Haber is an essential Spanish verb used exclusively as an auxiliary to form compound tenses. It expresses "to have" in the sense of doing something ("I have eaten," "They have arrived"). When used this way, haber conjugates to match the subject, and it is always followed by a past participle. Importantly, haber is never used for possession—that's the job of tener.
- Auxiliary use only: haber is the "have" behind compound verbs.
- Not for possession: Use tener to say you have something.
- Conjugated + Past Participle: (haber + participle = compound tense).
Do you know when to use haber instead of tener?
haber for auxiliary in compound tenses; tener for possession and some expressions.
*Haber* is used as an auxiliary to form compound tenses.
Key Conjugations of Haber
Here are the most important forms of haber used as an auxiliary:
| Tense | Haber Form | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Present | he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han | Expresses actions done: "I have eaten." |
| Imperfect | había, habías, ... | Describes past ongoing/frequent: "They had..." |
| Future | habré, habrás, ... | "Will have done": ... "Cuando llegue, habré..." |
| Conditional | habría, ... | "Would have done": ... "Yo habría..." |
A past participle (e.g., comido, visto) always follows haber.
- Present: he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han
- Imperfect: había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían
- Future: habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán
- Conditional: habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían
The present forms are: he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han.
Usage: Forming Compound Tenses
Haber + past participle = a compound verb. The past participle is the same for all subjects and all you need to know are the correct endings for regular verbs:
- -ar → -ado (e.g., hablar → hablado)
- -er/-ir → -ido (e.g., comer → comido, vivir → vivido)
Present Perfect
The most common use of haber is in the present perfect, which describes actions someone "has done."
| Subject | Haber | Example: comer (to eat) |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he | He comido (I have eaten) |
| Tú | has | Has comido (You have eaten) |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | ha | Ha comido (He/She/You have eaten) |
| Nosotros | hemos | Hemos comido (We have eaten) |
| Vosotros | habéis | Habéis comido (You all have eaten) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Uds. | han | Han comido (They have eaten) |
- Only use haber for creating compound verbs, never as a standalone main verb meaning "to have" in daily conversation.
- The action is complete or relevant to the present.
It expresses actions already done but relevant to now.
Form present perfect sentences:
- Choose a subject
- Conjugate haber for that subject
- Add a past participle
Example: (Ellos, viajar) → Han viajado (They have traveled).
Beyond Present Perfect
Haber also forms other compound tenses like pluperfect, future perfect, and conditional perfect.
| Name | Formula | Example (viajar) |
|---|---|---|
| Pluperfect | Imperfect haber + PP | Habían viajado (They had traveled) |
| Future Perfect | Future haber + PP | Habrán viajado (They will have traveled) |
| Conditional Perf. | Conditional haber+ PP | Habrían viajado (They would have traveled) |
- The past participle (PP) stays the same; only haber changes.
*Haber* forms compound tenses like present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect, and conditional perfect.
Example Sentences
- Yo he visto esa película. (I have seen that movie.)
- Cuando llegues, nosotros habremos terminado. (When you arrive, we will have finished.)
- Ella había estudiado antes del examen. (She had studied before the exam.)
- Si pudieras, ¿qué habrías hecho? (If you could, what would you have done?)
To say 'I have eaten,' you use the auxiliary verb 'haber' plus the past participle.
Use 'han llegado'—the present perfect form with *haber*.
Regular verb participles end in -ado (for -ar) and -ido (for -er/-ir).
No, *haber* is not used for possession. *Tener* is used for that.
The present forms are: he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han.
Conclusion
Haber is the indispensable auxiliary for forming Spanish's compound tenses, linking subjects with actions already done via past participles.
- Use haber + past participle to express things like "I have eaten," "They had left," "We will have arrived."
- Avoid using haber for possession; use tener instead.
- Master haber to unlock all compound tenses: present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect, and conditional perfect.