How to use the present perfect and past perfect tenses in Spanish

By Marta Díaz on Thursday, February 26, 2026

Talking about the past in Spanish can seem complicated at first. Many students ask themselves: Should I use “he comido” or “comí”? Are they the same? The answer is no. Although both verb tenses refer to past actions, the pretérito perfecto and the pretérito indefinido are used in different situations.

That's why, in this Enforex article, we explain how these tenses are formed, when they are used, the differences between them, and the most common mistakes made by students. Oh, and we also give you some exercises to practice with. Keep reading and don't miss out!

The present perfect in Spanish

The present perfect or present perfect compound in Spanish is formed with the verb haber in the present tense and the participle of another verb. Therefore, the present perfect varies depending on the person and number.

Some examples of sentences with the present perfect are:

• He estudiado español (I have studied Spanish)
• Hemos viajado a Madrid (We have traveled to Madrid)
• ¿Has terminado el ejercicio? (Have you finished the exercise?)

When do we use the Spanish present perfect?

This tense can be used on several occasions:

1. When the time has not ended. If the period is still ongoing, we use the present perfect.

• Hoy he ido al gimnasio (Today I went to the gym) In this sentence, the day is not over
• Esta semana hemos tenido tres exámenes (This week we have had three exams) In this sentence, the week is not over
• Este año he aprendido mucho (This year I have learned a lot) In this sentence, the year is not over

If the time is still part of the present, the present perfect tense is used in Spanish.

2. For life experiences. When we don't say exactly when the action took place. Here, the important thing is the experience, not the moment. Examples:

• ¿Has estado en España? (Have you been to Spain?)
• Nunca he probado la tortilla española (I've never tried Spanish omelet)
• Ya he visto esa película (I've already seen that movie)

3. With typical time markers. With this tense, it is also common to see words that indicate time, such as hoy (today), esta semana (this week), este mes (this month), este año (this year), ya (already), todavía no (not yet), alguna vez (sometime) or recientemente (recently). Examples:

• Todavía no he terminado el proyecto (I haven't finished the project yet)
• Ya hemos reservado el hotel (We've already booked the hotel)

The simple or indefinite past tense in Spanish

For its part, the simple past tense in Spanish has a basic formation. Each type of verb has its own endings:

Verbs ending in -ar (hablar - speak)

Person	Verb tense
Yo	Hablé
Tú	Hablaste
Él/Ella	Habló
Nosotros	Hablamos
Vosotros	Hablasteis
Ellos/Ellas	Hablaron

Verbs ending in -er / -ir (comer - to eat, vivir - to live)

Person	Verb tense
Yo	Comí
Tú	Comiste
Él/Ella	Comió
Nosotros	Comimos
Vosotros	Comisteis
Ellos/Ellas	Comieron

When do we use the simple past tense?

The simple past tense in Spanish can always be used in several situations:

1. For actions completed in a closed time frame. The time has already ended and there is no direct connection to the present. Examples:

• Ayer fui al médico (Yesterday I went to the doctor)
• El año pasado viajé a Argentina (Last year I traveled to Argentina)
• La semana pasada empezamos el curso (Last week we started the course)
• En 2022 estudié en Barcelona (In 2022 I studied in Barcelona)

2. To tell stories. The simple past tense is often used in narratives and for sequences of actions. For example:

• Ayer me levanté temprano, desayuné y salí de casa (Yesterday I got up early, had breakfast, and left the house)
• Llegamos al aeropuerto y tomamos el vuelo (We arrived at the airport and took the flight)

3. With clear time markers. This tense uses some typical expressions such as ayer (yesterday), anoche (last night), la semana pasada (last week), el mes pasado (last month), el año pasado (last year), hace dos días (two days ago), or in a specific year, such en 2019.

The key difference between the past perfect and the indefinite

The main difference is that the past perfect tense expresses an open time or a connection with the present. Whereas the indefinite tense is a closed and finished time. Clear comparison:

• Este mes he leído tres libros (This month I have read three books). The month is not over.
• El mes pasado leí tres libros (Last month I read three books) The month finished.
• Hoy he comido paella (Today I ate paella)
• Ayer comí paella (Yesterday I ate paella)

In addition, you must take regional differences into account. In Spain, this difference is clearly maintained in spoken language. On the other hand, in many Latin American countries, the indefinite is used more, even when the time has not ended. For example:

• In Spain it would be: ‘Hoy he hablado con María’ (Today I spoke with María)
• In Latin America it would be ‘Hoy hablé con María’ (Today I spoke with María)

Both forms are correct depending on the variety of Spanish and the geographical context in which they are used.

Common mistakes

One of the most frequent mistakes among Spanish learners is mixing up the present perfect and the simple past. The main reason for this is usually not paying enough attention to the time expression that accompanies the verb.

A very useful trick is to always look at the words that indicate time. Often, the key is there.

Mistake 1: Using the present perfect tense with the past tense

• Incorrect: Ayer he ido al cine
• Correct: Ayer fui al cine.

In this example, the word yesterday indicates a period that is finished, so it has no relation to the present, which is why the indefinite Spanish tense is used. More examples:

• Incorrect: La semana pasada he tenido un examen.
• Correct: La semana pasada tuve un examen.
• Incorrect: En 2022 he vivido en Madrid.
• Correct: En 2022 viví en Madrid.

As we have seen before, all of these expressions (la semana pasada, anoche, en 2022) indicate a closed time.

Mistake 2: Using the indefinite tense when the period has not ended

• Incorrect: Este año viajé mucho (if the year has not yet ended)
• Correct: Este año he viajado mucho

This second example refers to the year that has not yet ended and is part of the present. The period is still open, so the present perfect tense is used in Spanish. More examples:

• Incorrect: Hoy fui al gimnasio. (in Spanish from Spain)
• Correct: Hoy he ido al gimnasio.
• Incorrect: Esta semana estudié mucho.
• Correct: Esta semana he estudiado mucho

In these cases, the time period has not yet ended.

Mistake 3: Confusion with life experiences

When we talk about experiences without saying when they happened, we use the past perfect tense in Spanish.

• Incorrect: ¿Fuiste a Japón? (without clear temporal context)
• Correct: ¿Has ido a Japón?
• Incorrect: Nunca comí sushi. (if we are talking about experience up to now)
• Correct: Nunca he comido sushi.

However, we must be careful: if we specify the moment, then we use the indefinite tense. For example: ‘Fui a Japón en 2019’ (I went to Japan in 2019) y ‘Comí sushi ayer’ (I ate sushi yesterday’).

Error 4: Translating literally from English

Many students make mistakes because they translate directly from their own language. For example, in English it is common to say: “Today I went to the gym.” But in Spanish from Spain, the natural thing would be: “Hoy he ido al gimnasio” (Today I went to the gym). Although in many Latin American countries it is common to use the indefinite tense in this case: “Hoy fui al gimnasio” (Today I went to the gym).

Practical exercises

Below are some sentences for you to complete using the present perfect tense in Spanish. You will find the answers at the end of this article.

• Hoy ______ (comer) en un restaurante italiano.
• El año pasado ______ (vivir) en Valencia.
• Esta semana ______ (tener) tres exámenes.
• Ayer ______ (ver) a Ana.
• Nunca ______ (estar) en México.
• La semana pasada ______ (empezar) mi nuevo trabajo.
• Este mes ______ (leer) dos libros.
• Hace dos días ______ (terminar) el proyecto.

When in doubt, ask yourself: Has the time already ended? If the answer is yes, then use the indefinite tense. But if the answer is no, use the perfect tense.

Mastering this difference is essential for speaking Spanish naturally. With practice, listening to real conversations, and doing exercises, little by little it will stop being a question and become automatic.

Answers: he comido, viví, hemos tenido, vi, he estado, empecé, he leído, terminé.