I can use irregular past participles — hecho, visto, escrito, dicho, puesto — and ask about experience: ¿Has estado alguna vez en…?
Past participles to memorize
Irregular past participles and talking about experience
Some common verbs have an irregular past participle: there is no rule, you learn the whole form — like fui and estuve. This level's closed set is in the table above.
The participles of ir, ser, and estar are regular: ido, sido, estado.
Experience. To ask about it: ¿Has estado alguna vez en Sevilla? English “Have you ever been to…?” becomes has estado (not sido) + en, and “ever” is alguna vez. Answers: Sí, he estado una vez. / No, nunca he estado. Nunca goes before haber (English puts “never” after “have”), and then you don't need a second no.
In hecho and dicho, ch is one sound, as in “church”. In visto and puesto, it's a plain s and t in a row.
In leído the accent mark keeps the i a separate syllable: “leh-EE-doh”, three syllables.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “He hacido” — correct: He hecho.
• NOT “He veído” — correct: He visto.
• NOT “He escribido” — correct: He escrito.
• NOT “He ponido” — correct: He puesto.
• NOT “He abrido” — correct: He abierto.
• NOT “He rompido” — correct: He roto.
• NOT “No he nunca estado” — correct: Nunca he estado.
• NOT “¿Has sido alguna vez en Sevilla?” — correct: ¿Has estado alguna vez en Sevilla?
Irregular past participles — a closed set for this level
There's no rule for these forms: you learn them whole, like fui and estuve.
| Infinitive | Past participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| hacer | hecho | to do, to make |
| ver | visto | to see |
| escribir | escrito | to write |
| decir | dicho | to say, to tell |
| poner | puesto | to put, to place |
| volver | vuelto | to come back, to return |
| abrir | abierto | to open |
| romper | roto | to break |
| morir | muerto | to die |
Lesson notes
Irregular past participles and talking about experience
Some common verbs have an irregular past participle: there is no rule, you learn the whole form — like fui and estuve. This level's closed set is in the table above.
The participles of ir, ser, and estar are regular: ido, sido, estado.
Experience. To ask about it: ¿Has estado alguna vez en Sevilla? English “Have you ever been to…?” becomes has estado (not sido) + en, and “ever” is alguna vez. Answers: Sí, he estado una vez. / No, nunca he estado. Nunca goes before haber (English puts “never” after “have”), and then you don't need a second no.
In hecho and dicho, ch is one sound, as in “church”. In visto and puesto, it's a plain s and t in a row.
In leído the accent mark keeps the i a separate syllable: “leh-EE-doh”, three syllables.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “He hacido” — correct: He hecho.
• NOT “He veído” — correct: He visto.
• NOT “He escribido” — correct: He escrito.
• NOT “He ponido” — correct: He puesto.
• NOT “He abrido” — correct: He abierto.
• NOT “He rompido” — correct: He roto.
• NOT “No he nunca estado” — correct: Nunca he estado.
• NOT “¿Has sido alguna vez en Sevilla?” — correct: ¿Has estado alguna vez en Sevilla?