"Have lived" or "have been living"
I am curious about these sentences:
How long have you lived in Madrid?
How long have you been living in Madrid?
With this two sentences, is it supposed you still live in Madrid?
Thank you in advance.
9 Answers
Yes, Nila, I think both of them imply that you still live there. If you no longer lived there a better question would be "How long did you live in Madrid?" 
Nila
"How long have you lived in Madrid?" This one "could" indicate that you no longer live in Madrid, but would probably be phrased as "How long did you live in Madrid."
How long have you been living in Madrid? This one for sure indicates that you are still living in Madrid.
In it's most common context, "How long could you have lived in Madrid?" doesn't mean you don't think they lived there, but that you don't think they lived there very long. "How long could you have been living in Madrid?" has the same implication, but implicitly references some point in time in the past.
Then, here "could" is not translate as "podrías" but as "es probable".
How long could you have lived in Madrid? (¿Cuánto tiempo es probable que hayas vivido en Madrid?)
How long could you have been living in Madrid? (¿Cuánto tiempo es probable que hayas estado viviendo en Madrid?)
In it's most common context, "How long could you have lived in Madrid?" doesn't mean you don't think they lived there, but that you don't think they lived there very long. "How long could you have been living in Madrid?" has the same implication, but implicitly references some point in time in the past.
How long could you have lived in Madrid? Then, it is probably you no longer in Madrid but it is not completely sure. Is that? Then, it would be the same as: How long could you have been living in Madrid?
The use of "could" here has a different meaning. The first sentence either means how long did you have the opportunity to live in Madrid (but didn't), or that you know they lived elsewhere and there is a limit on how long they have lived in Madrid. It has nothing to do with whether or not they still live in Madrid. Neither of these sentences would commonly be said by a native speaker.
Both sentences are in present-perfect tense - past & present combined (yesterday & today & probably tomorrow). Present-perfect also indicates a long period of time with possible end. Present-perfect continuous indicates a short period of time and continued action; hence, continuous.
It's the same as in Spanish: ¿Por cuánto has vivido en Madrid? (Mucho tiempo). ¿Por cuánto has estado viviendo en Madrid? (Menos tiempo, pero con toda aseguranza que seguirás allí).
How long could you have lived in Madrid?
How long could you have been living in Madrid?
Neither of these sentences would commonly be said by a native speaker.
The first part of your explanation has been well-understood by me. But, I have some doubts about why "neither of these sentences would commonly be said by a native speaker".
I mean, if you ask these questions (with "could") I understand that you are asking about the possitility of having lived or not having lived in Madrid. And also, I understand that you want to know the amount of time they lived in Madrid before going to live somewhere else.
Then, I think that with this sense, you can use these two sentences. Don't you think?
It's the same as in Spanish: ¿Por cuánto has vivido en Madrid? (Mucho tiempo). ¿Por cuánto has estado viviendo en Madrid? (Menos tiempo, pero con toda aseguranza que seguirás allí).
The problem is that, in these examples, it is not the same as in Spanish.
¿Cuánto tiempo has vivido en Madrid?. It is probable you still to live there, but also, it is probable you not to live there.
¿Cuánto tiempo has estado viviendo en Madrid? It is probable you still to live there, but also, it is probable you not to live there.
Then, I have realised that in English, as it isn't the same, the person who asks the question assumes that he still lives in Madrid.
Ian, do you want to say this:?
How long could you have lived in Madrid?
Then, it is probably you no longer in Madrid but it is not completely sure. Is that?
Then, it would be the same as:
How long could you have been living in Madrid?
Anyway, I think that if with the two first sentences, I still live in Madrid, it is probably that these other sentences to be similar to the first ones. I mean, with these others, I also want to say that I still live in Madrid.
The fact of that I use "could" is because you couldn't remember the amount of time because you do not still live in Madrid. Under that point of view, it could be debatable.
