The Present Perfect is one of the tenses that confuse Brazilians the most. Its name says “present”, but it talks about past actions that have a connection with the present. The secret is to notice that what matters is not when it happened, but the result or the experience that remains.O Present Perfect é um dos tempos verbais que mais confundem brasileiros. O nome diz “present”, mas ele fala de ações passadas que têm ligação com o presente. O segredo é perceber que o importante não é quando aconteceu, e sim o resultado ou a experiência que ficou.
A2 How to form it
The Present Perfect has two parts: the auxiliary have / has and the past participle of the main verb (the third column of the irregular verbs list: go, went, gone).O Present Perfect tem duas partes: o auxiliar have / has e o particípio passado do verbo principal (a terceira coluna da lista de verbos irregulares: go, went, gone).
| Form | Structure | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | have / has + participle | I have finished my homework. She‘s travelled a lot. | Já terminei minha lição. Ela já viajou muito. |
| Negative | haven’t / hasn’t + participle | We haven’t met before. | Nunca nos vimos antes. |
| Question | Have / Has + subject + participle? | Have you ever been to Italy? | Você já foi à Itália? |
| Short answers | Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t. | Has she finished? Yes, she has. | Ela já terminou? Já, sim. |
Has with he, she, it
I, you, we, they → have (I’ve, you’ve…). He, she, it → has (he’s, she’s, it’s). The ‘s can be is or has: She’s tired (is) / She’s finished (has).I, you, we, they → have (I’ve, you’ve…). He, she, it → has (he’s, she’s, it’s). O ‘s pode ser is ou has: She’s tired (is: ela está cansada) / She’s finished (has: ela terminou).
A2 When to use it
1. Life experience (without saying when)
- I have visited Paris twice. (Já visitei Paris duas vezes.)
- She has never travelled abroad. (Ela nunca viajou para o exterior.)
- Have you ever eaten sushi? (Você já comeu sushi?)
- We’ve been to Bahia three times. (Já fomos à Bahia três vezes.)
2. Something that started in the past and continues now
- They have lived in this city for five years. (Eles moram nesta cidade há cinco anos.)
- She has worked here since 2020. (Ela trabalha aqui desde 2020.)
- I’ve known him for ages. (Eu o conheço há muito tempo.)
- How long have you had this car? (Há quanto tempo você tem este carro?)
3. A past action with a result now
- I’ve lost my keys. (Perdi minhas chaves e continuo sem elas.)
- She’s just arrived. (Ela acabou de chegar.)
- Have you finished your homework yet? (Você já terminou a lição?)
- Someone has eaten my chocolate! (Alguém comeu meu chocolate!)
Watch the translation
In Portuguese, use 2 appears in the present: “moro aqui há cinco anos” = I have lived here for five years. ✗ I live here for five years. ✗ I lived here for five years (this means you don’t live here anymore).Em português, o uso 2 aparece no presente: “moro aqui há cinco anos” = I have lived here for five years. ✗ I live here for five years. ✗ I lived here for five years (isso significa que você não mora mais aqui).
A2 Signal words
Some words often appear with the Present Perfect. They are great clues in tests and exercises.Algumas palavras aparecem com frequência junto com o Present Perfect. Elas são ótimas pistas em provas e exercícios.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ever | alguma vez (em perguntas) | Have you ever been to London? |
| never | nunca | I’ve never seen snow. |
| already | já (antes do esperado) | I’ve already paid. |
| yet | já (perguntas); ainda (negativas) | Has he called yet? He hasn’t called yet. |
| just | acabou de | We’ve just had lunch. |
| for | há (duração) | for two hours, for ten years |
| since | desde (ponto de início) | since Monday, since 2019, since I was a child |
| recently / lately | recentemente / ultimamente | I’ve been busy lately. |
| so far / up to now | até agora | We’ve had three tests so far. |
| this week / today | nesta semana / hoje (ainda não acabou) | I’ve drunk three coffees today. |
For: duration
For + a period of time.For + período de tempo.
for two days, for a month, for a long time (há dois dias, há um mês, há muito tempo)
Since: starting point
Since + the moment it started.Since + o momento em que começou.
since Monday, since 2010, since I moved here (desde segunda, desde 2010, desde que me mudei para cá)
A2 Present Perfect or Simple Past?
The most important rule
If you say when it happened (a finished time), use the Simple Past. If the time is not mentioned or it isn’t over yet, use the Present Perfect.Se você diz quando aconteceu (um tempo terminado), use o Simple Past. Se o tempo não é dito ou ainda não terminou, use o Present Perfect.
| Simple Past (finished time) | Present Perfect (unfinished or no time) |
|---|---|
| I saw him yesterday. | I’ve seen him recently. |
| She went to Paris last year. | She’s been to Paris twice. |
| They lived in Rio from 2010 to 2015. | They’ve lived in Rio since 2010. |
| I broke my leg in 2019. | I’ve broken my leg. (and it’s still broken) |
| Pelé won three World Cups. (his career is over) | Messi has won many titles. (his career continues) |
- I saw him yesterday. (Eu o vi ontem.)
- They’ve lived in Rio since 2010. (Eles moram no Rio desde 2010.)
- I’ve broken my leg. (Quebrei a perna, e ela ainda está quebrada.)
- Pelé won three World Cups. (Pelé ganhou três Copas do Mundo; a carreira dele já terminou.)
Words that call for the Simple Past
yesterday, last week, last year, ago, in 2010, when I was a child, on Monday: with these, never use the Present Perfect. ✗ I have seen him yesterday.yesterday, last week, last year, ago, in 2010, when I was a child, on Monday: com elas, nunca use o Present Perfect. ✗ I have seen him yesterday.
Been or gone?
been
Went there and came back.Foi e já voltou.
She has been to Japan. (Ela já esteve no Japão.)
gone
Went there and is still there.Foi e ainda está lá.
She has gone to Japan. (Ela foi para o Japão e está lá agora.)
American versus British
In American English, the Simple Past is common with just, already and yet. Both forms are accepted. In the examples, UK means United Kingdom and US means United States.No inglês americano, com just, already e yet, é comum usar o Simple Past. As duas formas são aceitas. Nos exemplos, UK quer dizer United Kingdom (Reino Unido) e US quer dizer United States (Estados Unidos).
- Have you finished your homework yet? (UK) / Did you finish your homework yet? (US) (Você já terminou a lição?)
- I’ve just eaten. (UK) / I just ate. (US) (Acabei de comer.)
In exams and interviews
Using the Present Perfect correctly shows a good command of the language. In formal texts, prefer the Present Perfect with just, already and yet.Usar o Present Perfect corretamente mostra domínio do idioma. Em textos formais, prefira o Present Perfect com just, already e yet.
Common mistakes
Avoid these
✗ I have seen him yesterday. ✓ I saw him yesterday.Com tempo terminado (yesterday), use o Simple Past.
✗ I live here for five years. ✓ I have lived here for five years.“Moro aqui há cinco anos” pede o Present Perfect.
✗ I’ve worked here since five years. ✓ I’ve worked here for five years.For + duração; since + ponto de início.
✗ Have you ever went to Italy? ✓ Have you ever been to Italy?Use o particípio (been), não o passado (went).
Quick summary
| Use | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| form: have / has + participle | She has finished. | Ela terminou. |
| life experience | Have you ever eaten sushi? | Você já comeu sushi? |
| started in the past, continues now | I’ve lived here since 2020. | Moro aqui desde 2020. |
| result now | I’ve lost my keys. | Perdi minhas chaves. |
| finished time: Simple Past | I lost my keys yesterday. | Perdi minhas chaves ontem. |
| been or gone | She’s been to Japan. / She’s gone to Japan. | Ela já esteve no Japão. / Ela foi para o Japão. |
Practice time
Quiz
