Hace and Actions that Occurred a Specific Amount of Time Ago
There are two formulas you can use with hacer to talk about actions that occurred a specific amount of time ago.
Formula One
hace + time + que + verb in the preterite
Formula Two
verb in the preterite + hace + time
Examples with Formula One
Hace seis años que conocí a mi esposo.
It was six years ago that I met my husband.
Hace cinco minutos que llegó.
He arrived five minutes ago.
Examples with Formula Two
Aprendió a hablar español hace tres años.
He learned to speak Spanish three years ago.
Empecé mi trabajo hace seis meses.
I started my job six months ago.
Hace and Actions that Started in the Past and Continue into the Present
There are two formulas you can use with hacer to talk about actions that started in the past and continue into the present. These expressions are useful for talking about something you have been doing for a certain amount of time.
Formula One
hace + time + que + verb in the present
Formula Two
verb in the present + desde + hace + time
Examples with Formula One
Hace un año que estudian español.
They have been studying Spanish for one year.
Hace seis años que conozco a mi esposo.
I have known my husband for six years.
Examples with Formula Two
Habla español desde hace tres años.
He has spoken Spanish for three years.
Tengo mi trabajo desde hace seis meses.
I have had my job for six months.
Hace and Actions that Were Interrupted in the Past
There are three formulas you can use with hacer to talk about actions in the past that were interrupted. These expressions are useful for talking about something you had been doing when something else happened.
Formula One
hacía + time + que + verb in the imperfect
Formula Two
verb in the imperfect + hacía + time
Formula Three
verb in the imperfect+ desde + hacía + time
Examples with Formula One
Hacía una semana que leía el libro cuando lo perdí.
I had been reading the book for a week when I lost it.
Hacía un año que estudiaba español cuando viajé a España.
I had been studying Spanish for one year when I traveled to Spain.
Examples with Formula Two
Dormía hacía siete horas cuando sonó el reloj.
I had been sleeping for seven hours when the alarm went off.
Examples with Formula Three
Jugábamos con el perro desde hacía 30 minutos cuando empezó a llover.
We had been playing with the dog for 30 minutes when it began to rain.
