When depuis means "since," it can be used with either tense.
How to use ‘depuis’ to say “for” in French?
Use depuis to say "for" when you are talking about an action that started in the past and that is still happening now. For this reason, we use it mainly with the present tense in French.
For example, if you have been learning to play the guitar for four years and you are still learning today, you would say:
J’apprends la guitare depuis quatre ans.
I have been learning the guitar for four years.
Have you noticed the difference in tenses used in French compared to English? In this context, you use the present perfect continuous (I have been learning) in English, but you always use the present tense in French (equivalent to I learn).
Ils habitent à Limoges depuis 18 mois.
They have been living in Limoges for 18 months.
Je t’attends depuis trente minutes et je t’attends toujours !
I have been waiting for you for thirty minutes and I’m still waiting for you!
As an alternative to using depuis + present tense, you could also say, Ça fait deux ans que j’étudie le français(I have been studying French for two years), which is a more familiar way of saying exactly the same thing! In this case, you are using the French time expression ça fait…que(it's been ... that).
While you usually see depuis with a present tense, you can use depuis with the passé composéNo definition set for Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in specific contexts:
in a negative form
Il n’a pas rendu visite à sa grand-mère depuis trois semaines.
He hasn't visited his grandmother for three weeks.
with verbs that show a beginning, an end, an evolution, or a change of state.
J’ai perdu un kilo depuis le mois dernier !
I’ve lost 2.2 pounds since last month!
How to use ‘depuis’ to say “since” in French?
When you use depuis followed by a date, you can say “since”:
depuis 1987
since 1987
One of my favorite brands of French biscuits has been around depuis 1846. It’s on all their packaging. See if you can spot it during your next trip to a French supermarket!
Je travaille pour cette entreprise depuis (l’année) 2007.
I have worked for this company since 2007.
Important
Another way to say “since” is depuis que + subject + verb.
subjectverb
Depuis qu’il a commencé à courir, il a perdu du poids.
Since he has started running, he has lost weight.
Hungry for more? Here is a list of other useful French prepositions of time to memorize, including jusqu’à(until), à partir de(from), and il y a(ago).
Let’s recap the key facts
When using prepositions of time in French, remember that pour, pendant, and depuis are all used differently to express "for."
Preposition | Purpose | Verb tense |
|---|---|---|
pour(for) + date or deadline | To express the time a future action will take to be accomplished | Verb is in the future tense |
pendant / durant(for, during) | To give the length of time of an action that is not connected to the present | Verb is in the: |
depuis(for) + length of time | To indicate the length of time of an action that started in the past and is ongoing | Verb is in the present tense |
depuis(since) + date or verb | To express “since” when referring to a moment in the past | Verb is in the present or past tense |
How about some practice with our exercises on the French prepositions of time pour, pendant, and depuis?
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