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French Phrase

Ça fait combien de temps que tu es là ?

/sa fɛ kɔ̃bjɛ̃ də tɑ̃ kə ty ɛ la/
Meaning"How long have you been here?"
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Meaning

Literally, "It makes how much time that you are here?" In everyday French it means "How long have you been here?" It asks about the length of time someone has been present at a place.

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When to use

Use this informal question when you meet a friend, a colleague, or a guest and want to know how long they have been at the location – a party, a class, an office, etc. It’s casual, so avoid it in very formal settings.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Çafaitcombiendetempsquetueslà?

1

Ça fait + durée

The construction "ça fait + amount of time" is used to ask or state how long something has lasted, similar to "how long has it been" in English.

2

combien de temps

A fixed phrase meaning "how much time"; it always precedes a duration question.

3

que + subject + verb

After "combien de temps", French inserts the conjunction "que" before the clause that tells who is involved and the verb.

4

es (être) + là

"es" is the 2nd‑person singular present of "être"; "là" means "here" and indicates location.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ça fait combien de temps que tu es là ?

How long have you been here?

Je suis là depuis une heure.

I've been here for an hour.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ça fait combien de temps tu es là ?

    Missing the conjunction "que" after the time expression; the correct structure is "...temps que tu es..."

  • Combien de temps depuis tu es là ?

    "Depuis" does not combine with "combien de temps"; use either "Ça fait combien de temps..." or "Depuis combien de temps..."

  • Ça fait combien de temps que tu es là

    In spoken French the question mark is essential; without it the sentence becomes a statement: "Ça fait combien de temps que tu es là."

↔Alternatives

  • Depuis combien de temps es‑tu ici ?

    Since how long have you been here?

  • Tu es là depuis quand ?

    Since when have you been here?

  • Depuis quand es‑tu ici ?

    Since when have you been here?

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Cultural Tip

In French, "ça fait" is a very common, colloquial way to talk about duration, especially in spoken language. In more formal writing you’ll often see "depuis" (e.g., "Depuis combien de temps es‑tu ici ?"). Also, "là" can be replaced by "ici" for a slightly more precise sense of "here".