Imperfect and Present Perfect
Hola!
Are these two tenses the same? or different? Can someone please explain?
Jugaba con muñecos - I used to play with dolls.
He jugado con muñecos - I have played with dolls.
Thanks Alon
3 Answers
No these tenses are different, as you yourself showed in the examples you gave.
As in your first example, the imperfect is a tense that implies continued action throughout some indefinite time in the past. 'Used to' is the closest equivalent we have in English. We often use this tense to talk about something habitual done in the past, with no set beginning or end time. We can also use it to talk about descriptions in the past, such as telling what the weather was like.
Some examples:
De niño, (él) iba todos los días a la escuela.
When he was a child, he went/used to go to school every day.
Cuando era más joven, me gustaba jugar.
When a was younger (no defined date), I liked/used to like to play.
Era un día soleado, y no había ni una sola nube en todo el cielo.
It was a sunny day, and there was not a cloud in the sky.
The present perfect, on the other hand, is used to indicate something you've done in the recent past, as with our own present perfect in English. I can also indicate that an action continues into the present.
Examples:
Han dicho la verdad.
They have told the truth.
He escrito tres cartas a mi abuelita.
I have written three letters to my grandma.
¿Has ido a París?
Have you been to Paris?
Thanks you for a thorough explanation!
Your translations are correct.
Just one thing. If you're talking about a little girl, the most common word is muñecas, as they're usually female figures.
