Pretérito perfecto compuesto
Spanish has several past tenses, but this one is the simplest and most useful first. Pretérito perfecto = the auxiliary verb haber in the present + the past participle. It's used for actions linked to the present moment: today, this week, this year, or 'I've already / haven't yet'. Almost identical in form and feel to English 'have done'.
The verb haber in the present
yo he, tú has, él/ella/usted ha, nosotros hemos, vosotros habéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes han. This is purely an auxiliary — by itself it doesn't mean 'to have/own' (use tener for that). Memorize: he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han.
The past participle (participio)
From -ar verbs: stem + -ado. hablar → hablado, comprar → comprado. From -er and -ir verbs: stem + -ido. comer → comido, vivir → vivido, beber → bebido. The participle in this tense does NOT change for gender or number — always -ado/-ido.
Building a sentence
yo + he + hablado = I have spoken. ella + ha + comido = she has eaten. nosotros + hemos + vivido = we have lived. Important: nothing goes between haber and the participle. Question: ¿Has comido? = Have you eaten?
A few important irregular participles
hacer → hecho (done). decir → dicho (said). ver → visto (seen). escribir → escrito (written). abrir → abierto (opened). volver → vuelto (returned). There are about ten total — pick them up gradually. He hecho la tarea = 'I've done my homework'.
When to use it
Today, this week, this month/year: Hoy he comido pan (today I've eaten bread). With ya (already) and todavía no (not yet): Ya he leído el libro / Todavía no he comido. With alguna vez (ever): ¿Has estado en España alguna vez? (Have you ever been to Spain?). In Latin America the simple past (pretérito indefinido) is often used instead — covered later.
