The Spanish Present Perfect (Presente Perfecto) is your go-to tense for talking about actions that started in the past and are still relevant now. It’s a simple formula: the present tense of the verb “haber” (to have) plus a past participle.
Most past participles are formed by adding -ado or -ido, but a few important verbs break the rules. Don’t worry, though! Once you learn these irregular past participles, you’ll unlock a whole new level of fluency.
Building the Present Perfect: A Quick Review
Here’s the basic formula:
Present tense of ‘haber’ + Past Participle
Let’s conjugate “haber” in the present tense:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | he |
| Tú | has |
| Él/Ella/Usted | ha |
| Nosotros/as | hemos |
| Vosotros/as | habéis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | han |
The Irregulars: 10 Must-Know Past Participles
Some common verbs have irregular past participles that don’t follow the typical patterns. Here are some of the most important ones:
- hacer (to do/make) → hecho
- decir (to say/tell) → dicho
- ver (to see) → visto
- poner (to put) → puesto
- escribir (to write) → escrito
- abrir (to open) → abierto
- romper (to break) → roto
- volver (to return) → vuelto
- morir (to die) → muerto
- cubrir (to cover) → cubierto
In Action: Examples of the Present Perfect with Irregular Past Participles
- “He hecho mi tarea.” (I have done my homework.)
- “¿Has dicho algo?” (Have you said something?)
- “Ellos han visto la película tres veces.” (They have seen the movie three times.)
- “Hemos puesto los libros en el estante.” (We have put the books on the shelf.)
- “¿Habéis escrito la carta?” (Have you (all) written the letter?)
Taking It Further: More Complex Examples
- “El autor ha escrito diez novelas hasta ahora.” (The author has written ten novels so far.)
- “No he vuelto a mi ciudad natal desde hace años.” (I haven’t returned to my hometown for years.)
- “¿Han cubierto todos los temas en la reunión?” (Have they covered all the topics in the meeting?)
- “La puerta se ha roto por tercera vez este mes.” (The door has broken for the third time this month.)
Synonyms:
- English: Irregular Participles in Perfect Tense, Have Perfect
- Spanish: Participios Irregulares en Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto, Antepresente, Presente Perfecto