How to form the Pretérito perfecto compuesto in Spanish. This tense is one of the most common in Spanish and corresponds to the English Present Perfect.
Alongside the Present tense (presente de indicativo), this is one of the first Spanish tenses that you will need to get to grips with.
We have included audio files with this lesson. In this case, the accent you’ll hear is from Madrid, Spain.
Conjugation for regular verbs
As you’ll see below, the Pretérito perfecto compuesto is formed by the present tense (present indicative) of the verb haber and the past participle of the verb in question.
| Person /Verb | Hablar – Speak | Vivir – Live | Comer – Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | he hablado | he vivido | he comido |
| tú | has hablado | has vivido | has comido |
| él / ella | ha hablado | ha vivido | ha comido |
| nosotros | hemos hablado | hemos vivido | hemos comido |
| vosotros | habéis hablado | habéis vivido | habéis comido |
| ellos | han hablado | han vivido | han comido |
The Past Participle
Forming the past participles of regular Spanish verbs is easy:
- Hablar -> Hablado
- Vivir -> Vivido
- Comer -> Comido
Just remember that the past participle for ER verbs uses an ‘I’ instead of an ‘E’:
Correct: Comido
Incorrect:Comedo
Irregular verbs 1 – accented past participles
All verbs form the Pretérito perfecto compuesto with the auxiliary verb ‘haber’ and the past participle. However, not all verbs have a regular past participle. When –er and –ir verb stems end in a vowel, then the past participles require the addition of an accent. However, this does not apply to verbs which end in –uir.
| Verb | Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Caer | caído | fallen |
| Creer | creído | believed |
| Leer | leído | read |
| Oír | oído | heard |
| Reír | reído | laughed |
| Sonreír | sonreído | smiled |
| Traer | traído | brought |
Let’s look at examples using this first group of irregular verbs:
- He oído mucho de ti.
I’ve heard a lot about you. - He oído a mi madre hablar de ti.
I’ve heard my mother talk about you. - He oído a los mares gritar mi nombre.
I’ve heard the seas shout my name. - Os he traído regalos.
I’ve brought you gifts. - Nunca me he reído tanto.
I’ve never laughed so much.
* You will also hear the participle ‘creído’ used a lot with the meaning of ‘vain’
- Tu hermano es muy creído.
Your brother is very vain.
Did you notice how reflexive verbs form the Pretérito perfecto compuesto?:
reírse -> me he reído, te has reído, se ha reído, nos hemos reído, os habéis reído, se han reído
Irregular verbs 2
The following verbs also have irregular past participles, but follow no set pattern:
| Verb | Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Abrir | abierto | opened |
| Cubrir | cubierto | covered |
| Decir | dicho | said |
| Escribir | escrito | written |
| Hacer | hecho | done |
| Morir | muerto | died |
| Poner | puesto | put |
| Romper | roto | broken |
| Ver | visto | seen |
| Volver | vuelto | returned |
Some example phrases
- La tienda no ha abierto todavía.
The shop hasn’t opened yet. - ¿Por qué no me has escrito?
Why haven’t you written to me? - ¿No te he visto antes?
Haven’t I seen you before? - No han vuelto todavía.
They haven’t returned yet.
More tenses?
In our Spanish grammar section you’ll find all of the most common (and most useful!) Spanish tenses. If you’re tired of grammar, then take a look at our section on Spanish phrases, with video and audio of native speakers from Spain and Latin America.
