Preterit vs. Present Perfect- Which one do I use?
¡Hola! I'm super, duper confused with Preterit and Present Perfect! Aren't they the same? I was looking up on previous questions, and they say the Past Perfect and Preterit are the same! I don't know which one to use and I'm also confused on HOW to use Preterit! What's even worse is that I don't know the "haber" conjugation for Past Perfect and Present Perfect (and obviously Preterit). Can someone please explain it to me?
1 Answer
Here's a book on the present perfect that may help.
¿Qué he hecho? What have I done?
Sometimes the choice between the present perfect and the preterite is regional.
It's the choice between saying -
I have done it. (present perfect). Lo he hecho.
or
I did it. (preterite). Lo hice.
The meaning isn't that different but the present perfect is often the tense of choice when we want to connect that past action with the present.
I have lost my keys. (so please help me find them)
vs
I lost my keys. (over and done with not much can be done now)
If you want to form the past perfect here's the verb chart for haber.
Here's an example of the past perfect.
Lo había hecho. I had done it.
