Perfect Tenses: Have Done, Had Done (Haber + Participle)

What You'll Learn

Understand how to form the present perfect using 'haber' + past participle
Learn when to use present perfect for recent actions and life experiences
Learn how to 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 of perfect tenses
Avoid common mistakes like separating 'haber' from the past participle

Overview / Usage

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.

🔗 Perfect Tenses Connect Time Periods

🎯 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

Present Tense of 'Haber'

(haber)

Person

Spanish

English

yo

he

I have

tú

has

you have

él/ella/usted

ha

he/she/you (formal) has

nosotros/as

hemos

we have

vosotros/as

habéis

you all have

ellos/ellas/ustedes

han

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

Imperfect Tense of 'Haber'

(haber)

Person

Spanish

English

yo

había

I had

tú

habías

you had

él/ella/usted

había

he/she/you (formal) had

nosotros/as

habíamos

we had

vosotros/as

habíais

you all had

ellos/ellas/ustedes

habían

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

🎯 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

Gotchas / 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 / Mini Quiz

Useful Resources

Coming soon...