A little more to say
How long something has been true
Duration with desde hace
Say how long something has been continuing.
The pattern
- Present + desde hace + duration.
- Desde + starting point: desde enero.
Vivo aquí desde hace dos años.
I have lived here for two years.
Why it works: The living continues now, so vivo is present. Desde hace introduces the length of time: dos años.
Notice the difference
Vivo aquí desde enero.
I have lived here since January.
Why it works: Desde introduces a starting point. Desde hace introduces a duration, so do not add hace before enero.
One thing to watch for
For a situation continuing now, Spanish commonly uses the present where English uses have been/have lived.