Desde vs. Faz in Portuguese: Say How Long Something Has Lasted
Desde names when something began; faz introduces an elapsed time period. Brazilian Portuguese also commonly uses há for duration.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Use desde when you name the moment something started: desde 2022 (since 2022), desde segunda-feira (since Monday), or desde criança (since childhood). With an ongoing situation, the main verb commonly stays in the present tense.
Pair desde with a starting point
For an exact calendar date, desde + date is direct. For a period such as two years, choose faz or há instead of putting the duration after desde.
Moro em Recife desde 2022.
I’ve lived in Recife since 2022.
Trabalho aqui desde segunda-feira.
I’ve worked here since Monday.
Ela estuda português desde criança.
She has studied Portuguese since childhood.
Use faz or há with an elapsed duration
Faz dois anos que moro aqui and moro aqui há dois anos both mean that you have lived here for two years. The first puts the elapsed-time phrase at the start; the second places há before the duration.
English often uses a present perfect form for a situation that continues now. Brazilian Portuguese typically uses the present tense in these examples, so translate the idea rather than copying the English verb tense.
Faz três meses que faço aulas.
I’ve been taking classes for three months.
Conheço a Sabrina há muitos anos.
I’ve known Sabrina for many years.
Estamos esperando faz meia hora.
We’ve been waiting for half an hour.
Put it into practice
Ask yourself whether you need a start date (desde 2022) or an amount of elapsed time (faz dois anos / há dois anos).
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “She has studied Portuguese since childhood”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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