he comido — past linked to now (Spain prefers this for recent time)
The pretérito perfecto compuesto (present perfect) = haber (present) + past participle (-ado / -ido). It links a past action to now : relevance, result, or an unfinished time period (hoy, esta semana, este año).
In Spain this tense is everyday speech. In much of Latin America the pretérito indefinido replaces it even for hoy .
| Person | haber | + participle (hablar) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | he | he hablado |
| tú | has | has hablado |
| él / ella / usted | ha | ha hablado |
| nosotros / as | hemos | hemos hablado |
| vosotros / as | habéis | habéis hablado |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | han | han hablado |
Regular participles: -ar → -ado (hablado), -er / -ir → -ido (comido, vivido). The participle agrees in gender/number only when it follows ser or a direct object pronoun (advanced — not required at A2).
| Infinitive | Participle | Infinitive | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrir | abierto | cubrir | cubierto |
| decir | dicho | escribir | escrito |
| freír | frito | hacer | hecho |
| imprimir | impreso | morir | muerto |
| poner | puesto | resolver | resuelto |
| romper | roto | satisfacer | satisfecho |
| ver | visto | volver | vuelto |
| devolver | devuelto | descubrir | descubierto |
| suspender | suspendido | — | — |
*Some verbs accept both regular and irregular forms (e.g. **imprimido** / **impreso**). When in doubt, use the form in the table above.
Double check high-frequency ones: hecho, dicho, visto, escrito, puesto, roto, abierto .
Signal words (unfinished time): hoy , esta mañana / tarde / noche , esta semana , este mes , este año , últimamente , recientemente , ya , todavía no , nunca , alguna vez .
Today I have eaten a lot (Spain) →
Have you all been to Barcelona? (Spain) →
I have never tried gazpacho →
She has done (hacer) the homework →
We have written an email →
Have you seen my keys? →
This week I have gone to the gym three times →
They have put the table →
I have not finished yet →
Have you already seen it? →
He has told the truth →
You all have broken the vase (Spain) →