The perfect tenses Los tiempos perfectos

You have learned how to form past participles, and how to use them as adjectives and to express the true passive voice. The past participles in both cases had to agree in number and gender with the nouns being modified. La puerta está cerrada. Las ventanas fueron abiertas por el profesor.

You will now learn how to form the perfect indicative tenses and the present perfect subjunctive. They are all compound tenses that use the auxilliary verb (helping verb) “haber” (to have) and the past participle, always ending in the letter “o.” You will need to know the verb “haber” in the present, preterit, imperfect, future, conditional, and present subjunctive. (Previously, you learned the idiomatic forms of “haber” such as “hay” = there is/are. The perfect tenses are formed from the same verb using complete conjugations of “haber.”

Note that to have can be either a main verb or an auxiliary verb in English. As a main verb, it corresponds to tener, while as an auxiliary, it corresponds to haber. Tengo muchos amigos. I have a lot of friends. He tenido mucho éxito. I have had a lot of success.

Present Preterit Imperfect Future Conditional Present Subjunctive he hube había habré habría haya has hubiste habías habrás habrías hayas ha hubo habrá hemos hubimos habíamos habremos habríamos hayamos habéis hubisteis habíais habréis habríais hayáis han hubieron habían habrán habrían hayan (hay) There is/are (hubo) There was/were (había) There was/were (habrá) There will be There would be (haya) There is/are

I have done the homework. (present perfect) He hecho la tarea. You had done the homework. (past perfect) Habías hecho la tarea. (Hubiste hecho) * Imperfect is used commonly. Preterit is only used in literature. He will have done the homework. (future perfect) Habrá hecho la tarea. We would have done the homework. (conditional perfect) Habríamos hecho la tarea. The teacher hopes that they have done the homework. (present perfect subjunctive) La profesora espera que hayan hecho la tarea.

To form any perfect tense, use the following format: the verb “haber” conjugated in the appropriate tense + past participle of the main verb (always ending in “o.”) NOTE: The past participle does not change in form when it is part of the perfect tenses; it only changes in form when it is used as an adjective and in the passive voice. Clara ha abierto las ventanas. Las camas son hechas por la criada. Clara has opened the windows. The beds are made by the maid. Las ventanas están abiertas. The windows are open.

Siempre hemos vivido en Bolivia. In English, the auxiliary verb and the past participle are often separated. In Spanish, however, these two elements—haber and the past participle—cannot be separated by any word. Siempre hemos vivido en Bolivia. We have always lived in Bolivia. Usted nunca ha venido a mi oficina. You have never come to my office.

Ella ya había salido cuando llamaron. In Spanish, the perfect tenses are often used with the words ya (already) or todavía no (not yet) to indicate that an action, event, or state occurring or not yet occurring before another. Remember that, unlike its English equivalents, ya and todavía no cannot be placed between haber and the past participle. Ella ya había salido cuando llamaron. She had already left when they called. Cuando llegué, Raúl todavía no había llegado. When I arrived, Raúl had not yet arrived.

Yo no he comido la merienda. The word no and any object or reflexive pronouns are placed immediately before haber. Yo no he comido la merienda. I haven’t eaten the snack. ¿Por qué no la has comido? Why haven’t you eaten it? Susana ya se ha entrenado. Susana has already practiced. Ellos no lo han terminado. They haven’t finished it.

In Spanish, the present perfect indicative (el pretérito perfecto de indicativo), is generally used just as it is used in English to talk about what someone has done or has not done. It usually refers to the recent past. He trabajado cuarenta horas esta semana. I have worked forty hours this week. ¿Cuál es el último libro que has leído? What is the last book that you have read?

Present indicative of haber SINGULAR FORMS PLURAL FORMS yo he nosotros/as hemos tú has vosotros/as habéis Ud. / él / ella ha Uds. / ellos / ellas han

¡INTÉNTALO! Indica el pretérito perfecto de indicativo (present perfect) de los siguientes verbos. (comer, vivir) Yo ________________________ he comido = I have eaten he vivido = I have lived 2. (traer, compartir) Tú ____________________ has traído = You have brought has compartido = You have shared 3. (llegar, estar) Usted ya _______________________ ha llegado = You have already arrived ha estado = You have already been

4. (leer, resolver, poner) Ella ______________ ha leído = She has read ha resuelto = She has solved ha puesto = She has put 5. (decir, romper, hacer) Ellos___________ han dicho = They have said/told han roto = They have broken han hecho = They have done

6. (ver, dormirse) Nosotros __________________ hemos visto = We have seen nos hemos dormido = We have fallen asleep 7. (escribir, abrir) Yo no____________ he escrito = I have not written he abierto = I have not opened 8. (correr, morir) Él todavía no____________ ha corrido = He has not yet run ha muerto = He has not yet died

Luis me había llamado antes de venir. The past perfect for (el pretérito pluscuamperfecto) uses the imperfect of the verb “haber.” Only in literature is the preterit of “haber” used for the past perfect. The past perfect indicates an action that happened prior to another action in the past. (had done/had happened) The past perfect is often used in conjunction with antes de + [noun] or antes de + [infinitive] to describe when the action(s) occurred. Antes de este año, nunca había estudiado español. Before this year, I had never studied Spanish. Luis me había llamado antes de venir. Luis had called me before he came.

Antes de 2003, había vivido en La Paz. Before 2003, I had lived in La Paz. Cuando llegamos, Luis ya había salido. When we arrived, Luis had already left.

Past imperfect indicative of haber SINGULAR FORMS PLURAL FORMS yo había nosotros/as habíamos tú habías vosotros/as habíais Ud. / él / ella Uds. / ellos / ellas habían

¡INTÉNTALO! Indica el pretérito pluscuamperfecto de indicativo (past perfect) de cada verbo. Nosotros ya (cenar) _______ cuando nos llamaron. habíamos cenado We had already eaten when they called us. 2. Antes de tomar esta clase, yo no _______ (estudiar) nunca el español. había estudiado Before taking this class, I had not ever (never) studied Spanish. 3. Antes de ir a México, ellos nunca _______ (ir) a otro país. habían ido Before going to Mexico, they had never gone to another country.

4. Eduardo nunca __ (entrenarse) tanto en invierno. se había entrenado Eduardo had never trained so much in the winter. 5. Tú siempre__ (llevar) una vida sana antes del año pasado. habías llevado You had always led a healthy life before last year. 6. Antes de conocerte, yo ya te __ (ver) muchas veces. había visto Before meeting you, I had already seen you many times.

In Spanish, the future perfect (el futuro perfecto) is used to talk about what will have happened by some future point in time. The phrases para + [time expression] and dentro de + [time expression] are used with the future perfect to talk about what will have happened by some future point in time. Para el lunes, habré hecho todas las preparaciones. By Monday, I will have made all the preparations. Dentro de un año, habré renunciado a mi trabajo. Within a year, I will have resigned from my job.

Future indicative of haber SINGULAR FORMS PLURAL FORMS yo habré nosotros/as habremos tú habrás vosotros/as habréis Ud. / él / ella habrá Uds. / ellos / ellas habrán

¡INTÉNTALO! Indica la forma apropiada del futuro perfecto. Para el sábado, nosotros _______ (obtener) el dinero. habremos obtenido By Saturday, we will have obtained (gotten) the money. 2. Yo ______(terminar) el trabajo para cuando lleguen mis amigos. habré terminado I will have finished the work by when (by the time) my friends arrive.

3. Silvia ______(hacer) todos los planes para el próximo fin de semana. habrá hecho Silvia will have made all of the plans by next weekend. 4. Para el cinco de junio, ustedes ___ (llegar) a Quito. habrán llegado By June 5th, you all will have arrived in Quito.

5. Para esa fecha, Ernesto y tú _______ (recibir) muchas ofertas. habrán recibido By that date, Ernesto and you will have received many offers. 6. Para el ocho de octubre, nosotros ya ______ (llegar) a Colombia. habremos llegado By October 8th, we will have already arrived in Colombia.

9. Para las nueve, mi hermana ______ (salir) 9. Para las nueve, mi hermana ______ (salir). habrá salido By 9:00, my sister wil have left. 10. Para las ocho, tú y yo ______ (limpiar) el piso. habremos limpiado By 8:00, you and I will have cleaned the floor.

The conditional perfect is used to express an action that would have occurred, but didn’t. ¿No fuiste al espectáculo? You didn’t go to the show? ¡Te habrías divertido! You would have had a good time! Maite habría preferido ir a la ópera, pero Álex prefirió ir al cine. Maite would have preferred to go to the opera, but Álex preferred to see a movie.

Conditional indicative of haber SINGULAR FORMS PLURAL FORMS yo habría nosotros/as habríamos tú habrías vosotros/as habríais Ud. / él / ella Uds. / ellos / ellas habrían

¡INTÉNTALO! Indica las formas apropiadas del condicional perfecto de los verbos entre paréntesis. Nosotros ______(hacer) todos los quehaceres. habríamos hecho We would have done all of the chores. 2. Tú ______ (apreciar) mi poesía. habrías apreciado You would have appreciated my poetry.

3. Ellos ______ (pintar) la casa 3. Ellos ______ (pintar) la casa. habrían pintado They would have painted the house. 4. Usted ______ (tocar) el piano. habría tocado You would have played the piano. 5. Ellas ______ (poner) la mesa. habrían puesto They would have set the table.

6. Tú y yo ______ (resolver) los problemas. habríamos resuelto You and I would have solved the problems. 7. Ustedes ______ (vivir) en el campo. habrían vivido You all would have lived in the countryside. 8. Tú ______ (abrir) la puerta. habrías abierto You would have opened the door.

The present perfect subjunctive (el pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo), like the present perfect indicative, is used to talk about what has happened. The same conditions which trigger the use of the present subjunctive apply to the present perfect subjunctive. Present subjunctive Present perfect subjunctive Espero que duermas bien. Espero que hayas dormido bien. I hope that you sleep well. I hope that you have slept well. No creo que aumente de peso. No creo que haya aumentado de peso. I don’t think he will gain weight. I don’t think he has gained weight.

Me alegro de que ustedes hayan estudiado tanto esta tarde. The action expressed by the present perfect subjunctive is seen as occurring before the action expressed in the main clause. Me alegro de que ustedes hayan estudiado tanto esta tarde. I’m glad that you have studied so much this afternoon. Dudo que ella haya llegado a tiempo. I doubt that she has arrived on time.

¡ATENCIÓN! I don’t think you (have) said it right. In Spanish the present perfect subjunctive is used for a recent action. No creo que lo hayas dicho bien. I don’t think you (have) said it right. Espero que él haya llegado. I hope he (has) arrived.

Present subjunctive of haber SINGULAR FORMS PLURAL FORMS yo haya nosotros/as hayamos tú hayas vosotros/as hayáis Ud. / él / ella Uds. / ellos / ellas hayan

¡INTÉNTALO! Indica el pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo de los verbos entre paréntesis. Me gusta que ustedes ______ (decir) la verdad. hayan dicho I like that you all have told the truth. 2. No creo que tú ______ (comer) tanto. hayas comido I don’t believe that you have eaten so much. 3. Es imposible que usted ______ (poder) hacer tal (such a) cosa. haya podido It is impossible that you have been able to do such a thing.

4. Me alegro de que tú y yo ______ (estudiar) juntas. hayamos estudiado I am happy that you and I have studied together. 5. Es posible que yo ______ (aprender) un poco esta semana. haya aprendido It is possible that I have learned a little this week. 6. Espero que ______ (haber) suficiente comida en la celebración. haya habido I hope that there has been sufficient food at the celebration.

Hay muchos problemas con el nuevo profesor. Use the third person singular of haber + habido in the appropriate tense to express: There has/have been There had been There will have been There would have been Hay muchos problemas con el nuevo profesor. There are many problems with the new professor. Ha habido muchos problemas con el nuevo profesor. There have been a lot of problems with the new professor.