Faz, Há, or Desde? Talk About Time and Duration in Portuguese — Practice

Use faz to talk about an amount of time

Faz can describe a duration: Faz dois anos que moro aqui (I have lived here for two years). It can also refer to a point in the past: Cheguei faz uma semana (I arrived a week ago). The verb fazer changes with tense, but present faz is especially common in everyday time expressions.

When the sentence names a period such as dois meses or três semanas, faz helps answer “how long?” or “how long ago?” Read the rest of the sentence to see whether the period continues now or marks time since a completed event.

Use há for time that has passed or a duration

Há can mean “there is/are,” but it also expresses elapsed time. Há dois anos trabalho aqui can mean that you have worked here for two years; há duas semanas means two weeks ago or for two weeks, depending on the sentence. The verb haver is impersonal in this time use, so há stays the same.

Portuguese speakers may choose faz or há in similar duration sentences. These patterns are useful to recognize in speech and writing. Do not confuse elapsed-time há with the preposition a in a future time expression such as daqui a dois dias (in two days).

Use desde to name the starting point

Desde means since or from, and it introduces a starting point: desde 2022 (since 2022), desde segunda-feira (since Monday), or desde criança (since childhood). It focuses on when a period began rather than how long the period is.

Combine desde with a present-tense verb when an activity began in the past and still continues: Trabalho aqui desde março (I’ve worked here since March). If the action is over, use a past-tense context that makes that clear.

Choose between a duration and a starting date

Ask yourself whether you want to name an amount of time or the moment the period began. Use faz or há with an amount—há três anos—and desde with a starting point—desde 2023. This contrast helps you describe work, study, relationships, and life in a new city.

For more date and schedule practice, use Real Life Portuguese guides to appointments, months, and daily routines. I Speak Portuguese teachers can ask how long you have studied and when you started, giving you a natural way to practice the difference.

Remember: Use faz or há with a length of time and desde with a starting point. Context shows whether the period continues now or ended in the past.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I’ve been studying Portuguese for three months.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Faz três meses que estudo português.

2. We met five years ago.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente se conheceu faz cinco anos.

3. How long have you worked here?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Faz quanto tempo que você trabalha aqui?

4. I have lived in this city for six months.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Moro nesta cidade há seis meses.

5. The train left ten minutes ago.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   O trem saiu há dez minutos.

6. How long have you known Ana?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Há quanto tempo você conhece a Ana?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Use faz or há with a length of time and desde with a starting point. Context shows whether the period continues now or ended in the past.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Faz, Há, or Desde? Talk About Time and Duration in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.