The present perfect tense
To talk about actions you "have done" or events that "have happened" recently, use the present perfect tense. This compound tense requires two parts: the auxiliary verb haber (to have) and a past participle.
First, conjugate haber to match the subject:
| Subject | haber (Present) |
|---|---|
| yo | he |
| tú | has |
| él/ella/usted | ha |
| nosotros/nosotras | hemos |
| vosotros/vosotras | habéis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | han |
Next, form the regular past participle by dropping the infinitive ending of your main verb and adding a new ending:
- For -ar verbs, add -ado (e.g., reiniciar → reiniciado)
- For -er and -ir verbs, add -ido (e.g., encender → encendido)
| Has your brother turned on the computer? | ¿Tu hermano ha encendido el ordenador? |
| We have restarted the computer. | Hemos reiniciado el ordenador. |
Using "ya" and "todavía"
When troubleshooting technology, you will often describe progress using the present perfect with ya (already) and todavía (still, yet).
| I have already turned on the screen. | Ya he encendido la pantalla. |
| But the keyboard hasn't worked yet. | Pero el teclado todavía no ha funcionado. |
Keep the participle constant
Notice that the past participle never changes its ending to match the subject. Only the auxiliary verb haber changes. Keep the -ado or -ido ending exactly the same whether you are talking about one person or many.
| Have you turned off the mobile? | ¿Habéis apagado el móvil? |
| We haven't received the message. | No hemos recibido el mensaje. |
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