Depuis plus the present tense

Key points

In French depuis is used when you want to say you've been doing something since a specific time or date, where English would use since.
It's also used when you want to say you've been doing something for a period of time, where English would use for.

In French depuis is used when you want to say you've been doing something since a specific time or date. In this case it is translated by the English word since:

Je fais mes études à Manchester depuis septembre 2000

I have been studying in Manchester since September 2000

Note

Note that in both cases French uses the present tense while English uses a past tense. This is because English and French look at the same thing in different ways.

In English we look back and described what has happened in the past: I have been studying or We've lived. By contrast in French the important thing is that the activity such as studying or living is still going on, hence the present tense: Je fais mes études or Nous habitons.

Depuis is also used when you want to say you've been doing something for a period of time. In this case it is translated by the English word for:

Nous habitons dans cette maison depuis dix ans

We've lived in this house for ten years

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