Want to say how long ago something happened in Spanish?

Let’s break it down! In English, we say, “I saw her three days ago.” In Spanish, the structure is completely different—but once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy.

In this post, you’ll learn how to use hace + time in Spanish to talk about the past with confidence. We’ll cover past and ongoing actions, share tips, correct common mistakes, and give you challenges to practice. Let’s dive in!

Basic Structure: Talking About the Past (Things That Happened “Ago”)

When you want to say that something happened ago (in the past), use this structure:

Hace + amount of time + que + verb (preterite tense)

This means “It’s been [X time] since [something happened]” — but it’s how Spanish expresses the idea of “ago.”

Examples:

• Hace cinco años que visité México.
  (I visited Mexico five years ago.)
• Hace tres meses que aprendí español.
  (I started learning Spanish three months ago.)
• Hace una semana que hablé con ella.
  (I talked to her a week ago.)

💡 Pro Tip: You can also flip the sentence and drop que:

• Visité México hace cinco años.
  (I visited Mexico five years ago.)

Both forms are correct and common!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A frequent mistake is dropping “hace” entirely and trying to copy English structure.

❌ Cinco años visité México → This is incorrect.

✅ Hace cinco años que visité México → This is correct!

Always include hace to express the idea of “ago.”

Another common mistake is trying to use “pasado” (meaning last) instead of “hace + time + que” to express how long ago something happened.

❌ El año pasado que visité México → This is incorrect and doesn’t make sense in Spanish.

✅ Hace un año que visité México → This correctly means I visited Mexico a year ago.

Remember:

• Use “pasado” when referring to a specific point in time (like el mes pasado = last month),
• But use “hace + time + que” when talking about how much time has passed since something happened.

Challenge #1:

Say how long ago you last went on vacation using hace + time.
Example answer: Hace un mes que fui a la playa. (I went to the beach a month ago.)

Ongoing Actions: “I’ve been doing something for X time”

Spanish also uses hace + time to talk about actions that started in the past and continue in the present. The structure looks the same, but the verb is in present tense.

Hace + amount of time + que + verb (present tense)

Examples:

• Hace dos años que vivo en España.
  (I’ve been living in Spain for two years.)
• Hace seis meses que trabajo en esta empresa.
  (I’ve worked at this company for six months.)

This is perfect for talking about how long you’ve been doing something—and yes, it’s different from English grammar, but it’s widely used in daily conversation.

Asking “How long ago…?” or “How long have you…?”

To ask questions using this structure, just replace the time expression with a question phrase:

• ¿Hace cuánto tiempo que estudias español?
  (How long have you been studying Spanish?)
• ¿Hace cuánto que llegaste?
  (How long ago did you arrive?)

Cultural Insight: These structures are extremely common in everyday Spanish—whether you’re catching up with friends or making small talk with strangers.

Challenge #2:

Translate this sentence using hace + time:
“I have worked here for three years.”
Hace tres años que trabajo aquí.

Recap & Tips

✔ Use hace + time + que + preterite to say how long ago something happened.
✔ Use hace + time + que + present tense to talk about actions that are still happening.
✔ Practice both forms regularly—they’re essential for everyday Spanish!

Final Challenge for You

Translate the following sentences using hace + time:

1. “I met her two years ago.”

Hace dos años que la conocí.
La conocí hace dos años.

2. “I’ve been learning Spanish for four months.”

Hace cuatro meses que aprendo español.
Aprendo español desde hace cuatro meses.
(Note: “desde hace” is another common variation used for ongoing actions.)

3. “I talked to my mom five days ago.”

Hace cinco días que hablé con mi mamá.
Hablé con mi mamá hace cinco días.

Keep Learning!

Now that you know how to use hace + time in Spanish, try using it in your conversations or writing practice! Talking about time is one of the most useful tools for connecting with others in a new language.

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Do you want to learn more about Future Tense? don’t miss the blog Future Tense in Spanish: How to Talk About Upcoming Plans

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