use of present perfect?

Question

What is the use of present perfect?

Answer 1

When you use it in Spanish be careful.

It is used in a slightly different way than in English.

1. there is never a specific time reference in an English present perfect sentence.

2. you can never "split" the haber (have) part from the past participle.

I have aleady eaten - in Spanish Ya he comido.

Very useful and easy to use in Spanish though,

Answer 2

The present perfect is used to talk about a present perspective about a "perfect" (i.e. finished) event.

Nice explanation, but to most English speakers, perfect just means compound. We don't differentiate as much between finished or ongoing past tense. - 0074b507, Jun 16, 2011

The perfect tenses are usually just known as the compound tenses that require some form of to have with them. None us understand our own language. - 0074b507, Jun 16, 2011

Answer 3

I could explain the use of the present perfect in English (as does the article that Zander cited), but it is not quite the same (identical in some cases) in Spanish, especially Spain, where it often substitutes for the simple past tense.

[I used the cited explanation for present perfect tense in a discussion once and Heidita promptly banished me to the Dunce Corner]

BTW, we are both assuming that you are asking about the Present Perfect tense in Spanish (pretérito perfecto compuesto o antepresente)

¡Bienvenido al foro!

Welcome to the forum!

Answer 4

Try this: http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/100051/present-perfect

activated you link - 0074b507, Jun 16, 2011