Please help!
I’m really struggling with how the word “hace” changes meaning depending on the tense when it is used to express time. Is the below about right? Does anyone have any tips? Don’t even get me started with when to use “hacía” or “por hace.”
**present tense (“have been” “for”)**
Hace un año que estudio español. — I have been studying Spanish for one year.
=
Estudio español desde hace un año. — I have been studying Spanish for one year.
**present perfect (“long passed” “it was” “ago”)**
El tren ha pasado hace tiempo. — The train has long passed. = The train has passed a long time ago.
Usually used like “hace tiempo” or “hace rato” to mean “long past” or “a long time ago” and not with numbers, but with numbers, it just means “ago”
El tren ha pasado hace una hora. — The train has passed an hour ago.
It used instead of the preterite to emphasise a connection between the near past and present.
**preterite (“it was” “ago”)**
Hace un año que conocí a tu padre. –It was one year ago I met your father. = One year ago, I met your father. = I met your father one year ago.
=
Conocí a tu padre hace un año. — I met your dad one year ago.
**imperfect (“had been” “for”)**
Hacía/hace un año que estudiaba español cuando …. — I had been studying Spanish for one year when …..
=
Estudiaba español hacía/hace un año cuando …. — I had been studying Spanish for one year when …..
=
Estudiaba español desde hacía/hace un año cuando …. I had been studying Spanish for one year when …..
“Hacía” and “hace” are both fine here, but “hacía” is preferred so the tenses match.
**pluperfect (“long passed” “it was” “ago”)**
Aunque el imperio había pasado hacía/hace tiempo, muchos
de ellos permanecían aquí. — Although the empire had long passed, many of them remained here.
**Conditional ???**
**Conditional perfect ???**
**Future ???**
**Future perfect???**
Depende del tiempo de referencia:
– Cuando estudiaba español, hacía 4 años de haber acabado la carrera. You started learning 4y after finishing degree.
– Estudiaba español hace 4 años. You studied it 4y ago
– Estudiaba español desde hace 4 años. You study it for 4y, not anymore.
– Estudio desde hace 4 años. You study it for 4y
– El mes que viene hará 4 años estudiando español. Next month 4y will have passed since I began learning it.
– Si hubiera seguido haría 4 años de estudiar español. If I would keep studying it would be 4y learning spanish.
You’re getting confused because you are trying to translate word for word into/from English. Don’t focus on what “hacer” itself (and its various forms) means, focus on idiomatic constructions characteristic for Spanish.
This could be completely wrong but I always think of it as “it makes 4 years” since I have done this. It makes is usually present tense because usually you are speaking as of today. Hacia 4 años as “it had been 4 years” when I did this or when this happened. Just don’t translate it word for word.