Introduction
This article explains how to use Portuguese time expressions with the verbs há and faz. These two words are common in Brazilian Portuguese to say how long ago something happened, and they can be confusing for English speakers. Read on for clear rules, examples, and usage tips to help you talk about time like a native.
Overview: When to use há and faz
Both há and faz can express elapsed time in Brazilian Portuguese, similar to English ago. They are frequently interchangeable in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, but there are differences in formality and structure. Knowing these differences will improve your accuracy and fluency.
há — impersonal and simple
há is an impersonal form of the verb haver and is widely used to indicate how long ago an action occurred. It behaves like an adverb in time expressions and is followed directly by a time period without conjugating any other verb.
Structure: há + time period
Example:
Há duas horas que eu estou esperando. (I have been waiting for two hours.)
faz — from the verb fazer
faz comes from fazer and often appears in the structure: faz + time period + que + clause. It is more neutral in formality and very common in everyday speech. You can also use faz without que in short sentences.
Structure: faz + time period + que + clause OR faz + time period
Example:
Faz três dias que não chove. (It has not rained for three days.)
Step-by-step rules and differences
Below are detailed rules that explain when to use each form and how to construct sentences correctly.
1. Use há for elapsed time (neutral and formal)
Há is safe in both formal and informal contexts. It does not require a following que, and is commonly used to indicate how long ago something happened. Think of it as equivalent to English ago.
Examples:
Ele saiu há uma hora. (He left an hour ago.)
Conheço ela há cinco anos. (I have known her for five years.)
2. Use faz to emphasize duration with que
Faz is often used with que to stress the continuing duration or state that began in the past and extends to the present. This construction is especially common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
Examples:
Faz dois meses que estudo violão. (I have been studying guitar for two months.)
Faz muito tempo que não nos vemos. (It has been a long time since we saw each other.)
3. Short answers and informal speech
In short or informal responses, people often use faz or há without que. Both are understood, though há may sound slightly more formal.
Examples:
Quanto tempo faz que você mora aqui?
Resposta: Faz cinco anos. or Há cinco anos.
4. Negative expressions and actions that stopped
To say something stopped happening a certain time ago, use há or faz similarly, but context can affect choice. For actions that are no longer true, há often appears without que, while faz plus que highlights duration leading up to now.
Examples:
Ele saiu há dois dias e ainda não voltou.
Faz duas semanas que eu não estudo francês. (I have not studied French for two weeks.)
5. Use with present perfect meaning
Both há and faz can convey the English present perfect idea of an action that started in the past and continues in the present. They are used instead of the Portuguese present perfect tense in many everyday contexts.
Examples:
Há anos que trabalho aqui. (I have worked here for years.)
Faz anos que trabalho aqui. (I have been working here for years.)
Common time period expressions and agreement
Time words like horas, dias, meses, and anos usually follow há and faz. Use plural when the number is not one. For 1 use singular: uma hora, um dia, um mês, um ano.
Singular and plural examples
Há uma hora que eu cheguei. (I arrived one hour ago.)
Há três horas que eu cheguei. (I arrived three hours ago.)
Faz um dia que ele saiu. (He left one day ago.)
Faz dois dias que ele saiu. (He left two days ago.)
Using numbers and approximate time
When you want to be approximate, you can use expressions like mais ou menos, cerca de, or uns/umas. These work with both verbs.
Examples:
Há mais ou menos uma semana que comecei. (I started about a week ago.)
Faz uns três meses que não vejo música ao vivo. (It has been about three months since I saw live music.)
Examples in everyday contexts
Here are practical sentences showing how Brazilians commonly use há and faz in conversation and writing.
Travel and appointments
Há quinze minutos que esperamos pelo ônibus. (We have been waiting for the bus for fifteen minutes.)
Faz meia hora que ela marcou a consulta. (She scheduled the appointment half an hour ago.)
Work and study
Há dois anos que trabalho nesta empresa. (I have worked at this company for two years.)
Faz quatro meses que estudo para a prova. (I have been studying for the exam for four months.)
Social and family
Há anos que não vejo meus primos. (I have not seen my cousins for years.)
Faz muito tempo que não vou ao cinema. (It has been a long time since I went to the cinema.)
Weather and events
Faz três dias que não chove. (It has not rained for three days.)
Há poucas semanas que começou a temporada das chuvas. (The rainy season started a few weeks ago.)
Nuances, formality, and regional preferences
While both verbs are correct, there are subtle differences worth noting for tone and register.
Formality
Há is slightly more formal and appears often in writing, news reports, and formal speech. Faz is common in spoken language and informal writing.
Regional usage
In Brazil, both forms are widely understood. Some speakers may prefer faz in casual conversation, while formal texts like academic writing tend to use há. In Portugal, usage can differ, but this article focuses on Brazilian Portuguese.
Subtle meaning shifts
Using faz + que can emphasize an ongoing state or habit continuing up to the present. Using há may be more neutral or simply state a fact about elapsed time.
Compare:
Há três meses que não como açúcar. (Neutral fact: I haven’t eaten sugar in three months.)
Faz três meses que não como açúcar. (Slight emphasis on the duration and continuation.)
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
English speakers make predictable errors when learning these time expressions. Here are the most common mistakes and quick tips to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Using que with há
While há + que is sometimes used, it’s unnecessary. Prefer the simple structure há + time period unless you need the full clause.
Incorrect: Há duas horas que eu estou esperando. is actually acceptable in Portuguese, but unnecessary in short forms.
Clear: Há duas horas eu estou esperando. or Faz duas horas que eu estou esperando.
Mistake 2: Confusing subject agreement
Do not conjugate another verb to match há or faz in the time phrase. Keep the structure simple: há + time period OR faz + time period + que + clause (where the clause has its own conjugated verb).
Incorrect: *Faz duas horas estamos esperando.
Correct: Faz duas horas que estamos esperando.
Mistake 3: Literal translation from English
Avoid translating directly from English ago or for. Use há or faz as appropriate, and remember Portuguese may prefer one over the other depending on formality.
English: I have lived here for three years.
Natural Portuguese: Há três anos que moro aqui. or Faz três anos que moro aqui.
Additional useful expressions with time
Learning complementary expressions helps you sound natural when talking about time in Portuguese.
Faz pouco tempo and há pouco tempo
Both mean recently or a short time ago. They are interchangeable in many contexts.
Examples:
Faz pouco tempo que comecei no trabalho. (I started the job recently.)
Há pouco tempo que ela voltou da viagem. (She returned from the trip a short time ago.)
Faz tempo and há muito tempo
Both express a long time. Use them when you want to emphasize that an action or state has lasted a long period.
Examples:
Faz tempo que não nos falamos. (It has been a long time since we spoke.)
Há muito tempo não chovia assim. (It has been a long time since it rained like this.)
Quick reference summary
Use this short guide when you need to choose between há and faz in conversation or writing.
• há: impersonal, slightly more formal, directly followed by time period. Equivalent to ago.
• faz: from fazer, common in spoken language, often used with que to introduce a clause.
• Both can express how long ago something happened or how long something has lasted.
• Use singular forms for one unit of time and plural otherwise.
Conclusion
Mastering the time expressions with há and faz will make your Portuguese more natural and confident. Both forms convey elapsed time, with slight differences in formality and emphasis. Practice noticing which native speakers use in context: formal writing often favors há, everyday speech leans toward faz. With these rules and examples, you will quickly recognize and use these expressions correctly in Brazilian Portuguese.
