difference between present perfect and imperfect in spanish
which one do you use more often when you are speaking present perfect or imperfect?
2 Answers
the most commonly used tense between these two is the imperfect, as when talking in the past tense it is used to talk about things that happened over a long period of time e.g 'jugaba al tenis hasta los doce' - 'I played tennis until I was twelve'
However the present perfect is used to talk about something that happened recently 'he visto Pedro hoy' - 'I have seen Pedro today' so is less common in a normal conversation.
The preterite is probably the most common past tense, talking about things that happened once in the past and then finished 'Hablé con pedro hoy' - 'I spoke with Pedro today'
The more time you spend speaking (preferably with native spanish speakers) the more natural your tense choices will become - also listening to Spanish speaking i.e on radio/tele will help your understanding of the context and when it is appropriate to use each tense,, hope that helps x
In the happy days, before I discovered the preterite and the imperfect, I used to talk in the present perfect. It was my only way of putting things into the past. It works and it gets you talking.
Then you realize that Spanish is a little more complicated... Still struggling!
When in doubt and I need to communicate, I fall back on my good old friend, the present perfect.
Easier, but , sadly, not always correct.
