In Spanish, ‘have been’ is translated as ‘he estado’ when referring to the first person singular (I). For example, you might say, ‘He estado en España’ which means ‘I have been in Spain.’
Furthermore, the phrase changes according to the subject. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Yo he estado (I have been)
- Tú has estado (You have been – informal)
- Él/Ella/Usted ha estado (He/She/You have been – formal)
- Nosotros hemos estado (We have been)
- Vosotros habéis estado (You all have been – informal in Spain)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes han estado (They/You all have been – formal)
Using the perfect tense in Spanish involves the auxiliary verb ‘haber’ combined with the past participle ‘estado’ (been). This structure allows speakers to convey a sense of experience or duration. So next time you want to express that you have been somewhere or done something in Spanish, just remember this verb structure!