Look at these sentences using depuis que:
Depuis que je t'ai rencontré, ma vie a complètement changé.
Since I met you, my life has changed completely!
Depuis que j'ai quatre ans, je porte des lunettes.
Ever since I was four, I've been wearing glasses.
Nous le savons depuis que vous nous l'avez dit.
We've known since you told us.
Note that to express since in the sense of "since a point in time" followed by a conjugated verb, in French you use depuis que + verb in L'Indicatif.
ATTENTION: You can never omit the que.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A
Chris
Kwiziq community member
7/05/18
Hi Jaqui,
I agree that this lesson still lacks an explanation since it only gives three examples with no rule or explanation.
You may want to look here: http://patenotte.name/Aix/Ecriture/Feuilles_aides_pedagogiques/depuis_pendant_il_y_a.htm
I found this page very helpful for this topic.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Ron
Kwiziq community member
21/10/17
Here is a lesson Laura has written that speaks to this subject:
https://www.thoughtco.com/does-des-que-need-subjunctive-1369144
Also, here is another lesson on the same subject from a different source:
https://www.francaisfacile.com/exercices/exercice-francais-2/exercice-francais-73036.php
At times when I become stuck on a topic, I will use a different site reference that can provide a different perspective on the topic. I find that usually provides an explanation that compliments
this site.
J'espère que ma réponse vous aiderait.
Bonne chance et bonne continuation dans vos études en français, la langue de Molière et qui a été utilisé par le monde français depuis l’époque d’Hugues Capet
Ron (also a non-native speaker)
Jose
Kwiziq community member
22/10/17
Ron
Kwiziq community member
17/08/17
Je mange beaucoup de poissons depuis quand j’étais jeune I eat a lot of fish since the time I was young. This would use l'imparfait; however, the sense of the phrase changes somewhat.
Bonne chance,
Ron
Kwiziq community member
17/06/17
La leçon m'a l'air de dire oui à votre question. Voir l'example au-dessous:
Depuis que je t'ai rencontré, ma vie a complètement changé.
Et from le Collins-Robert:
«since --> You use since when you are mentioning a time or event in the past and indicating that a situation has continued from then until now .»
J'espère que cela vous aidera.
Ron
Danielle
Kwiziq community member
17/06/17
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
19/06/17
The answer is yes, you can use Le Présent after "depuis que" when referring to an action that is still ongoing in the present.
When you say "depuis que je te connais", the action of *knowing you* is still valid in the present, hence the use of Le Présent.
By contrast, in the example Ron quoted "Depuis que je t'ai rencontré", the action of *meeting you* is completely in the past, finished, hence the use of Le Passé Composé.
See also:
https://kwiziq.learnfrenchwithalexa.com/revision/grammar/how-you-use-depuis-since-for-with-le-present-and-not-le-passe-compose-prepositions-of-time
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Ron
Kwiziq community member
12/06/17
— Depuis quand es-tu au chômage ?
— Oh, ça doit faire deux mois.
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
14/06/17
As Ron said, "depuis quand" means "since when" (specific starting time), whereas "depuis combien de temps" would be "For how long" (duration).
Bonne journée !
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
26/10/16
Yes, you could also say "We've known IT since you told us", although it's less colloquial in English :)
À bientôt !
yellamaraju
Kwiziq community member
26/10/16
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
11/07/16
I understand your confusion here, but in French, when saying "Since I was 4, young, small....", you will use Le Présent instead of l'Imparfait!
E.g.
Depuis que j'ai 4 ans
Depuis que je suis jeune
Depuis que je suis petit(e) ...
I think here it is because the action described as starting when you were small is still ongoing when you're speaking.
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Katie
Kwiziq community member
12/07/16
Laura
Kwiziq language super star
8/12/15
It's in the present tense because we know now, and have known since you told us. French has no equivalent for the present perfect "have known" - the present tense is used instead.
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
8/12/15
Yes, indeed, like Laura said, we don't have an equivalent of that fascinating tense, the Present perfect, that seems to be sitting in-between past and present. So in French, you will use either Le Présent when the action is still ongoing now, OR Le Passé Composé when it occurred in the past.
In this case, they still know at the time they're speaking, so Le Présent!
Hope that's helpful!
John
Kwiziq community member
8/12/15
Laura
Kwiziq language super star
3/12/15
"Since I have met you, I've been in love with you" is not correct in English. Can you please give me the link where you see that?
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
8/12/15
Here the issue is with the use of Present Perfect (I have met you). The fact is that in French we don't have an equivalent of that fascinating tense, that seems to be sitting in-between past and present.
So instead, you will use either Le Présent when the action is still ongoing now, OR Le Passé Composé when it occurred in the past.
In this case, because the action still has an ongoing effect in the Present, the Present Perfect is the "perfect" tense to use in English!
Hope that's helpful!
Judy
Kwiziq community member
8/12/15
Barbara
Kwiziq community member
16 May 2018
3 replies
Can the verb following "depuis que" be in the present tense?
All examples are in passe composé, but you say "depuis que" is followed by the indicative. Could this be the indicative present?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
16 May 2018
16/05/18
Hi Barbara,
yes, in fact, it can. Here is an example of a nice French idiom:
Depuis que les poules ont des dents. -- Literally: since hen have teeth. In English one would say, "since pigs can fly".
You use the indicative present tense when the action is still ongoing at the moment. In the example above it is implied that hen still have teeth now. You use the passé composé if the action is something that's a thing of the past, like in the following example.
Nous le savons depuis que tu nous l'as dit. -- We know it since you told us.
The action of telling us happened in the past and is not presently ongoing. This asks for the passé composé.
Greetings, -- Chris.
Alan
Kwiziq community member
16 May 2018
16/05/18
Interestingly one of the examples is actually not in the passé composé, even though the translation is in the past tense. Maybe the phrase "j'ai X ans" is an exception?
Depuis que j'ai quatre ans, je porte des lunettes.
Ever since I was four, I've been wearing glasses.
Alan
Kwiziq community member
16 May 2018
16/05/18