B1 Spanish GrammarPerfect Tenses
Master Spanish compound tenses: pretérito perfecto (present perfect), pluscuamperfecto (past perfect), and futuro perfecto. Learn haber conjugation and irregular past participles.
1Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto)
The present perfect uses haber (present) + past participle. It expresses actions completed recently or with relevance to the present. In Spain, it's used for 'today' events; Latin America often prefers preterite.
Present Perfect Formation
| Person | Haber | + Participle |
|---|---|---|
| yo | he | hablado / comido / vivido |
| tú | has | hablado / comido / vivido |
| él/ella | ha | hablado / comido / vivido |
| nosotros | hemos | hablado / comido / vivido |
| vosotros | habéis | hablado / comido / vivido |
| ellos | han | hablado / comido / vivido |
Examples
Hoy he trabajado mucho.
Today I've worked a lot.
recent past, today
¿Has estado alguna vez en España?
Have you ever been to Spain?
life experience
Todavía no hemos comido.
We haven't eaten yet.
todavía no = not yet
Esta semana ha llovido mucho.
It has rained a lot this week.
current time period
2Irregular Past Participles
While most participles end in -ado/-ido, many common verbs have irregular forms. These must be memorized. The participle never changes form when used with haber (always masculine singular).
Irregular Participles
| Verb | Participle | English |
|---|---|---|
| abrir | abierto | opened |
| decir | dicho | said |
| escribir | escrito | written |
| hacer | hecho | done/made |
| poner | puesto | put |
| romper | roto | broken |
| ver | visto | seen |
| volver | vuelto | returned |
Examples
¿Qué has hecho hoy?
What have you done today?
hecho (hacer)
Ya he escrito el informe.
I've already written the report.
escrito (escribir)
Han abierto una tienda nueva.
They've opened a new store.
abierto (abrir)
¿Has visto la película?
Have you seen the movie?
visto (ver)
3Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)
The past perfect uses haber (imperfect) + past participle. It expresses an action completed before another past action. It's the 'past of the past', providing background to past events.
Past Perfect Formation
| Person | Haber (imperfect) | + Participle |
|---|---|---|
| yo | había | hablado |
| tú | habías | comido |
| él/ella | había | vivido |
| nosotros | habíamos | hecho |
| vosotros | habíais | visto |
| ellos | habían | escrito |
Examples
Cuando llegué, ya se había ido.
When I arrived, he had already left.
action before past action
Nunca había comido sushi antes.
I had never eaten sushi before.
first time experience
Ya habíamos terminado cuando llamó.
We had already finished when she called.
completed before another past
No sabía que habías estado enfermo.
I didn't know you had been sick.
past of the past
4Future Perfect
The future perfect uses haber (future) + past participle. It expresses actions that will be completed before a future point. It's also used for probability about past events ('must have...').
Future Perfect Formation
| Person | Haber (future) | + Participle |
|---|---|---|
| yo | habré | terminado |
| tú | habrás | llegado |
| él/ella | habrá | salido |
| nosotros | habremos | visto |
| vosotros | habréis | hecho |
| ellos | habrán | escrito |
Examples
Para las cinco, habré terminado.
By five, I will have finished.
future deadline
Cuando llegues, ya habré comido.
When you arrive, I will have already eaten.
before future event
Habrán perdido el tren.
They must have missed the train.
probability about past
¿Habrá llegado ya el paquete?
Could the package have arrived already?
wondering about past