The present perfect
He hablado: what has happened.
The present perfect is the present of haber with the past participle, like English "I have spoken".
| haber | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | he | he hablado |
| tú | has | has comido |
| él, ella, usted | ha | ha vivido |
| nosotros | hemos | hemos hablado |
| vosotros | habéis | habéis comido |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | han | han vivido |
The participle ends in -ado for -ar verbs and -ido for -er and -ir verbs, and doesn't change here. Some common ones are irregular:
| Verb | Participle |
|---|---|
| hacer | hecho |
| decir | dicho |
| ver | visto |
| escribir | escrito |
| poner | puesto |
| volver | vuelto |
| abrir | abierto |
| romper | roto |
| morir | muerto |
Nothing comes between haber and the participle; pronouns and no go before haber.
- Have you eaten?
- I've never been to Mexico.
- I haven't seen it yet.
- Have you done your homework yet?
Spain and Latin America
It's used for experiences and for what has or hasn't happened yet, with ya "already", todavía no "not yet", alguna vez "ever" and nunca "never". In Spain it's also the usual way to tell what happened earlier today or this week: Hoy he comido paella "Today I had paella". Most of Latin America uses the preterite for that: Hoy comí paella.
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Past, future and commands cards.
How do you say 'I have spoken'?
he hablado
What's the past participle of comer?
comido
What's the past participle of hacer?
hecho
What's the past participle of ver?
visto
How do you say 'I've never been to Mexico'?
Nunca he estado en México.
Where does lo go in 'I haven't seen it yet'?
Before haber: Todavía no lo he visto.
How does someone in Spain usually say 'I had paella today'?
Hoy he comido paella.
What's the past participle of volver (to come back)?
vuelto
What's the 'they' form of haber in the present perfect?
han: han llegado.