The present perfect links a past action or situation to the present. Use it when the time is not finished, not stated, or not important, and the result or experience matters now. It often answers “up to now” questions rather than “when exactly.”

Build the present perfect with have or has plus the past participle. Use have with I, you, we, they, and has with he, she, it. The past participle is usually regular in -ed, but many common verbs are irregular.

Subject	🇨🇳 中文 主语	Form	🇨🇳 中文 形式	Example	🇨🇳 中文 例句
I	😀 I	have + past participle	🧩 have + 过去分词	I have finished the report.	🗣️ 我已经完成了报告。
you	😀 you	have + past participle	🧩 have + 过去分词	You have met my sister.	🗣️ 你已经见过我的妹妹。
he	😀 he	has + past participle	🧩 has + 过去分词	He has lost his keys.	🗣️ 他已经丢失了他的钥匙。
she	😀 she	has + past participle	🧩 has + 过去分词	She has moved to Berlin.	🗣️ 她已经搬到柏林。
it	😀 it	has + past participle	🧩 has + 过去分词	It has stopped raining.	🗣️ 雨已经停了。
we	😀 we	have + past participle	🧩 have + 过去分词	We have decided to leave.	🗣️ 我们已经决定离开。
they	😀 they	have + past participle	🧩 have + 过去分词	They have seen that movie.	🗣️ 他们已经看过那部电影。

Make the negative by adding not after have or has. In speech and informal writing, contractions are common. Keep the past participle the same; only the auxiliary changes.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Put not after have or has	😀 在 have 或 has 之后加上 not	She has not called me.	🗣️ 她还没有打电话给我。
Use contractions in informal style	😀 在非正式风格中使用缩略形式	We haven’t finished yet.	🗣️ 我们还没有完成。
Do not add do or did	😀 不要添加 do 或 did	They haven’t seen it.	🗣️ 他们还没有看见它。

Form questions by inverting have or has with the subject. For short answers, repeat the auxiliary have or has. With question words, place the question word first, then have or has.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Invert have or has and the subject	😀 将 have 或 has 与主语进行倒装	Have you eaten?	🗣️ Have you eaten?
Use has with he, she, it	😀 对 he、she、it 使用 has	Has he arrived?	🗣️ Has he arrived?
Wh- word first, then inversion	😀 Wh-词先放在前面，其后再进行倒装	Where have they gone?	🗣️ Where have they gone?
Short answers use have or has	😀 简短回答用 have 或 has	Yes, I have. No, she hasn’t.	🗣️ Yes, I have. No, she hasn’t.

Use the present perfect to talk about experiences in your life or in a period up to now, without saying exactly when. The focus is on whether something has ever happened, not on the specific time. If you add a finished time expression, the present perfect is usually not used.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use for experience with no specific time	😀 没有具体时间的经历时使用	I have visited Japan.	🗣️ 我曾经去过日本。
Use ever and never for experience	😀 使用 ever 与 never 表示经历	Have you ever tried sushi?	🗣️ 你曾经吃过寿司吗？
Avoid finished-time adverbs here	😀 避免在此处使用完成时间的副词	I visited Japan in 2019.	🗣️ 我在2019年去过日本。

Use the present perfect with time periods that include the present, such as today, this week, this year, and recently. The idea is that the period is still open, so the action is part of the current time frame. If the period is clearly finished, prefer the simple past.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use with time periods still in progress	😀 仍在进行中的时间段使用	I have had three meetings today.	🗣️ 我今天开了三次会议。
Use with this week or this month	😀 本周或本月使用	We have worked late this week.	🗣️ 这周我们工作到很晚。
If the period is finished, use past	😀 时间段结束时使用过去时	We worked late last week.	🗣️ 上周我们工作到很晚。

Use the present perfect when a past action has a present result, often something visible or relevant now. The result is the point, not the timeline. This use is common with just, already, and yet.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use when the result matters now	😀 结果现在很重要时使用	She has broken her arm.	🗣️ 她的手臂折断了。
Use just for very recent result	😀 Just 用于非常近期的结果	They have just arrived.	🗣️ 他们刚刚到达。
Use already for earlier than expected	😀 already 用于早于预期的结果	I have already sent it.	🗣️ 我已经发出去了。
Use yet in questions and negatives	😀 yet 在疑问句和否定句中使用	Have you finished yet? I haven’t finished yet.	🗣️ 你现在完成了吗？我还没有完成。

Use since to mark the starting point of a situation, and for to mark the duration. Both typically pair with the present perfect when the situation began in the past and continues to now. Since is followed by a time point, while for is followed by a length of time.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use since with a starting point	😀 使用 since 表示起点	I have lived here since 2020.	🗣️ 我自2020年起就一直住在这里。
Use for with a duration	😀 使用 for 表示持续时间	I have lived here for three years.	🗣️ 我在这里已经住了三年。
Use with actions that continue to now	😀 使用与现在仍在持续的行动	She has worked at this company since March.	🗣️ 她自三月起一直在这家公司工作。

Choose the present perfect when the time is not specified or the connection to now is important. Choose the simple past when the time is finished, stated, or understood as a completed past period. Words like yesterday, last week, and in 2010 strongly point to the simple past.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Present perfect for up to now, no finished time	😀 现在完成时用于到现在为止、没有完成时间	I have seen that movie.	🗣️ I have seen that movie.
Past simple with finished time	😀 使用过去时来描述完成的时间	I saw that movie yesterday.	🗣️ I saw that movie yesterday.
Past simple when asking when	😀 提问“何时”时用过去时	When did you see it?	🗣️ When did you see it?
Present perfect when asking if ever or up to now	😀 提问到现在或经历时用现在完成时	Have you seen it?	🗣️ Have you seen it?

Certain adverbs often signal the present perfect because they emphasize recency, repetition, or an unfinished period. Place them carefully: just, already, and still often go between have or has and the past participle, while yet usually comes at the end. Ever and never typically go before the past participle.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Just goes after have or has	😀 Just goes after have or has	I have just eaten.	🗣️ I have just eaten.
Already often goes after have or has	😀 Already often goes after have or has	She has already left.	🗣️ She has already left.
Ever and never go before the participle	😀 Ever and never go before the participle	Have you ever flown? I have never flown.	🗣️ Have you ever flown? I have never flown.
Yet usually goes at the end	😀 Yet usually goes at the end	They haven’t called yet.	🗣️ They haven’t called yet.