Hola amigos/amigas!
In this article, we will explore the Present Perfect Tense in Spanish deeply.
This tense is referred Pretérito Perfecto in Spanish.
Our blog includes the following topics:
Present perfect tense (Pretérito Perfecto) is mainly used in Spanish for past events with ongoing effects.
Creating a sentence with the present perfect tense in Spanish is almost the same as in English.
We will see this fact more clearly below.
Using the Auxiliary Verb ‘Haber’ for Present Perfect Tense in Spanish
In Spanish, you must utilize the verb ‘haber’ when building sentences with present perfect tense.
Similar to English, ‘haber‘ is adopted like ‘to have’.
As in English,
Haber = To have
The sentence structures can be formulated as follows:
Object + The Conjugated Form of Haber + The Conjugated Form of Verb
Let’s provide the conjugated form of the auxiliary verb haber as a table.
| Personal Pronouns | The Conjugated Form of Haber |
|---|---|
| Yo | He |
| Tu | Has |
| Él/Ella/Usted | Ha |
| Nosotros/Nosotras | Hemos |
| Vosotros/Vosotras/Ustedes (in Spain) | Habéis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (in Latin America) | Han |
Now it is time to add a verb after conjugating haber.
How to Conjugate the Verbs for Present Perfect Tense in Spanish?
In the context of present perfect tense in Spanish, one of the the key aspect is to use the Past Participle of the verb.
But, there is a certain breakdown here:
The ending of the Spanish verb.
We have two options:
- -Ado ending
- -İdo ending
Now we see how to choose the correct one.
How Do We Choose the Correct Ending of the Verb for Present Perfect in Spanish?
It can seem like a challenging task to choose the correct ending, but it is not!
Just you need to check the Spanish verb’s ending.
✅️ If the last two words of the Spanish is AR, then we choose -ADO.
Trabajar -> Trabajado (To work)
Esperar -> Esperado (To wait)
Hablar -> Hablado (To talk)
✅️ If the last two words of the Spanish is ER or İR, then we choose -İDO.
Comer -> Comido
Correr -> Corrido
Vender -> Vendido (To sell)
Vivir -> Vivido (To live)
Salir -> Salido (To go out)
Recibir -> Recibido (To receive)
Irregular Verbs for Present Perfect in Spanish
In previous section, we considered how to modify the Spanish verbs using -ADO and -İDO endings.
However, some irregular verbs do not follow this way.
The past participles forms of such verbs cannot be conjugated simply by deleting the -AR, -ER or -İR.
We are sure you’ll learn as you use it over time.
✅️ The following verbs completely have irregular past participle forms.
Abrir -> Abierto (To open)
Decir -> Dicho (To say)
Comer -> Comido (To eat)
Ver -> Visto (To see)
Poner -> Puesto (To put)
Satisfacer -> Satisfecho (To satisfy)
Volver -> Vuelto (To return/repeat)
Hacer -> Hecho (To do)
Romper -> Roto (To break)
Cubrir -> Cubierto (To cover)
Example Sentences for Present Perfect Tense in Spanish
In this section, we provide several example sentences related to the present perfect tense in Spanish (SPA).
The sentences will include English (ENG) translations as well.
In this blog, we attempted to give valuable information on the use of the present perfect tense in Spanish.
We expect your comments and examples in the comment section.
Hasta luego!
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