Want to talk about past actions that still matter in the present? You need the Spanish present perfect tense! The good news is that regular verbs follow a simple pattern in this tense. Let’s break it down.
Forming the Past Participle
The present perfect is made up of two parts:
- The present tense of the verb “haber” (to have)
- The past participle of the main verb
Here’s how to form the past participle of regular verbs:
- -ar verbs: Drop the “-ar” and add “-ado”
- Example: hablar (to speak) → hablado
- -er and -ir verbs: Drop the “-er” or “-ir” and add “-ido”
- Examples: comer (to eat) → comido, vivir (to live) → vivido
Conjugating “Haber” in the Present Tense
- Yo he
- Tú has
- Él/Ella/Usted ha
- Nosotros/Nosotras hemos
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes han
Putting it Together: Forming the Present Perfect
Combine the correct form of “haber” with the past participle:
- Yo he + past participle
- Tú has + past participle
- Él/Ella/Usted ha + past participle …and so on
Examples in Action
- Hablar: He hablado con mi madre. (I have spoken with my mother.)
- Comer: ¿Has comido demasiado? (Have you eaten too much?)
- Vivir: Ella ha vivido en Madrid por cinco años. (She has lived in Madrid for five years.)
When to Use the Present Perfect
The Spanish present perfect is your go-to tense for:
- Actions connected to the present: He estudiado mucho este semestre. (I have studied a lot this semester.)
- Talking about experiences: ¿Has viajado a México? (Have you traveled to Mexico?)
- Recent events: ¿Qué ha pasado? (What has happened?)
- Actions starting in the past and continuing now: He vivido aquí por diez años. (I have lived here for ten years.)
Synonyms:
- English: Regular Present Perfect, Perfect Tense, Present Completed Tense, Anterior Present Tense Verbs
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto, Antepresente, Presente Perfecto, Pasado Inmediato