The Present Perfect in Spanish: Talking About the Recent Past

If you’ve ever wanted to say, “I have eaten,” or “She has studied,” in Spanish, then you’re ready to use the Present Perfect tense (el Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto). This tense connects the present with the past — it’s perfect for talking about recent experiences or actions that still matter today.

What is the Present Perfect?

The Present Perfect is used to describe actions that happened in the past but are still connected to the present. It often answers the question: What have you done?

For example:

• He visitado México. → I have visited Mexico.

• ¿Has visto esta película? → Have you seen this movie?

In both cases, the action is in the past, but the focus is on the present relevance: you are still alive, you still have that experience, and it might matter right now.

How to Form It

The Present Perfect is built with two parts:

1. The present tense of the verb haber

2. The past participle of the main verb

Formula:

haber (present) + participio pasado

Here’s the conjugation of haber:

• yo he

• tú has

• él/ella/usted ha

• nosotros hemos

• vosotros habéis

• ellos/ustedes han

And the past participle is formed by taking the verb stem and adding:

• -ado for -ar verbs → hablar → hablado (spoken)

• -ido for -er/-ir verbs → comer → comido (eaten), vivir → vivido (lived)

Examples:

• Yo he hablado → I have spoken

• Tú has comido → You have eaten

• Ellos han vivido → They have lived

Irregular Past Participles

Some verbs don’t follow the regular pattern. A few important ones are:

• abrir → abierto (opened)

• decir → dicho (said)

• escribir → escrito (written)

• poner → puesto (put, placed)

• ver → visto (seen)

• volver → vuelto (returned)

Example:

• He escrito una carta. → I have written a letter.

• ¿Has visto mi teléfono? → Have you seen my phone?

When to Use the Present Perfect

1. Life experiences (without specific time):

   
   

   • He viajado a España. (I have traveled to Spain.)

   
   

2. Recent actions with present relevance:

   
   

   • Hoy he hablado con mi profesor. (Today I have spoken with my teacher.)

   
   

3. Negative experiences:

   
   

   • Nunca he comido sushi. (I have never eaten sushi.)

   
   

4. Questions about experience:

   
   

   • ¿Alguna vez has estado en Perú? (Have you ever been to Peru?)

   
   

Tips for Students

• Watch for time markers. Words like ya (already), todavía no (not yet), nunca (never), and alguna vez (ever) are commonly used with this tense.

• Don’t confuse it with the simple past (pretérito indefinido). In Spain, people often use the Present Perfect to talk about things that happened “today” or “this week.” In Latin America, the simple past is more common in those cases. For example:

  
  

  • Spain: Hoy he comido paella.

  • Latin America: Hoy comí paella.

  
  

• Practice with your own life. Make sentences about things you’ve done, never done, or just done recently. It makes learning personal and memorable.

Final Thought

The Present Perfect is a powerful tense because it helps you connect your past experiences with the present moment. Once you master it, you’ll be able to tell stories, share your achievements, and ask about others’ experiences — all in natural, flowing Spanish.