If you’re moving from basic Spanish to more sophisticated conversations, mastering compound tenses is your crucial next step. These tenses, formed with the verb haber and a past participle, are a hallmark of B-level proficiency and are essential for success in the DELE B1 and B2 exams. They allow you to weave together timeframes, discuss hypothetical situations, and express yourself with much greater precision.

This guide will break down the four key compound tenses you need to master at the B-level, with clear formulas, practical examples, and tips to avoid common mistakes.

The Foundation: Haber + Past Participle

Before we dive in, let’s solidify the building blocks. All compound tenses follow the same structure:

Formula: Conjugation of Haber + Past Participle (-ado / -ido)

• Past Participle Formation:
  • -AR verbs: stem + -ado (hablar → hablado)
  • -ER/-IR verbs: stem + -ido (comer → comido, vivir → vivido)
• Key Rule: The past participle in compound tenses is invariable; it does not change for gender or number.

💡 Pro Tip: Need to check a conjugation? Use our Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool to practice all forms of haber.

---

The 4 Essential B-Level Compound Tenses

1. Present Perfect – Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto (He hablado)

This tense connects the past to the present. It’s used for actions that happened in a recent or unfinished time period.

• Formula:Haber (Presente) + Past Participle
  • (He, Has, Ha, Hemos, Habéis, Han) + hablado
• When to Use:
  • Actions completed in a time frame that is not over (hoy, esta semana, este año).
  • Recent past actions with present relevance.
  • Life experiences (without specifying when).
• DELE B1 Examples:
  • ¿Ya has terminado el proyecto para la clase? (Have you finished the project for class yet?)
  • He viajado a México tres veces en mi vida. (I have traveled to Mexico three times in my life.)
  • Esta mañana he leído las noticias. (I read the news this morning.)

2. Past Perfect – Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto (Había hablado)

Often called “the past of the past,” this tense describes an action that occurred before another past action.

• Formula:Haber (Imperfecto) + Past Participle
  • (Había, Habías, Había, Habíamos, Habíais, Habían) + comido
• When to Use:
  • To describe what “had already happened” before something else in the past.
• DELE B2 Examples:
  • Cuando llegué a la estación, el tren ya había salido. (When I arrived at the station, the train had already left.)
  • Ellos no fueron al conci porque no habían comprado las entradas. (They didn’t go to the concert because they hadn’t bought the tickets.)

3. Conditional Perfect – Condicional Compuesto (Habría hablado)

This tense is used to talk about what “would have” happened, but didn’t. It’s crucial for hypothetical situations in the past.

• Formula:Haber (Condicional Simple) + Past Participle
  • (Habría, Habrías, Habría, Habríamos, Habríais, Habrían) + vivido
• When to Use:
  • To speculate about the past.
  • In the consequence clause of hypothetical “if” sentences (past unreal conditional).
• DELE B2 Examples:
  • Habría ido a tu fiesta, pero estaba enfermo. (I would have gone to your party, but I was sick.)
  • Si hubieras estudiado, habrías aprobado el examen. (If you had studied, you would have passed the exam.)

4. Future Perfect – Futuro Compuesto (Habré hablado)

Use this tense to talk about an action that “will have” been completed by a specific future point in time.

• Formula:Haber (Futuro Simple) + Past Participle
  • (Habré, Habrás, Habrá, Habremos, Habréis, Habrán) + terminado
• When to Use:
  • To project yourself into the future and look back at a completed action.
• DELE B2 Examples:
  • Para el próximo lunes, ya habré entregado mi solicitud. (By next Monday, I will have submitted my application.)
  • ¿Crees que ya habrán llegado para las 8 de la noche? (Do you think they will have arrived by 8 p.m.?)

---

Common Mistakes to Avoid at the B-Level

1. Adding Agreement: Remember, the past participle does not change.
   • ❌ Las cartas han escribidas.
   • ✅ Las cartas han sido escritas. (This is the passive voice, which is different!)
2. Confusing Tener and Haber: With compound tenses, always use haber as the auxiliary verb.
   • ❌ He tengo comido.
   • ✅ He haber comido.
3. Misusing Present Perfect vs. Simple Past: Don’t use the Present Perfect for actions in a finished past time.
   • ❌ El año pasado he visitado España.
   • ✅ El año pasado visité España.

Your Roadmap to Mastery

1. Master Haber: Use our Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool to drill all tenses of haber until it becomes automatic.
2. Learn the Participles: Memorize the irregular past participles (abierto, dicho, escrito, hecho, puesto, etc.).
3. Practice with a Timeline: Draw a timeline to visualize the relationship between the different compound tenses.
4. Consume Authentic Content: Listen for these tenses in podcasts, series, and news articles to hear them in context.

Ready to test your skills? Mastering these tenses is a significant leap toward Spanish fluency. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be using them naturally in all your conversations and written work.