A2 · Past tenses
El pretérito perfecto
Haber plus a participle, used for a past that has not been sealed off yet: today, this week, ever, never, already. In Spain it does a great deal of work; across most of Latin America the indefinido covers much of the same ground. Both are correct, and which one you hear tells you where the speaker learned their Spanish.
Haber plus participle
| haber | participle | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | he | hablado / comido / vivido |
| tú | has | hablado |
| él / ella | ha | hablado |
| nosotros | hemos | hablado |
| ellos | han | hablado |
Irregular participles
| Infinitive | Participle |
|---|---|
| hacer | hecho |
| decir | dicho |
| ver | visto |
| escribir | escrito |
| poner | puesto |
| volver | vuelto |
| abrir | abierto |
| romper | roto |
The time markers that call it
- hoy, esta semana, este año
- ya, todavía no
- alguna vez, nunca
- últimamente
- Hoy he leído dos textos.Today I have read two texts.
- ¿Alguna vez has ido a Cusco?Have you ever been to Cusco?
- Todavía no he comido.I have not eaten yet.
Spain and Latin America
- Hoy he desayunado tarde.I had a late breakfast today. · Spain
- Hoy desayuné tarde.I had a late breakfast today. · most of Latin America
Why it exists next to the indefinido
The perfect connects a past action to the present moment: the time period is still open, or the result still matters. Hoy he leído dos textos says the day is not over. Ayer leí dos textos closes it.
- He perdido las llaves.I have lost the keys. · and I still cannot get in
- Perdí las llaves ayer.I lost the keys yesterday. · a finished event
The participle never changes here
After haber the participle is frozen in the masculine singular, whoever is speaking. It only agrees when it is working as an adjective.
- Ella ha llegado.She has arrived. · never llegada
- La carta está escrita.The letter is written. · adjective, so it agrees
Nothing goes between haber and the participle
English can say I have never seen it. Spanish puts nothing in the middle: nunca lo he visto or no lo he visto nunca.
- Nunca lo he visto.I have never seen it.
- Todavía no he comido.I have not eaten yet.
Mistakes to avoid
He escribido una carta.
He escrito una carta.
Escribir has an irregular participle.
Ayer he ido al mercado.
Ayer fui al mercado.
Ayer closes the period, so the indefinido.
He nunca visto eso.
Nunca he visto eso.
Nothing comes between haber and the participle.
Try it
Hoy ___ dos textos.
¿Alguna vez ___ a Cusco?
Todavía no ___ la tarea.
Esta semana ___ tres libros.
Ella ha ___ temprano.