Pretérito Perfecto vs. Indefinido
Grasp the logic, time triggers, and conjugation differences between he comido and comí in Spanish.
Pretérito Perfecto
- Connection to now: The action matters in the present.
- Unfinished time: The time period is still open: today, this week, this year.
- Life experience: Used with ever, never, already, not yet.
Pretérito Indefinido
- Closed time: The time period is finished: yesterday, last week, in 2020.
- Completed event: The action is treated as a finished event.
- Storyline: It moves the story forward: I went, I saw, I bought.
Time Triggers
Use Pretérito Perfecto
hoy
esta semana
este mes
este año
ya
todavía no
alguna vez
nunca
Use Pretérito Indefinido
ayer
anoche
anteayer
la semana pasada
el mes pasado
el año pasado
en 1999
hace dos días
Conjugation Comparison
| Subject | Verb | Pretérito Perfecto | Pretérito Indefinido |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablar to speak |
he hablado | hablé |
| Tú | hablar | has hablado | hablaste |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | hablar | ha hablado | habló |
| Nosotros | hablar | hemos hablado | hablamos |
| Ellos/Uds. | hablar | han hablado | hablaron |
| Yo | comer to eat |
he comido | comí |
| Tú | comer | has comido | comiste |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | comer | ha comido | comió |
| Nosotros | comer | hemos comido | comimos |
| Ellos/Uds. | comer | han comido | comieron |
Must-Know Examples
Hoy no he comido nada.
The timeframe is still open: today.
I haven’t eaten anything today.
Ayer no comí nada.
The timeframe is closed: yesterday.
I didn’t eat anything yesterday.
¿Has estado alguna vez en México?
Life experience without a specific date.
Have you ever been to Mexico?
Fui a México en 2022.
A finished event at a specific time.
I went to Mexico in 2022.
Este año he aprendido mucho, pero el año pasado aprendí más vocabulario.
Open time vs. closed time in one sentence.
This year I have learned a lot, but last year I learned more vocabulary.