You Haven’t In Spanish

To say “you haven’t” in Spanish, use no + the correct form of haber + a past participle: “No has visto…”.

You can say “you haven’t” in Spanish a few ways, and the best one depends on who “you” is (tú vs usted), what you haven’t done, and the time frame you mean. Get those three pieces right and your sentence will sound clean and natural.

This article gives you a clear pattern you can reuse, plus ready-to-steal sentence models for daily situations. You’ll also see where Spanish differs from English so you don’t carry over habits that make your Spanish sound off.

Why “You Haven’t” Feels Tricky In Spanish

English uses “you haven’t” for lots of meanings: unfinished time (“you haven’t eaten today”), life experience (“you haven’t been to Rome”), and a gentle push (“you haven’t called your mom”). Spanish can match those meanings, but it chooses tense with more care.

One reason is that Spanish has a built-in split between simple past (pretérito perfecto simple/indefinido) and compound past (pretérito perfecto compuesto). Both can point to past actions. The choice depends on whether you connect the action to “now” or keep it boxed inside a finished past moment.

Another reason is that “you” isn’t one size. Spanish marks formality and number inside the verb. If you pick the wrong verb form, everything after it can be correct and the sentence still lands wrong.

Build The Sentence: No + Haber + Past Participle

The most direct match for “you haven’t” is the negative present perfect: no + present tense of haber + past participle. The Real Academia Española notes that the pretérito perfecto compuesto is formed with present haber plus a participle. RAE: “Pretérito perfecto compuesto de indicativo” gives the core form.

Here’s the build in plain steps:

• Start with no.
• Pick the right haber form for who “you” is.
• Add the past participle of the main verb (the action).
• Add the rest of the sentence: object, place, time words, details.

Pick The Right “Haber” For “You”

Spanish uses haber as the main auxiliary for compound tenses. The RAE’s Diccionario panhispánico de dudas explains that haber is used to form compound tenses by combining its simple forms with a participle. RAE DPD: “haber” as auxiliary backs that up.

For “you,” you’ll use one of these:

• No has … (tú, informal singular)
• No ha … (usted, formal singular)
• No han … (ustedes, plural in most places)

Quick sanity check: if you can swap in a name, you can test it. “Carlos no ha…” works like “Usted no ha…”.

Make The Past Participle

Regular past participles are simple:

• -ar verbs: -ado (hablar → hablado)
• -er / -ir verbs: -ido (comer → comido, vivir → vivido)

Some participles are irregular and you just learn them. The good news: a small set handles a lot of daily speech.

Common Irregular Participles You’ll Use A Lot

• abrir → abierto
• decir → dicho
• escribir → escrito
• hacer → hecho
• morir → muerto
• poner → puesto
• romper → roto
• ver → visto
• volver → vuelto

One extra detail that saves mistakes: in compound tenses, the participle stays the same. It does not change for gender or number. You say “No has visto la película,” not “No has vista…”.

You Haven’t In Spanish With Present Perfect Timing

Once you can build the form, the next question is when to choose it. Spanish uses the pretérito perfecto compuesto when the speaker frames the past action as connected to the present moment. The RAE grammar describes this “antepresente” reading as referring to situations before speech time but measured from it. RAE Grammar: relevance to “now” lays out that idea.

In everyday terms, this tense fits when the time window feels open. Think “today,” “this week,” “so far,” “yet,” “still,” “ever,” “never.” Spanish has its own set of time words that pair naturally with “no has…” patterns.

These are the workhorse add-ons:

• todavía no (not yet): “Todavía no has llamado.”
• nunca (never): “Nunca has probado sushi.”
• alguna vez (ever): “¿Has ido alguna vez?”
• aún no (not yet): “Aún no has terminado.”
• ya (already) with a negative when you expected it: “¿No has llegado ya?”

Notice where no goes: it sits right before the conjugated verb. If you add “todavía,” it usually goes between them: “Todavía no has…” That order is a steady default.

Table Of Real-World Meanings And Best Spanish Choices

Use this table as a pick-your-sentence menu. It lists the main situations where English speakers reach for “you haven’t.”

English Intent	Spanish Pattern	Notes For Natural Sound
You haven’t eaten today.	No has comido hoy.	“Hoy” keeps the time window open.
You haven’t finished yet.	Todavía no has terminado.	“Todavía no” is the usual pairing.
You haven’t been there (in your life).	No has estado allí.	Add “nunca” if you mean “never.”
You haven’t seen my message.	No has visto mi mensaje.	Common with phones and email.
You haven’t told me.	No me has dicho.	Object pronoun goes before has.
You haven’t met her.	No la has conocido.	Conocer is “to know/meet.”
You haven’t paid.	No has pagado.	Add “todavía” if payment is expected soon.
You haven’t done your homework.	No has hecho la tarea.	“Hecho” is irregular.
You haven’t called me back.	No me has devuelto la llamada.	Sounds natural for callbacks.

When Spanish Uses Simple Past Instead

Sometimes English still says “you haven’t,” but Spanish prefers the simple past: “No comiste,” “No llamaste,” “No lo viste.” This happens when the time is treated as finished.

A simple cue is a finished time marker: “ayer,” “la semana pasada,” “en 2019,” “anoche.” In many places, that pushes Spanish toward the pretérito indefinido. If you say “yesterday,” Spanish usually wants “no llamaste ayer,” not “no has llamado ayer.”

There is a regional split, and it matters if you’re writing for a broad audience. In Spain, speakers use the pretérito perfecto compuesto more with “today” time frames and recent events. In many Latin American countries, the simple past does more of that same work, especially in casual speech. The Cervantes Center’s forum explanation contrasts pretérito perfecto and indefinido and frames the choice around how close the speaker feels the action is to the present. Cervantes CVC: pretérito perfecto vs indefinido gives that contrast in learner-friendly terms.

If you’re not sure which your listener expects, you can play it safe by matching their tense after you hear them speak for a minute. If they say “¿Comiste?” you can answer “No, no comí.” If they say “¿Has comido?” you can answer “No, no he comido.”

Keep The Meaning: “Still Not” Vs “Not Ever”

English “you haven’t” can mean “not yet,” “not ever,” or “not up to now.” Spanish marks those differences with small words that carry a lot of weight.

Use “Todavía No” For Unfinished Plans

“Todavía no” fits when the action is expected at some point. It’s great for tasks, replies, payments, and deadlines.

• Todavía no has enviado el archivo.
• Todavía no has contestado mi mensaje.
• Todavía no has llegado.

Use “Nunca” For Life Experience

“Nunca” means the action has not happened at any point in life up to now.

• Nunca has manejado en la nieve.
• Nunca has visto esa serie.
• Nunca has probado esa fruta.

Use “Aún No” When You Want A Tighter Tone

“Aún no” overlaps with “todavía no.” Many speakers use them interchangeably. “Aún no” can feel a touch more formal, which pairs well with usted.

• Aún no ha firmado el documento.
• Aún no ha recibido el correo.

Pronouns And Word Order That Keep You From Sounding Translated

Spanish packs pronouns into predictable slots. If you keep the slots straight, you’ll sound smoother fast.

Object Pronouns Go Before “Has/Ha/Han”

When the verb has a direct or indirect object pronoun (me, te, lo, la, le, nos, os, los, las, les), it usually goes right before the conjugated haber.

• No me has dicho la verdad.
• No lo has visto.
• No les han explicado el plan.

Reflexive Verbs Keep “Se” Before The Auxiliary

For reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun goes before haber too.

• No te has levantado temprano.
• No se ha dado cuenta.
• No se han quejado.

Table Of Time Words That Steer Your Tense Choice

These time markers are the ones that most strongly push Spanish toward present perfect or simple past. Use them as cues, not rigid laws.

Time Marker	Common Match	Sample Negative With “You”
hoy / esta mañana / esta semana	Pretérito perfecto compuesto	No has hablado conmigo hoy.
todavía / aún	Pretérito perfecto compuesto	Todavía no has terminado.
nunca / jamás	Pretérito perfecto compuesto	Nunca has probado esto.
ayer / anoche	Pretérito indefinido	No llamaste anoche.
la semana pasada / el mes pasado	Pretérito indefinido	No viniste la semana pasada.
en + year (en 2020)	Pretérito indefinido	No viajaste en 2020.

Ready-to-Use Sentence Patterns For Common Situations

Below are practical templates you can reuse by swapping the verb and object. Read them out loud once or twice. Your tongue will learn the rhythm.

Messages, Calls, And Replies

• No has visto mi mensaje.
• Todavía no me has respondido.
• No me has devuelto la llamada.
• No ha contestado el correo, ¿verdad?

Plans And Arrivals

• No has llegado todavía.
• No has confirmado la hora.
• No han enviado la dirección.
• No ha salido de casa.

Food, Health, And Daily Routines

• No has desayunado hoy.
• No has tomado agua.
• Todavía no has dormido.
• No te has lavado las manos.

Work And School

• No has entregado el trabajo.
• No has hecho la tarea.
• No has revisado el documento.
• No han terminado el informe.

Quick Self-Check: Fix These Two Common Errors

Two slip-ups show up again and again with learners. Fix them and your Spanish instantly sounds more natural.

Error 1: Using “Tener” As The Auxiliary

English “have” can trick you into using tener. Spanish present perfect uses haber, not tener. “No tienes visto” is not standard Spanish. Use “No has visto.”

Error 2: Making The Participle Agree With The Noun

In compound tenses, the participle is fixed: “No has visto la serie,” “No has visto los episodios.” Keep the participle unchanged and let the noun carry number and gender.

A Simple Practice Routine That Sticks

If you want this to feel automatic, practice with a short loop. Five minutes is enough.

1. Pick three verbs you use daily (ver, hacer, decir).
2. Say one negative sentence with tú: “Todavía no has…”.
3. Say one with usted: “Aún no ha…”.
4. Say one with ustedes: “No han…”.
5. Add one time word each time: hoy, todavía, nunca.

You’re training a pattern, not memorizing a speech. Once the pattern is solid, new verbs slide right in.