Learn Spanish (Latin America): Siempre he querido volar, pero no he tenido la oportunidad. - I have always wanted to fly, but I have not had the opportunity.

Siempre he querido volar, pero no he tenido la oportunidad.

I have always wanted to fly, but I have not had the opportunity.

Breakdown of Siempre he querido volar, pero no he tenido la oportunidad.

Questions & Answers about Siempre he querido volar, pero no he tenido la oportunidad.

Why do we use he querido and he tenido instead of just the past tense?

These are examples of the present perfect tense, which connects the past to the present. You form it using the present tense of the helper verb haber (here, he for "I have") plus a past participle like querido (wanted) or tenido (had). It works just like English to say you "have done" or "have wanted" something in your life up to now.

Can I put siempre between the two verbs, like we do in English with "I have always wanted"?

No, in Spanish you can never separate the two parts of the present perfect (he and querido). Words like siempre (always) or nunca (never) must go before the conjugated verb haber, making it siempre he querido.

Where exactly does the no go when making this tense negative?

Just like with siempre, the word no must go right before the conjugated form of haber. You say no he tenido (I have not had), and you can never put the no between he and tenido.

Why is volar in its infinitive form (ending in -ar) here?