Learn Spanish Grammar Present Perfect Conjugations

Learn Spanish Grammar Present Perfect Conjugations Suzy S. Ready for your next lesson in Spanish grammar? Here, tutor  Jason  N.  explains what you need to know about present perfect conjugations Mastering verb conjugation is crucial to learning Spanish. It’s all about knowing patterns and formulas, as Ive reviewed in some of my earlier posts about Spanish grammar. If you’re reading this now, it probably means you are well aware of the importance of  conjugating verbs to describe situations and events. Conjugations also enable us to form coherent sentences that specify the ‘who,’ ‘what,’ and ‘when’ of a particular action. By now, you have come a long way. You know how  to conjugate basic verbs in the present tense  (such as beber, hablar, and escribir),  stem-changing verbs in the present tense (such as pedir, poder, and querer),  irregular verb conjugations in their ‘yo’ form (such as vengo  for  the verb venir), and how to conjugate Spanish verbs in the  past tense, the imperfect, and the  conditional and future tenses. Next up? The present perfect! What is the Present Perfect Tense? While the preterite  tense refers to a one-time, isolated event in  the past, and the imperfect tense describes past events that occurred in a habitual or routine manner, the present perfect  refers to past actions, events, thoughts, or beliefs that are still happening or are in progress, and are likely to continue into the present (i.e. something has happened). All we need to do now is learn a new formula that will make present perfect conjugations so easy that they  will become second nature.  The present perfect is conjugated by using  the following formula:  haber (in the present tense)  + the past participle of a given verb. Forming the Past Participle To form the  past participle for an -ar  verb, there  are two simple steps: Remove the last two letters of infinite form of the -ar  verb (e.g.  tomar?tom). Add ado to the end of the verb  (e.g.  tomado). In this case, tomado  translates to the word taken in English, which is the past participle of the verb “to take.” To form the past participle of -er  or -ir  verbs, you simply add ido  (instead of ado)  to the end of the word, after removing the last two letters of the verbs ending in the infinitive form (e.g. comer?com?comido). Forming the Present Perfect Now that you know how to conjugate the past participle in Spanish, we can add this to the present perfect formula (present tense of  haber + past participle of a  given verb) to create the present perfect  tense. As a reminder, haber is conjugated like this: As we  move on to the next step,  lets  start  with the example of the verb tomar. Conjugating -ar  Verbs in the Present Perfect Create  the correct participle.  (tomar?tom?tomado  = taken) If you are referring to yo  or I, use he, forming he tomado. (I have taken) If you are referring to tú or you, use has  to form has tomado. (You have taken) If you are referring to él or ella or ‘he or she,’ use ha  to form ha tomado. (He/she has taken) If you are referring to nosotros or ‘we,’ use hemos  to form hemos tomado. (We have taken) If you are referring to ellos or ‘they,’ use the ending han  to form han tomado. (They have taken) Conjugating  -er  and -ir  Verbs  in the Present Perfect As an example, let’s use comer (to eat). Create  the correct participle.  (comer?com?comido =  eaten) ‘Yo’ would be he comido. (I have eaten) If you are referring to tú  or ‘you,’ it would be has comido. (You have eaten) If you are referring to él  or ella  or ‘he or she,’ use ha comido. (He/she has eaten) If you are referring to nosotros  or we, use hemos comido. (We have eaten) If you are referring to ellos  or they, use han comido. (They have eaten) Ready for some practice? Conjugate the following in the present perfect  tense: Irregular Past Participles There are several verbs that have irregular past participle forms. Unfortunately, memorizing these verbs past participles is the best way to learn them. Verbs with the same root as irregular verbs naturally have the same irregularities. Here are a few examples: componer compuesto describir descrito devolver devuelto Once you memorize the irregulars, which is easier than it sounds (once you practice or study regularly), you’ll be ready to go!  Remember: a  Spanish tutor can really help if you get stuck! Post Author:  Jason N. Jason N. tutors in English and Spanish in Fairfax, CA.  He majored in Spanish at UC Davis, lived in Mexico for 3 years where he completed a Masters degree in Counseling, and studied Spanish Literature and Psychology at the University of Costa Rica. Learn more about Jason here!   Photo by m00by Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher