Language Transfer Spanish notes
Lesson 21
Haber and the First Past Tense
Language Transfer Complete Spanish is by Mihalis Eleftheriou. Listen to the original audio first; use these notes for revision.
This lesson introduces the first past tense built with a present-tense helper verb: haber. Spanish uses haber for sentences like I have spoken, we have spoken, she has taken it. This is not the same verb as tener. It also reinforces that both English and Spanish can use present forms in special ways when talking about past events.
New vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| haber | to have (used to form the perfect tense) |
| he | I have |
| hemos | we have |
| ha | he/she has, you have (formal) |
| han | they have, you have (plural) |
| has | you have (informal) |
| hablado | spoken |
| anticipado | anticipated |
| celebrado | celebrated |
| tomado | taken |
| tiempo | time |
Key idea: The perfect tense is built with a form of haber plus a past participle, usually -ado or -ido.
Example sentences
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| He hablado. | I have spoken. |
| No he hablado. | I have not spoken. |
| Hemos hablado. | We have spoken. |
| Ha hablado. | He/she has spoken. |
| Han hablado. | They have spoken. |
| Has hablado. | You have spoken. |
| Lo hemos anticipado. | We have anticipated it. |
| Lo hemos anticipado por mucho tiempo. | We have anticipated it for a long time. |
| ¿No has celebrado? | Haven't you celebrated? |
| ¿Por qué no has celebrado? | Why haven't you celebrated? |
| ¿Dónde lo has celebrado? | Where have you celebrated it? |
| Hemos tomado. | We have taken. |
| ¿Lo ha tomado? | Has he/she taken it? |
Key notes
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The five present-tense forms of haber in this course are he, hemos, ha, han, has.
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Haber is only for building forms like I have spoken; it is not the ordinary verb for possession.
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This lesson starts the pattern that later lets you build many past sentences quickly once you know the participle.