- Form the present perfect using 'haber' + past participle
- Use present perfect for recent actions and life experiences
- Form the past perfect (pluperfect) for actions before other past events
- Memorise common irregular past participles (hecho, dicho, escrito, etc.)
- Recognise the difference between Spanish and English usage
- Avoid common mistakes like separating 'haber' from the past participle
What You'll Learn
Overview
Perfect tenses in Spanish allow you to connect different time periods and show how past actions affect the present or relate to other past events. These compound tenses combine the auxiliary verb 'haber' with past participles.
Present Perfect
He comido
"I have eaten"
Past action with present relevance
Past Perfect
Había comido
"I had eaten"
Past action before another past action
Understanding perfect tenses helps you express complex temporal relationships and add sophistication to your Spanish communication.
Structure & Formation
Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto)
Formation: Present tense of 'haber' + past participle
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | he | I have |
| tú | has | you have |
| él/ella/usted | ha | he/she has, you (formal) have |
| nosotros/as | hemos | we have |
| vosotros/as | habéis | you all have |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | han | they/you all have |
yohe
I have
túhas
you have
él/ella/ustedha
he/she has, you (formal) have
nosotros/ashemos
we have
vosotros/ashabéis
you all have
ellos/ellas/ustedeshan
they/you all have
Past Participle Formation
Regular -AR verbs:
stem + -ado
hablar → hablado
Regular -ER/-IR verbs:
stem + -ido
comer → comido
vivir → vivido
When to Use Present Perfect:
Recent past actions
He llegado tarde
I have arrived late
Life experiences
He visitado España
I have visited Spain
Actions continuing to present
He vivido aquí por 5 años
I have lived here for 5 years
Today/this week/this year
Hoy he comido pizza
Today I have eaten pizza
Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)
Formation: Imperfect tense of 'haber' + past participle
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | había | I had |
| tú | habías | you had |
| él/ella/usted | había | he/she had, you (formal) had |
| nosotros/as | habíamos | we had |
| vosotros/as | habíais | you all had |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habían | they/you all had |
yohabía
I had
túhabías
you had
él/ella/ustedhabía
he/she had, you (formal) had
nosotros/ashabíamos
we had
vosotros/ashabíais
you all had
ellos/ellas/ustedeshabían
they/you all had
When to Use Past Perfect:
Action before another past action
Ya había comido cuando llegaste
I had already eaten when you arrived
Past experiences by a certain point
Nunca había visto el mar
I had never seen the sea
Reported speech
Dijo que había terminado
He said he had finished
Common Irregular Past Participles
abrir → abierto
(opened)
decir → dicho
(said)
escribir → escrito
(written)
hacer → hecho
(done/made)
poner → puesto
(put)
ver → visto
(seen)
volver → vuelto
(returned)
romper → roto
(broken)
morir → muerto
(died)
Examples
Practice with real-world examples of perfect tenses in context:
Present Perfect Examples
Recent Actions & Results
He perdido mis llaves
I have lost my keys (and still don't have them)
¿Has visto mi teléfono?
Have you seen my phone?
Life Experiences
Nunca he estado en México
I have never been to Mexico
¿Has probado la paella?
Have you tried paella?
Actions Today/This Week
Esta semana hemos trabajado mucho
This week we have worked a lot
Hoy no he visto a María
Today I haven't seen María
Past Perfect Examples
Sequencing Past Events
Cuando llegué, ya habían cenado
When I arrived, they had already had dinner
No pude entrar porque había perdido las llaves
I couldn't enter because I had lost the keys
Past Experiences at a Specific Point
Antes de 2020, nunca había viajado en avión
Before 2020, I had never traveled by plane
A los 18 años ya había aprendido tres idiomas
By age 18 I had already learned three languages
Common Mistakes
Don't Use Simple Past with "Hoy"!
"Hoy" (today) is still ongoing, so use present perfect:
✗ Wrong:
Hoy comí tres veces
✓ Correct:
Hoy he comido tres veces
Today I have eaten three times
Never Separate 'Haber' and Participle!
Keep 'haber' and the past participle together:
✗ Wrong:
He siempre vivido aquí
✓ Correct:
Siempre he vivido aquí
I have always lived here
Regional Differences!
Usage varies between Spain and Latin America:
Spain (more common):
¿Has comido ya?
Have you eaten already?
Latin America (more common):
¿Ya comiste?
Did you eat already?
Watch Out for "Ya"!
"Ya" (already) often appears with perfect tenses:
Ya he terminado
I have already finished
Ya había salido cuando llamaste
I had already left when you called
Past Participle = Adjective!
Past participles can also work as adjectives (and must agree):
With 'haber' (no agreement):
María ha abierto la puerta
As adjective (agrees):
La puerta está abierta
The door is open
"Esta Semana" = Present Perfect!
Time periods that include the present use present perfect:
Este año he viajado mucho
This year I have traveled a lot
But use preterite for completed periods: "El año pasado viajé mucho"
Quick Test
Test your knowledge of present perfect and past perfect!
1. Complete: Esta mañana _____ (I have drunk) café.
Abebí
Bhe bebido
Chabía bebido
Dbebo
2. Choose the correct form: Cuando llegamos al cine, la película ya _____.
Aha empezado
Bempezó
Chabía empezado
Dempieza
3. Which sentence is correct for life experiences?
ANunca he estado en París
BNunca estuve en París
CNunca había estado en París
DNunca estoy en París
4. Complete: _____ (They have written) tres libros este año.
AEscribieron
BHan escrito
CHabían escrito
DEscriben
5. Select the irregular past participle for 'hacer':
Ahacido
Bhecho
Checido
Dhacedo
6. Choose the correct sentence:
AHe siempre vivido aquí
BSiempre he vivido aquí
CSiempre vivido he aquí
DHe vivido siempre aquí
7. Complete: No pude entrar porque _____ (I had lost) las llaves.
Aperdí
Bhe perdido
Chabía perdido
Dpierdo
8. Which past participle is IRREGULAR?
Ahablado
Bcomido
Cdicho
Destudiado