Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense

In Spanish the present perfect tense, pretérito perfecto in Spanish, is used to describe an action, or repeated actions, that started in the past and continues into the present. It can also be used to indicate that an action has just recently been completed. It often answers the question: “What have you done today / recently / in your life?”

Formation

In Spanish this tense is formed by combining the verb haber with the past participle of the verb. The following table shows the conjugation of the present perfect tense for the three classes of verbs.

When to Use the Present Perfect

A. Recent past actions
Used for things that happened very recently.

He terminado el informe.	I have just finished the report.
¿Has oído la noticia?	Have you heard the news?

B. Unfinished time periods
Used when the time frame is still ongoing (today, this week, this year).

Hoy he estudiado mucho.	Today I have studied a lot.
Este año hemos viajado poco.	This year we have traveled little.

C. Life experiences (without specifying when)
Similar to English, but Spanish (especially in Latin America) sometimes uses the preterite instead.

He visitado México varias veces.	I have visited Mexico several times.
¿Alguna vez has probado el ceviche?	Have you ever tried ceviche?

D. Present results of past actions
The action affects the present moment.

He perdido mis llaves; no puedo entrar.	I have lost my keys; I can’t get in.
Ha llovido mucho y las calles están mojadas.	It has rained a lot and the streets are wet.

The present perfect tense is often used with the following adverbs:

• ya - already
• hoy - today
• nunca - never

Examples

Aún no ha llegado.	It hasn't arrived yet.
¿Has comido?	Have you eaten?
Sí, he comido.	Yes, I have eaten.
¿Has llamado a tu madre?	Have you called your mother?
No he confirmado nuestras reservaciones todavía.	I haven't confirmed our reservations yet.
Ya han comido.	They have already eaten.
He aprendido mucho desde que empecé este curso.	I have learned a lot since I started this course.

Regional Variations

In Spain the past perfect is preferred for actions that happened today. In Latin America, like in English, the preterite tends to be used instead for actions that happened today.

Irregular Past Participles

Some participles do not follow the regular -ado / -ido pattern. Memorize these common irregulars:

Infinitive	Past Participle	English
abrir	abierto	opened
cubrir	cubierto	covered
decir	dicho	said
escribir	escrito	written
hacer	hecho	done / made
morir	muerto	died
poner	puesto	put / placed
romper	roto	broken
ver	visto	seen
volver	vuelto	returned

Examples

He escrito una carta.	I have written a letter.
Habían roto la ventana antes de que llegáramos.	They had broken the window before we arrived.
Hemos visto esa película muchas veces.	We have seen that movie many times.
Han abierto una nueva tienda en mi barrio.	They have opened a new store in my neighborhood.

Poder (To Be Able)

The verb poder is an irregular verb that means to be able or can. The following table shows how to conjugate this very common verb in the present and preterite tenses.

pronoun	present	preterite
yo	puedo	pude	I am/was able
tú	puedes	pudiste	you are/were able (singular familiar)
usted	puede	pudo	you are/were able (polite singular)
él, ella	puede	pudo	he/she/it is/was able
nosotros	podimos	pudimos	we are/were able
vosotros	podéis	pudisteis	you are/were able (familiar plural)
ustedes	pueden	pudieron	you are/were able (plural)
ellos, ellas	pueden	pudieron	they are/were able

Past Participle: podido

Examples

Puedo hablar español.	I can speak Spanish.
¿Puedes ir a la tienda?	Can you go to the store?
¿María pudo encontrar sus llaves?	Was María able to find her keys?
Podemos hacerlo.	We can do it.
Pudieron ver la película.	They were able to see the movie.

Querer (To Want)

The verb querer is an irregular verb that means to want. The following table shows how to conjugate this very common verb in the present and preterite tenses.

pronoun	present	preterite
yo	quiero	quise	I want/wanted
tú	quieres	quisiste	you want/wanted (singular familiar)
usted	quiere	quiso	you want/wanted (polite singular)
él, ella	quiere	quiso	he/she/it wants/wanted
nosotros	queremos	quisimos	we want/wanted
vosotros	queréis	quisisteis	you want/wanted (plural familiar)
ustedes	quieron	quisieron	you want/wanted (plural)
ellos, ellas	quieron	quisieron	they wanted

Past Participle: querido

Examples

Quiero una taza de café.	I want a cup of coffee.
¿Qué quieres saber?	What do you want to know?
Hemos querido viajar a Nicaragua.	We have wanted to travel to Nicaragua.
Querían comprar una casa.	They wanted to buy a house.
Alejandro quiere venir con nosotros.	Alejandro wants to come with us.