Spanish grammar: pretérito perfecto

What this grammar point covers

The 'pretérito perfecto' is a Spanish past tense used to talk about actions that have happened recently or have a connection to the present.

When to use it

Use the 'pretérito perfecto' to talk about actions completed in a time period that includes the present (like today, this week) or when the result is important now.

Key forms

• Form: haber (present) + past participle of the verb.
• Examples: he hablado, has comido, hemos vivido

Examples

Tips

• Always use the correct form of 'haber' before the past participle.
• The past participle does not change for gender or number.
• Do not use 'tener' instead of 'haber' in this tense.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs have irregular past participles, like 'escribir' → 'escrito', 'ver' → 'visto', 'poner' → 'puesto'.