✅ El Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto ✅
Master the Present Perfect - Bridge the Past to the Present!
English speakers: This is CRUCIAL! Spanish has TWO verbs that mean "to have", and they are NOT interchangeable:
✅ HABER (Auxiliary "have")
Use: To form compound tenses
Meaning: "Have/has DONE something"
Example: He comido = I have eaten
✅ TENER (Possession "have")
Use: To show possession/ownership
Meaning: "Have/has something"
Example: Tengo un coche = I have a car
❌ WRONG: Tengo comido
✅ CORRECT: He comido (I have eaten)
Tú has comido = You have eaten
Él ha vivido = He has lived
HABER is irregular in the present tense, and you must memorise these forms. The good news? Once you know them, you can use them with ANY past participle to create the Present Perfect!
| Pronombre | HABER (Present) |
|---|---|
| Yo | he |
| Tú | has |
| Él / Ella / Usted | ha |
| Nosotros/as | hemos |
| Vosotros/as | habéis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | han |
The Past Participle (Participio Pasado) is the second part of any compound tense. It's equivalent to English "-ed" or "irregular" forms (walked, eaten, seen). Don't confuse them with the English Past Simple (walked, ate, saw)! The great news? Regular participles are super easy to form!
-AR verbs: Remove -ar → Add -ado
Example: bailar → bailado (danced)
-ER verbs: Remove -er → Add -ido
Example: comer → comido (eaten)
-IR verbs: Remove -ir → Add -ido
Example: vivir → vivido (lived)
| Pronombre | BAILAR (to dance) | COMER (to eat) | VIVIR (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | he bailado | he comido | he vivido |
| Tú | has bailado | has comido | has vivido |
| Él / Ella / Usted | ha bailado | ha comido | ha vivido |
| Nosotros/as | hemos bailado | hemos comido | hemos vivido |
| Vosotros/as | habéis bailado | habéis comido | habéis vivido |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | han bailado | han comido | han vivido |
Just like other tenses, some common verbs have irregular past participles. The good news? These same irregular participles are used in ALL FOUR compound tenses (Pretérito Perfecto, Pluscuamperfecto, Futuro Compuesto, and Condicional Compuesto). Learn them once, use them four times!
Essential Irregulars (Memorise These First!)
Compound Verbs (Follow the Root Verb's Pattern)
Verbs that are formed from the irregulars above keep the same irregular participle:
Other Important Irregulars
💡 Study Tip: Create flashcards for these irregulars! They appear constantly in conversation.
He visto esa película. = I have seen/watched that movie.
¿Has hecho los deberes? = Have you done the homework?
Han abierto un nuevo restaurante. = They have opened a new restaurant.
Hemos escrito una carta. = We have written a letter.
When to Wield This Power
Common Time Expressions
These time expressions are commonly used with the Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto:
Use Pretérito Perfecto Simple (Preterite) when: The time period is finished (yesterday, last week) OR the action is completely done and disconnected from now.