| Preterite | a finished time: ayer, el año pasado, hace dos años | El año pasado viajé a Chile. | Last year I travelled to Chile. |
| Perfect | experience up to now: alguna vez, nunca | ¿Has estado alguna vez en Chile? | Have you ever been to Chile? |
| Perfect | a situation that goes on up to now | Siempre he vivido aquí. | I've always lived here. |
| Perfect | a time that includes now: hoy, esta semana, este año | Hoy he comido paella. | I had paella today. |
| Preterite | a finished action, today too: hoy, esta semana, este año | Hoy comí paella. | I had paella today. |
| Perfect | ya and something just said or done | ¿Ya has terminado? | Have you finished yet? |
| Preterite | ya and something just said or done | ¿Ya terminaste? | Have you finished yet? |
| B1Both | nunca up to now takes the perfect; nunca in a finished period takes the preterite | Nunca he estado allí en mi vida. / Nunca estuve allí en aquella época. | I've never been there in my life. / I was never there at that time. |
| Trap | ayer never takes the perfect | Ayer vi a Juan. | I saw Juan yesterday. |