# Forum Other Languages Romance languages French  Il faut m'aider!

## ut&amp;#246;rk

Well Ive had thee most confusing time, knowing how to use depuis with or withnot the past tense.  
Like if I wanted to say He's been eating since we got back (and still is) 
Serait-il... Il mange depuis on est revenus? 
Ok that didnt really get at what im trying to say, or like to say I've known him since yesterday...Je l'ai connu depuis hier, ou Je le connais depuis hier? 
I guess all in all I just need a little explanation of when to use depuis, w and w/o the past tense! 
And a final word, the french forum is so inactive its so sad, we must strive to make it more exciting. On ne s'ennuiera jamais ici! Merci beaucoup et bient

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## Spiderkat

[quote=ut

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## iblix

If there's a rule to make out of this, it would be the following:
You use depuis with the present tense when you're talking of a situation that's happening at the moment.  
"He's been eating since we got back" home actually means that he's eating at the moment, so you use the present => il mange 
"He had been sick for a week" is something in the past. It means that he's not sick anymore. So you use the past (imparfait) in french => il etait malade 
For once I think it's slightly more logical in french than in English!   ::

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