Introduction
Prepositions of time are essential in Spanish for indicating when events occur. They help clarify the duration, starting point, and continuity of actions or events.
Common Prepositions of Time
Desde
- Function: Indicates the starting point of an action or event.
- Translation: "Since" or "From"
- Example:
- "Vivo aquí desde 2010."
- I have lived here since 2010.
Hace
- Function: Refers to a specific amount of time in the past.
- Translation: "Ago"
- Example:
- "Estudié español hace tres años."
- I studied Spanish three years ago.
Durante
- Function: Expresses the duration of an action or event.
- Translation: "During" or "For"
- Example:
- "Trabajé durante cinco horas."
- I worked for five hours.
Usage Examples
| Sentence in Spanish | Translation in English |
|---|---|
| No veo a Juan desde el lunes. | I haven't seen Juan since Monday. |
| Hace mucho tiempo que no hablo con ella. | I haven’t spoken to her in a long time. |
| Estuvimos de viaje durante el verano. | We were traveling during the summer. |
Additional Notes
- "Desde" is often used with a specific date, time, or event to indicate when something began.
- "Hace" is commonly used with expressions of time to point out when something happened in the past.
- "Durante" highlights the length of time an action took place, making it useful for emphasizing duration.
Conclusion
Understanding and using these prepositions correctly helps convey precise temporal information in Spanish, making communication clearer and more accurate.