translate: How long have you been in the United States?

Question

Quiero decir: "How long have you been in the United States?"

Mi intento: "¿Cuánto tiempo ha estado en los Estados Unidos?" o "¿Cuánto tiempo hace que llegó a los Estados Unidos?"

Gracias.

¿Hay algo que suena mejor?

Answer 1

The translator didn't like my attempt at using llevar +time expression- delete

Answer 2

Good job, jr, welcome to the forum

we can also say as Quentin half suggested:

¿Cuánto tiempo lleva en los Estados Unidos?

• Put that in the translator and see what it says. - qfreed Nov 21, 2009

Answer 3

¿Cuánto tiempo lleva en los Estados Unidos?

Here's what the translator gives for that sentence:

How long has the United States?

I originally wrote:

¿Cuánto tiempo llevó en los Estados Unidos?

and the translator gave:

How long did the United States?

That's why I deleted my answer. I love that toy! It's so accurate and dependable.

By the way: I had overlooked that the present tense is usually rendered as past tense in these constructions. Thank you for reminding me.

Answer 4

jeje, I was just looking at the translations, wonderful!!

Quentin already knows, but JR, the verb llevar is actually the most colloquial verb used, to express the idea of having done something for a long time and still doing it...that is the presente perfect contiunous.

I have been studying for 5 years.

Llevo estudiando desde hace 5 años.

Answer 5

Here's what the translator spit out when I punched in: "¿Cuánto tiempo lleva usted en los Estados Unidos?"

"How long have you been in the U.S.?"

It got it right!

Apparently, the translator tool is not yet able to read body language, facial expressions or voice inflection which would have indicated that "lleva" was referring to the other person.

But, it shouldn't be long now...