Present Perfect with Ya, Todavía

This grammar relies on the Present Perfect tense. In Spanish, we call this the Pretérito Perfecto. It’s made of two parts that are inseparable. Think of them like a celebrity couple—they go everywhere together. The first part is the verb haber (to have). The second part is the past participle (the -ado or -ido word). When we add ya or todavía, we are simply adding a "time stamp" to the action. Ya translates to "already." It tells us the action is done and dusted. Todavía no translates to "not yet." It tells us the action is still on the horizon. The trick is where you place these words. Usually, they sit right before the verb phrase. You don't want to break up the haber and the participle. Keep them close! If you separate them, it sounds like you're trying to put a wall between two best friends. It’s awkward for everyone involved.

1. 1To build these sentences, follow these simple steps:
2. 2Start with your time marker: Ya (for already) or Todavía no (for not yet).
3. 3Add the correct form of haber: he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, or han.
4. 4Add the past participle: For -ar verbs, use -ado. For -er/-ir verbs, use -ido.
5. 5Put it all together: Ya + haber + participle.
6. 6For example, if you want to say "I have already eaten," you say: Ya he comido. If you haven't eaten yet, you say: Todavía no he comido. Notice how no always hitches a ride with todavía when we mean "not yet." It’s a package deal. Don't forget that the h in he, has, ha is totally silent. If you pronounce it like an English "h," you'll sound like you're breathing on a cold window. Keep it smooth and silent!

You will use this pattern constantly in real-world scenarios. Imagine you are at a restaurant. The waiter asks if you are ready to order: "¿Ya has decidido?" You might answer, "Todavía no he decidido" if you’re still eyeing the tacos. Or imagine you are traveling. You call your friend to say, "Ya he llegado al hotel" (I have already arrived at the hotel). It’s also great for office life. "¿Ya has enviado el correo?" (Have you already sent the email?). It’s the ultimate "status update" tense. Use it when the timing of the action matters to the person you are talking to right now. If the action is finished and has a result in the present, ya is your winner. If the action is expected but hasn't happened, todavía no is your champion. It’s like a grammar traffic light: ya is green (go/done), and todavía no is red (stop/waiting).

Don't use this if you are talking about a specific, finished time in the past that has no connection to now. For example, if you say "Yesterday I ate pizza," don't use the Present Perfect. Use the Preterite: Ayer comí pizza. The Present Perfect with ya is for things that feel "recent" or "relevant." Also, avoid using ya if you are just stating a fact without any sense of completion. And a big one: don't put ya or todavía between haber and the participle. Example: He ya comido is a big no-no. It sounds like you're putting your shoes on before your socks. It just feels wrong. Keep the verb phrase together! Finally, don't use todavía alone to mean "not yet"—it always needs that no to complete the thought in negative sentences.

The most common mistake is the "Word Order Shuffle." People love to put ya at the end of the sentence because that's where "already" often goes in English. While you *can* sometimes do this in Spanish for emphasis, it’s much safer and more common to put it at the beginning. Another classic is forgetting the no with todavía. If you just say Todavía he comido, it sounds like you are saying "I have still eaten," which makes no sense. You need that no to make it "not yet." Also, watch out for irregular participles! You might want to say hacido for hacer, but it’s actually hecho. Saying Ya he hacido la tarea will get you some funny looks. It’s like saying "I have doed the homework." Even native speakers mess up irregulars when they are tired, but try to keep them in mind!

You might confuse ya with ahora (now). Ahora is about the exact second you are in. Ya is about the fact that an action is finished. If you say Ya como, it means "I'm eating right now" or "I'm eating already." But with the Present Perfect (Ya he comido), it strictly means the action is finished. Also, compare todavía no with jamás (never). Jamás means it has never happened and maybe never will. Todavía no implies that it *will* happen soon; you just haven't gotten around to it yet. It’s much more optimistic! Think of todavía no as a promise. You aren't saying you'll never do the dishes; you're just saying they aren't done *yet*. Your roommates will appreciate the distinction.