Hace .... que and length of time another construction question.

Question

I want to say this in Spanish. Ana, Luis and Paco have been drinking red wine for an hour. Is this the correct construction? Hace una hor que beben Ana, Luis y Paco los vinos tintos.

Hace una hora que Ana, Luis and Paco han estado bebiendo vino tinto. - 00769608, Jan 31, 2010

Answer 1

Very close: Hace una hora que beben Ana, Luis y Paco vino tinto.

Thanks this is simalar, José has been reading in the library for two hours. Hace dos horas que lee José en la biblioteca. correct? - theMax, Jan 30, 2010

Correct - 005faa61, Jan 30, 2010

Answer 2

Hace una hora que beben Ana, Luis y Paco vino tinto.

Could that not mean "An hour ago they were drinking wine"?

Desde hace una hora que.... would seem to me to mean "for an hour" (since an hour ago)

Durante una hora is another possibility.

In your senario, "Hace una hora que bebieron............" "Desde hace" or Durante una hora" is another good way for theMax's senario, but in this case better to use "han estado bebiendo.". - 005faa61, Jan 31, 2010

Answer 3

What's wrong with this sentence?

Hace una hor que beben Ana, Luis y Paco los vinos tintos. In your english sentence the drinking red wine is in singular(have been drinking red wine for an hour).So in the Spanish version it also has to be singular

your version, los vinos tintos,should be changed to vino tinto.

Now, the sentence below can be understood but is ackward Hace una hora que beben Ana, Luis y Paco los vinos tintos.

I would change it to, Hace una hora que Ana,Luis y Paco beben vino tinto. or Ana,Luis Y Paco han estado bebiendo vino tinto por una hora.

Answer 4

Idiomatic uses of hacer..........................

....Is used as an expression of weather example

hace frío..............it is cold

hace fresco..........it is cool

hace viento...........it is windy

hace buen tiempo.....the weather is good

Hacer is used in certain time expressions,example

present tense of hacer and another verb,hace una hora que bebo. I been drinking for an hour.

Imperfect tense of both verbs, Hacia dos años que viajabamos. I had been traveling for two years.

Present tense of hacer and a preterit of acompaying verbs to express ago , hace un año que regrese, I returned a year ago