Introduction
This article explains how to use Faz tempo que in Brazilian Portuguese to express actions or situations that started in the past and continue into the present. You will learn meaning, grammar structure, verb choices, common alternatives, and natural example sentences to help you use this expression confidently in conversation.
- What does Faz tempo que mean?
- Basic grammar and structure
- Common sentence patterns and examples
- Variations and related expressions
- Negative forms and questions
- Using amounts of time with faz tempo que
- Practical tips for learners
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Cultural and usage notes
- Quick reference cheat-sheet
- Conclusion
What does Faz tempo que mean?
Faz tempo que is a very common informal expression in Brazilian Portuguese used to say that something has been happening for a long time and still holds true now. It expresses a past-to-present duration, similar to English expressions like it has been a long time since or for a long time. The focus is on the duration that links the past to the present.
Core idea and nuance
When you use faz tempo que, you emphasize that a state, habit, or repeated action began in the past and continues up to the present moment. It is about continuity or a long-standing fact, not a single completed event. This distinguishes it from simple past tense statements that refer only to a finished action.
Basic grammar and structure
The typical structure of sentences with Faz tempo que is straightforward. You usually place faz tempo que followed by a verb phrase that describes the action or state. The verb can be in the present indicative when the action still happens now, or in the present perfect sense of continuity.
Structure pattern 1 (state or habitual action):
Faz tempo que + present tense verb
Structure pattern 2 (habit or repeated action emphasized):
Faz tempo que + verb in the present perfect sense (often present tense in Portuguese)
Note that although English uses present perfect in many similar sentences, Portuguese often uses the present indicative to express ongoing actions when paired with faz tempo que.
Verb tense choices explained
In Brazilian Portuguese you will commonly use the present indicative after faz tempo que because the expression itself places the action in a past-to-present frame. For example, Faz tempo que trabalho aqui means I have been working here for a long time. The present verb trabalho communicates that the action continues now.
Using the imperfect or perfect past is less common with faz tempo que unless you want to stress the past without continuity. For example, Faz tempo que trabalhei ali would imply the action happened a long time ago and likely no longer continues.
Common sentence patterns and examples
Below are clear, natural sentence patterns with several example sentences. Each example includes an English gloss to help you understand usage and nuance.
Pattern: Faz tempo que + present indicative
Faz tempo que + eu/tu/ele/nós/vocês + present indicative verb
Faz tempo que moro em São Paulo.
It has been a long time since I moved to São Paulo / I have lived in São Paulo for a long time.
Faz tempo que estudamos português.
We have been studying Portuguese for a long time.
Faz tempo que ele trabalha naquela empresa.
He has worked at that company for a long time.
Pattern: Faz tempo que + não + present tense (negation)
Use this pattern to say you have not done something for a long time.
Faz tempo que não vejo meus primos.
I have not seen my cousins in a long time.
Faz tempo que não chove aqui.
It hasn’t rained here for a long time.
Pattern: Faz tempo que + passado (to emphasize a finished action)
If you pair faz tempo que with a simple past or imperfect verb, you typically mean the action occurred a long time ago and may not continue to the present.
Faz tempo que ele saiu do país.
He left the country a long time ago.
Faz tempo que éramos crianças.
We were children a long time ago.
Variations and related expressions
There are several ways to express the same basic idea. Knowing these alternatives helps you understand regional preferences and register.
Faz muito tempo que
Faz muito tempo que adds emphasis and is interchangeable with faz tempo que in many contexts. Use it when you want to stress that the duration is especially long.
Faz muito tempo que eles não se falam.
They haven’t spoken to each other in a very long time.
Há tempo que and Há quanto tempo
Another common alternative is Há to express duration. Há vezes uses the same idea with a slightly more formal tone. Compare:
Há dois anos que trabalho aqui.
I have worked here for two years.
Há quanto tempo você mora aqui?
How long have you lived here?
Note that há can be used interchangeably with faz in many contexts, but faz is more conversational in Brazilian Portuguese.
Desde and Desde que
Another construction for durations is desde or desde que, which focuses on the starting point of the action. Use desde when you want to specify when something began.
Moro aqui desde 2015.
I have lived here since 2015.
Faz tempo que moro aqui and Moro aqui desde 2015 convey similar meanings, but the latter gives a precise starting point.
Negative forms and questions
You can easily make negatives and questions with faz tempo que. The negative uses the word não before the verb. Questions invert intonation or word order as in normal Portuguese interrogatives.
Faz tempo que você não vai ao cinema?
Have you not gone to the movies for a long time?
Faz tempo que não comes feijoada?
Haven’t you had feijoada in a long time?
Faz tempo que não estudo música.
I haven’t studied music for a long time.
Using amounts of time with faz tempo que
You can include explicit durations such as anos, meses, semanas, dias, horas, and expressions like muito tempo. Place the time expression before or after the verb phrase without changing meaning.
Faz três anos que estudo português.
I have been studying Portuguese for three years.
Faz muito tempo que não vou ao Rio.
I haven’t been to Rio for a long time.
Faz cinco minutos que estamos esperando.
We have been waiting for five minutes.
Positioning the time expression
Both of these are natural:
Faz dois meses que trabalho aqui.
Trabalho aqui faz dois meses.
The first option is more common and flows better in speech, while the second can add emphasis or rhythm in conversation.
Practical tips for learners
Here are concrete suggestions to help you master faz tempo que in spoken and written Brazilian Portuguese.
1. Prefer present indicative verbs after faz tempo que when you mean continuity. For example, use faço, estudo, moro, trabalho rather than past forms, unless you mean something finished.
2. Use faz muito tempo que to emphasize long durations. It sounds natural in everyday speech.
3. When you want to state a clear starting point, consider using desde or há for precision: Moro aqui desde 2010 or Há dez anos que trabalho.
4. For negatives, put não after faz tempo que: Faz tempo que não vejo. Keep intonation natural when asking a question.
5. Listen to Brazilian Portuguese speakers in movies, podcasts, and everyday conversations to hear natural rhythm with faz tempo que. It appears frequently in casual speech.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Learners sometimes transfer English grammar patterns directly into Portuguese, creating awkward or incorrect sentences. Below are common errors and corrections.
Mistake: Using English present perfect directly with auxiliary verbs in Portuguese.
Incorrect: Faz tempo que tenho estudado Português.
Correct: Faz tempo que estudo Português.
Mistake: Forgetting não in negative sentences.
Incorrect: Faz tempo que vou ao shopping. (if meaning you haven’t gone)
Correct: Faz tempo que não vou ao shopping.
Mistake: Mixing faz and past tense incorrectly.
Incorrect: Faz tempo que fui ao Brasil. (this can be ambiguous)
Better: Faz tempo que eu fui ao Brasil (emphasizes finished action), or Faz tempo que não vou ao Brasil (if you mean you haven’t gone recently).
Cultural and usage notes
In Brazil, faz tempo que is very casual and widely used across age groups. It is common in everyday small talk, catching up with friends, and in stories about the past. You will hear it more often than the more formal há in spoken informal settings.
In some regions, speakers may favor particular alternatives like há or desde depending on habit and context, but all are understood nationwide. When talking with older speakers or in formal writing, há might appear more frequently, while younger speakers often use faz tempo que and faz muito tempo que.
Quick reference cheat-sheet
Faz tempo que + present indicative = action/state began in the past and continues now.
Faz muito tempo que = stronger emphasis on long duration.
Faz tempo que não + verb = negative: haven’t/hasn’t done something for a long time.
Há + time = formal alternative meaning for durations.
Desde + starting point = specifies when the action began.
Conclusion
Faz tempo que is an essential, everyday expression in Brazilian Portuguese to talk about actions or states that started in the past and continue to the present. Use the present indicative after faz tempo que to show continuity, add muito to emphasize length, and choose há or desde when you need a slightly different tone or precise starting point. Listening to native speakers will help you internalize natural patterns.
