Present Perfect in Spanish (Pretérito Perfecto): Conjugation, Usage & Examples
Learn how to form and use the Spanish Present Perfect with clear rules, participles, irregular forms, and the most common real-life contexts.
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Spanish Exercises. Your Questions Answered.
Explore the most common questions about our Spanish Present Perfect Exercises and how Elayaa makes learning interactive, simple, and effective.
💡 What is the Spanish Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto)?
The Spanish Present Perfect is a past tense used to talk about actions that are connected to the present, recent events, and life experiences without specifying when they happened.
💡 How do you form the Present Perfect in Spanish?
It is formed with haber (present tense) + past participle:
he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han + -ado / -ido.
💡 What are the main uses of the Present Perfect?
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Recent past actions with present relevance
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Life experiences ("I have been…", “I have tried…”)
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Actions in unfinished time periods (“today”, “this week”)
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News or updates that matter now
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Actions that contrast with the present state
💡 How do you conjugate regular verbs in the Spanish Present Perfect?
-AR → -ado (hablar → hablado)
-ER / -IR → -ido (comer → comido; vivir → vivido)
💡 What are the most common irregular past participles?
Abierto, dicho, hecho, visto, puesto, vuelto, escrito, roto, muerto, cubierto.
💡 When is the Present Perfect used instead of the Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)?
Use the Present Perfect when the period of time is still open (“today”, “this month”) or when the action impacts the present.
Use the Preterite when the action is fully completed in a closed past time (“yesterday”, “last year”).
💡 What time expressions are common with the Present Perfect?
Hoy, esta semana, este mes, ya, todavía no, últimamente, nunca, alguna vez, siempre, muchas veces.
💡 Can the Present Perfect express life experiences?
Yes. It is the default tense for “Have you ever…?” questions and general experiences without a specific time.
💡 What are common mistakes learners make with this tense?
Confusing it with the simple past, incorrect participle forms, overusing it in Latin America, or forgetting “haber” changes.
💡 How can I practice the Present Perfect effectively?
Through drills, participle lists, real-life sentences, conversation prompts, and adaptive online exercises.