How to use how long and since when in Italian?
In today’s lesson, you’re going to learn how to ask how long and since when someone has been doing something in Italian.
You’ll also learn how to answer those questions.
Let’s get started!
How to ask da quanto tempo?
In Italian we use da quanto tempo, da quanto or da quanto è che + verb when we want to ask How long…? or Since when..?
These are all common expressions you’ll hear when visiting Italy.
As you can see, you don’t always need the word tempo (time) since it’s pretty obvious you’re talking about time. The last option is the more colloquial one.
Here are some examples:
Da quanto tempo parli inglese?
Since when do you speak Italian?
Da quanto abiti in Spagna?
Since when do you live in Spain?
Da quanto è che siete insieme?
How long have you been together?
How to answer da quanto tempo?
In English, we either answer with since or with for. In Italian, we just need the word da followed by either the amount of time or the specific moment in time.
You’ll also notice, we use the present tense in both cases.
Let’s now have a look at some possible answers:
Parlo inglese da 3 anni. O Parlo inglese dal 2017.
I’ve spoken English for 3 years. Or I’ve spoken English since 2017.
Abito in Spagna da un anno. O Abito in Spagna dall’anno scorso.
I’ve lived in Spain for a year. O I’ve lived in Spain since last year.
Siamo insieme da 5 anni. O Siamo insieme dal 2015.
We’ve been together for 5 years. Or We’ve been together since 2015.
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