73 Talking about the past
This chapter covers all the main forms used in Spanish to refer to the past. You will
learn to refer to past states and events related to the present as well as the recent,
immediate and more distant past. Through coverage of these and other uses you will
become familiar with the Spanish equivalent of constructions such as ‘I have/had done
it’, ‘I did it’, and a range of other forms related to the past.73.1 Talking about past events related to the present or the
recent past
73.1.1 Past events related to the present
Past events which are related to the present, for example ‘He’s not feeling well because
he’s drunk too much’, are normally expressed in Peninsular Spanish with the perfect. 17.2 (p. 73)
Ha bebido demasiado. He/she has drunk too much.
¡Lo has quebrado! You’ve broken it.
¿Qué ha dicho usted? What have you said?
¿Qué te ha pasado? What has happened to you?Note that in these examples, there is a relation between an action which has taken
place and a context or situation which is still valid. In the second example,¡Lo has
quebrado!, ‘You’ve broken it’, that context might be said to be something like Era el
único que tenía, ‘It was the only one I had’.73.1.2 Regional variations
In Galicia and Asturias as in Latin America, the preterite is common in this context, and
it is often used instead of the perfect. But among indigenous people, in countries like
Bolivia and Peru, the perfect seems much more common, even in contexts where most
Spanish speakers would use the preterite. 17.4 (p. 75)
Bebió demasiado.
He/she drunk/drank too much.¡Lo quebraste!
You’ve broken/broke it.