Spanish grammar · Elementary (A2)
The present perfect: he comido, has visto
How to form the present perfect (pretérito perfecto) with haber, the irregular past participles, and when Spain uses it instead of the preterite.
How to form it
The “present perfect” () is in the present plus a “past participle”. -ar verbs make the participle with -ado ( → ), and -er and -ir verbs with -ido ( → , → ).
The participle never changes, and nothing goes between and the participle. Pronouns and go before : , .
| Person | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| / / | |||
| / | |||
| / | |||
| / / |
Irregular past participles
Some common verbs have irregular participles. Verbs made from them follow the same pattern: → , → .
| Infinitive | Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (Have you opened the window?) | ||
| (What did he say to you?) | ||
| (I've written a message.) | ||
| (What have you done today?) | ||
| (Where have you put the keys?) | ||
| (The phone has broken.) | ||
| (Have you seen the film?) | ||
| (She hasn't come back yet.) |
When to use it in Spain
In most of Spain, use the present perfect for things that happened today or in a period that isn't over yet: , , . In the morning, it's also used for the night that has just ended:
Use it with (already, yet), (not yet) and for experiences in your life so far, often with (never) or (ever).
- Hoy he comido en casa.Today I had lunch at home.
- Esta semana hemos trabajado mucho.We've worked a lot this week.
- ¿Ya has desayunado?Have you had breakfast yet?
- Nunca he estado en México.I've never been to Mexico.
Present perfect or preterite?
For a finished time, like , , or , use the preterite: , never .
In Latin America, and in some parts of Spain such as the Canary Islands, people use the preterite much more, also for today: . Both are correct Spanish; this course follows the usage of most of Spain.