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How to Say ‘How long has it been done?’ in Italian

Da quanto tempo si fa?

dah KWAHN-toh TEM-poh see fah

[dah KWAHN-toh TEM-poh see fah]

💬 Usage Tip: si fa means "it's done" in general, by people at large. Swap the verb: Come si dice? "How do you say it?"

Phrase Breakdown

Da quanto

dah KWAHN-toh

Since how much / how long

'Da' expresses duration up to now. Pronounce the 'qu' in 'quanto' as 'kw': KWAN-to.

Example

Da quanto aspetti?

How long have you been waiting?

Words in this phrase

[dah]

for / since

Used with time expressions to say how long something has been happening.

Example

Lavora qui "Da" anni con entusiasmo.

He/She has worked here "for" years with enthusiasm.

quanto

[KWAHN-toh]

how much

The amount or degree of something.

Example

Quanto costa?

How much does it cost?

tempo si fa?

TEM-poh see fah

time has it been done?

'Si fa' is the impersonal 'si': 'it is done / people do it'. Italian uses the present tense here, where English uses 'has been done'.

Example

Quanto tempo si fa a piedi?

How long does it take on foot?

Words in this phrase

tempo

[TEM-poh]

time

Refers to duration or a period; very common when discussing work experience.

Example

Ha passato molto "tempo" in ruoli internazionali.

He/She has spent a lot of "time" in international roles.

[see]

one (impersonal)

Impersonal 'si', meaning people in general.

Example

Qui si mangia bene.

One eats well here.

[fah]

does / makes

From 'fare'; with 'male' means 'it hurts'.

Example

Il braccio le fa male?

Does your arm hurt?

Guides for Italian learners

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