📖LearnModule 7 · Lesson 7 of 30Independent User · CEFR B1, completedUnit 2 · La santé et le corps
Depuis, il y a, pendant, dans
Module 7 of the free French course (CEFR B1, completed), lesson 7 of 30: Four little words carry time in French, and English speakers mix them up constantly. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line, the conjugation table and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 7.
The words
French
English
Say it
depuis trois jours
for three days (and still)
duh-pwee trwah ZHOOR
il y a deux jours
two days ago
eel ee ah duh ZHOOR
pendant dix heures
for ten hours
pah(n)-dah(n) dee ZUHR
dans une semaine
in a week from now
dah(n) zewn suh-MEHN
la durée
the length of time
lah dew-RAY
tomber
to fall
toh(n)-BAY
revenir
to come back
ruh-vuh-NEER
depuis quand ?
since when?
duh-pwee KAH(n)
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
Four little words carry time in French, and English speakers mix them up constantly. Depuis means since or for, and it takes the PRESENT: je tousse depuis trois jours — I have been coughing for three days, and I still am.
Et aussi · And also
Il y a means ago and takes a past: je suis tombé il y a deux jours. Pendant means for a finished stretch: j'ai dormi pendant dix heures. Dans means in, pointing forward: je reviens dans une semaine.
Attention · Watch out
depuis takes the PRESENT for something still going on: je tousse depuis trois jours. il y a means ago and takes a past: je suis tombé il y a deux jours.
dormir — the table
je dors · tu dors · il/elle dort · nous dormons · vous dormez · ils/elles dorment
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with depuis trois jours.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write out dormir in full from memory, every person, and check each form against the table above.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.