Pretérito Perfecto vs Indefinido
Compare the pretérito perfecto and pretérito indefinido and choose the right past tense for different time contexts.
Pretérito Perfecto vs Indefinido in Spanish
Both the pretérito perfecto and pretérito indefinido talk about completed past actions.
A useful beginner rule is:
- Pretérito perfecto → a past action connected to the present
- Pretérito indefinido → a completed action in a finished past period
The main difference
Use the pretérito perfecto when the time period is still connected to the present.
- Hoy he trabajado mucho. — I have worked a lot today.
- Esta semana hemos ido al cine dos veces. — We have been to the cinema twice this week.
- Nunca he estado en México. — I have never been to Mexico.
Use the pretérito indefinido when the action belongs to a finished past period.
- Ayer trabajé mucho. — I worked a lot yesterday.
- La semana pasada fuimos al cine. — We went to the cinema last week.
- En 2024 viajé a México. — I travelled to Mexico in 2024.
Unfinished vs finished time period
Compare:
- Esta mañana he hablado con Ana. — I have spoken to Ana this morning.
- Ayer por la mañana hablé con Ana. — I spoke to Ana yesterday morning.
The first uses a time period connected to the present. The second refers to a clearly finished period.
Another example:
- Este año he leído diez libros. — I have read ten books this year.
- El año pasado leí diez libros. — I read ten books last year.
Life experiences
The pretérito perfecto is commonly used for experiences when no finished time is given.
- He visitado Portugal varias veces. — I have visited Portugal several times.
- ¿Has probado la paella? — Have you tried paella?
- Nunca hemos visto esa película. — We have never seen that film.
Use the indefinido when you say when the experience happened.
- Visité Portugal en 2023. — I visited Portugal in 2023.
- Probé la paella ayer. — I tried paella yesterday.
Common time expressions
The pretérito perfecto often appears with:
- hoy — today
- esta semana — this week
- este mes — this month
- este año — this year
- ya — already
- todavía no — not yet
- alguna vez — ever
- nunca — never
The pretérito indefinido often appears with:
- ayer — yesterday
- anoche — last night
- la semana pasada — last week
- el mes pasado — last month
- el año pasado — last year
- en 2020 — in 2020
- hace dos días — two days ago
These are useful clues, but the intended meaning still matters.
Regional differences
In Spain, especially in many parts of central and northern Spain, the pretérito perfecto is commonly used for recent events connected to the present:
- Hoy he comido pasta.
In much of Latin America, speakers often use the indefinido in situations where speakers in Spain might use the perfecto:
- Hoy comí pasta.
Both are natural. The preferred tense depends partly on the region.
Quick comparison
| Pretérito perfecto | Pretérito indefinido |
|---|---|
| connected to the present | finished past |
| unfinished time period | finished time period |
| life experience without a specific time | event at a specific past time |
| Hoy he trabajado mucho. | Ayer trabajé mucho. |
| Este año he viajado bastante. | El año pasado viajé bastante. |
Quick rule
If the past action is connected to now or happens within a time period you see as still current, use the pretérito perfecto.
If the action belongs to a finished past moment or period, use the pretérito indefinido.
See Pretérito Perfecto and Pretérito Indefinido for the forms and uses of each tense.