meaning of phrase "a esta fecha"

Question

What does it mean when someone says for instance, "en cinco años a esta fecha..." Does it mean five years after this date or before? Thanks in advance for your help!

Welcome to the forum, :) - 00494d19, Sep 28, 2011

Answer 1

The English version would probably be "five years from this date" or on this date 5 years from now. (Sept. 28, 2016...depending on your location).

If don't think that this is the usual phrasing of that as I see no uses of it googling.

cinco años a partir de esta fecha

We also have an English phrasing that might be appropriate: five years to the day...exactly 5 year from this date.

Answer 2

"five years from this date" or on this date 5 years from now.

Just confirming, good job quentin.

Very unusual, I would say: dentro de cinco años a partir de hoy, a partir de esta fecha, a partir de ahora....

many thanks for both your responses, maybe it is unusual because this is from a text from 1840, perhaps they had different writing conventions... - Rajeshwari-Dasgupta, Sep 28, 2011

Ah, but it would be quite reasonable if one were talking about some sort of "aniversary". - samdie, Sep 28, 2011