Introduction
Many English-speaking learners of Portuguese encounter the sentence Eu estou aqui faz dois anos and feel something is off. Is it correct? Which verb should be used to express duration? This article explains why the phrase needs careful grammar, how Brazilians normally express time, and practical rules to avoid common mistakes.
- Why this sentence feels wrong
- Key verbs and expressions for duration
- Correct ways to express duration
- Why Eu estou aqui faz dois anos is awkward
- How to choose the right verb: practical rules
- Additional examples and analysis
- Common follow-up questions learners ask
- Teaching tip: simple substitution method
- Conclusion
Why this sentence feels wrong
At first glance the sentence Eu estou aqui faz dois anos seems understandable: eu estou aqui means I am here, and faz dois anos aims to add the idea of for two years. However, Portuguese uses different verb constructions to indicate duration, and mixing the present continuous with faz looks awkward or ungrammatical.
English speakers often translate literally from I have been here for two years, producing the wrong Portuguese combination. Brazilian Portuguese prefers either the present perfect-like construction with fazer or the present simple with the verb ficar, morar or estar plus há. Understanding which to use depends on the nuance you want to convey.
Key verbs and expressions for duration
1. Fazer to express elapsed time
In Brazilian Portuguese, the verb fazer is commonly used impersonally to indicate elapsed time. The structure is:
Faz + period of time + que + clause
or
Há + period of time + que + clause
Examples:
Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui.
Há dois anos que eu moro aqui.
Both sentences mean I have lived here for two years. Notice that the main verb is morar, not estar in the progressive sense.
2. Estar and action vs state
The verb estar describes a temporary state or location. Eu estou aqui normally answers Where are you? or How are you right now. When you want to express how long you have been in a place, Portuguese typically uses morar, viver, ficar, or the impersonal fazer/há construction. Using estar with a duration phrase can be acceptable in some contexts but requires a different structure.
Compare:
Eu moro aqui há dois anos. (I have lived here for two years.)
Eu estou aqui desde janeiro. (I have been here since January.)
Correct ways to express duration
Option 1: Fazer/há + que + present tense
Use fazer or há when indicating how long something has been happening. This is the most idiomatic choice for many situations.
Structure: Faz/Há + time + que + present tense (or past, if appropriate)
Examples:
Faz três meses que eu estudo português.
Há três meses que eu estudo português.
Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui. — Correct and natural for expressing duration.
Option 2: Verb viver, morar, ficar + desde
Use verbs that describe lasting states and pair them with desde when referring to starting points.
Structure: Verb + desde + starting point
Examples:
Eu moro aqui desde 2019.
Eu trabalho aqui desde janeiro.
Note that using desde requires a specific starting point (a date, month, or event), not just a duration.
Option 3: Present progressive with desde + specific moment
For emphasis on a current continuous state that started at a specific time, you can use the present progressive with desde.
Example:
Eu estou trabalhando aqui desde março.
Eu estou estudando português desde o ano passado.
Here the present continuous is fine because it emphasizes an ongoing action that started at a known time.
Why Eu estou aqui faz dois anos is awkward
The problematic part is combining estar in the present tense with fazer to indicate elapsed time without que or without using a verb that expresses a continuous state appropriately. Grammatically, Brazilians expect one of these patterns:
Faz dois anos que eu estou aqui. — possible but still less common if you mean residence;
Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui. — more idiomatic for residence;
Eu estou aqui desde 2019. — good if you want to express location with a starting point;
Eu moro aqui há dois anos. — natural and common.
Common mistakes explained
Mistake 1: Literal translation from English
English I have been here for two years uses present perfect continuous, which Portuguese often renders with fazer/há + que or with morar/viver. Translating word-for-word yields Eu estou aqui faz dois anos, which mixes patterns.
Mistake 2: Omitting que after fazer
Although some spoken varieties accept omitting que, including que adds clarity: Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui. Without que, the sentence can sound clipped or colloquial, and combining it with estar increases awkwardness.
Mistake 3: Using estar for long-term residency
Use morar or viver for living somewhere long-term. Estar suggests temporariness and is more natural with desde or with present progressive when referring to actions.
How to choose the right verb: practical rules
Rule 1: Use morar or viver for residence or long-term life situations
If you mean you have lived somewhere for a period, choose morar or viver and pair it with fazer/há or desde as appropriate.
Examples:
Eu moro aqui há dois anos.
Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui.
Rule 2: Use estar when talking about temporary presence or current activity
If you are physically present for a short or temporary reason, or focusing on the current state, use estar with desde or a present progressive form.
Examples:
Eu estou aqui desde ontem. (I have been here since yesterday.)
Eu estou aqui trabalhando há três dias. (I have been here working for three days.)
Note in the second example the main idea is the action trabalhar, so the duration phrase relates to the action, not simply estar.
Rule 3: Use fazer/há + que for elapsed time
When you want a neutral way to express how long something has been happening, use fazer or há. This works with many verbs and states.
Examples:
Faz cinco anos que estudo música.
Há seis meses que estamos reformando a casa.
Additional examples and analysis
Below are real Brazilian Portuguese sentences with explanations showing correct usage.
Eu moro em São Paulo há quatro anos.
Meaning: I have lived in São Paulo for four years. Use morar + há for residence.
Faz três anos que aprendo inglês.
Meaning: I have been learning English for three years. Fazer + que + present tense expresses duration of an action.
Eu estou na escola desde as oito horas.
Meaning: I have been at school since eight o’clock. Use estar + desde for a present state with a starting point.
Eu estou estudando português há dois anos.
Meaning: I have been studying Portuguese for two years. Here the duration relates to the ongoing action estudar, so estar + gerund + há is natural.
Regional and colloquial notes
In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, people sometimes shorten sentences or mix patterns, especially in informal conversation. You might hear:
Estou aqui há dois anos. — Common in casual speech, leaving out eu and relying on estar + há for location.
Faz dois anos na cidade. — Colloquial and elliptical; understood but less formal. A listener will usually infer morar is implied.
Remember that written and formal spoken Portuguese prefers clearer structures like Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui or Eu moro aqui há dois anos.
Common follow-up questions learners ask
Can I say Eu estou aqui há dois anos?
Yes, especially in informal speech, but it implies a temporary presence or focuses on current placement. For long-term residence, Eu moro aqui há dois anos is safer and more idiomatic.
Is Faz dois anos que eu estou aqui acceptable?
It is grammatically acceptable, but if you want to stress residence, Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui is more natural. Use que to connect the time expression to the clause for clarity.
What about the present perfect in Portuguese?
European Portuguese uses present perfect forms more like English at times, but Brazilian Portuguese typically prefers simple present or the fazer/há constructions to indicate ongoing actions. Focus on the patterns presented here to sound natural in Brazil.
Teaching tip: simple substitution method
When unsure, substitute the verb with morar or estudar depending on context. If native speakers would use morar or viver for the situation, avoid mixing estar with fazer. Try these quick checks:
Do you mean live/reside? -> use morar/viver + há/faz que.
Do you mean temporary location or ongoing action? -> use estar + desde or estar + gerund + há.
Conclusion
The sentence Eu estou aqui faz dois anos needs careful grammar because Portuguese uses specific constructions to express duration. Prefer Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui, Eu moro aqui há dois anos, or Eu estou aqui desde janeiro depending on nuance. Choosing the right verb—morar, viver, estar—or the impersonal fazer/há will make your Portuguese sound natural and clear. With these rules and examples, you can avoid common translation traps and speak more like a Brazilian.
