El presente Perfecto

Present Perfect:
The present perfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb “has” or “have” with the
past participle.
I have studied.
He has written a letter to María.
We have been stranded for six days.
Because the present perfect is a compound tense, two verbs are required: the main verb and the auxiliary verb.
I have studied.
(main verb: studied ; auxiliary verb: have)
He has written a letter to María.
(main verb: written ; auxiliary verb: has)
We have been stranded for six days.
(main verb: been ; auxiliary verb: have)
In Spanish, the present perfect tense is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” with the past participle. Haber is conjugated as follows:
he
has
ha
hemos
habéis
han
You have already learned in a previous lesson that the past participle is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding either -ado or -ido. Remember, some past participles are irregular. The following examples all use the past participle for the verb
“comer.”
(yo) He comido.
I have eaten.
(tú) Has comido.
You have eaten.
(él) Ha comido.
He has eaten.
(nosotros) Hemos comido.
We have eaten.
(ustedes) Han comido.
You-all have eaten.
(ellos) Han comido.
They have eaten.

The present perfect tense is frequently used for past actions that continue into the present, or continue to affect the present.


He estado dos semanas en Madrid.
I have been in Madrid for two weeks.
Diego ha sido mi amigo por veinte años.
Diego has been my friend for 20 years.
Again, the auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. Object pronouns are placed immediately before the auxiliary verb.
Pablo le ha dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo has given a lot of money to his sister.
To make this sentence negative, the word “no” is placed before the indirect object pronoun (le).
Pablo no le ha dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo has not given a lot of money to his sister.
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun is placed immediatedly before the auxiliary verb. Compare how the present perfect differs from the simple present, when a reflexive verb is used.
Me cepillo los dientes. (present)
I brush my teeth.
Me he cepillado los dientes. (present perfect)
I have brushed my teeth.
To make this sentence negative, the word “no” is placed before the reflexive pronoun (me).
No me he cepillado los dientes.
I have not brushed my teeth.
Questions are formed as follows. Note how the word order is different than the English equivalent.
¿Han salido ya las mujeres?
Have the women left yet?
¿Has probado el chocolate alguna vez?
Have you ever tried chocolate?
Here are the same sentences in negative form. Notice how the auxiliary verb and the past participle are not separated.
¿No han salido ya las mujeres?
Haven’t the women left yet?
¿No has probado el chocolate ninguna vez?
Haven’t you ever tried chocolate?