(In progress.)

This page attempts to summarise the main Spanish compound verb forms (two-part verb tenses), with, for each one,

– the common Spanish name, along with the English name(s)

– verb form (how it is constructed from two words)

– typical (but not all) uses

– example for a regular verb (hablar)

– link to more information and examples (not always recently reviewed).

See also verb forms for simple conjugations.

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pretérito perfecto  (present perfect indicative)

• haber present tense + past participle

• The pretérito perfecto is used to talk about something that started in the past and is still happening or affects the present:

  siempre le han gustado las gambas – he has always liked prawns

  me he comprado una cámara nueva – I have bought myself a new camera

  he estado tres semanas en Bilbao – I have been in Bilbao for three weeks

he hablado, has hablado, ha hablado, hemos hablado, habéis hablado, han hablado

See also Past tenses.

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presente continuo  (present progressive, present continuous indicative)

• estar present tense + gerundio

• The presente continuo is used to talk about something that is happening now:

  Estoy comiendo pan – I am eating bread

  ¿Qué estás haciendo? – What are you doing?

estoy hablando, estás hablando, está hablando, estamos hablando, estáis hablando, están hablando

See also Present tenses.

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pluscuamperfecto  (pluperfect, past perfect)

• haber imperfect + past participle
• The pluscuamperfecto is used to refer to an action that began in the past and has completed to some related time in the past (or affected that time)

  Había caminado a la tienda – I had walked to the shop

  Yo siempre había querido ser ingeniero – I had always wanted to be an engineer

  Cuando llegué a la tienda ya había cerrado – When I reached the shop it had already closed

había hablado, habías hablado, había hablado, habíamos hablado, habíais hablado, habían hablado

See also Past tenses.