French Phrase
Ça fait combien de temps que ça arrive ?
Meaning
Literally, "It makes how much time that it arrives?" In everyday French it means "How long has this been happening?" It is used to inquire about the length of time a situation or problem has persisted.
When to use
Use this question when you notice a recurring issue, a habit, or a phenomenon and you want to know its duration – for example, a leaky faucet, a recurring traffic jam, or a new trend at work.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çafaitcombiendetempsqueçaarrive?
Ça fait + durée
The construction "ça fait + durée" is an impersonal way to talk about how long something has been happening.
Combien de temps
"Combien de temps" means "how long" and is used to ask about duration.
que + clause
The conjunction "que" introduces the clause that describes the ongoing situation.
arrive (present)
"arrive" is the third‑person singular present of "arriver" (to happen/occur).
Informal "ça"
"Ça" is the informal pronoun for "cela"; it makes the sentence sound conversational.
🗨In Conversation
Ça fait combien de temps que ça arrive ?
How long has this been happening?
Ça commence depuis trois semaines, mais on n’a rien trouvé.
It started three weeks ago, but we haven’t found anything yet.
✕Common Mistakes
Ça fait combien de temps que arrive ?
The subject pronoun "ça" must be repeated before the verb in the subordinate clause.
Combien de temps ça fait que ça arrive ?
While understandable, the standard order is "Ça fait combien de temps que…"; swapping the parts sounds awkward.
Ça fait combien de temps que ça arriver ?
Use the present tense "arrive" for ongoing situations; "arriver" is the infinitive.
↔Alternatives
Depuis combien de temps cela se produit‑il ?
Since how long has this been occurring?
Ça dure depuis quand ?
Since when has it been going on?
Depuis quand ça arrive ?
Since when does this happen?
Cultural Tip
The phrase "ça fait" is extremely common in spoken French and sounds natural in informal contexts. In formal writing you might replace "ça" with "cela" or use the more structured "Depuis combien de temps...". Also, note that French speakers often drop the second "ça" and say "Ça fait combien de temps que ça arrive ?" rather than "Ça fait combien de temps que cela arrive ?" to keep the tone casual.