Talk about what you've done and seen

You already know the present perfect: haber + a past participle ending in -ado / -ido: he comprado, he comido. A2, unit 2.

The most common verbs have irregular past participles, and you just have to learn them, like English "do → done" or "see → seen". You need them to say what you've seen, done and heard. Here are the main eight:

descubrir (to discover) works like abrir: descubierto, for example He descubierto un bar genial — I've discovered a great bar.

Action or state. After he, has, ha and the other forms of haber, the participle always ends in -o: He abierto la ventana — I've opened the window. After estar it works as an adjective and agrees with the noun: La ventana está abierta — The window is open.

Common mistake: building the form by the rule: ✗ he hacido, ✗ he escribido, ✗ he rompido. Only small children say this, the way they say "I goed" in English.

You already know that Spanish uses two negatives in one sentence, and that's correct Spanish: No quiero nada — I don't want anything. A1, unit 5.

Now the whole set. The words come in pairs: one for questions and "yes", the other for "no".

alguien and nadie never change. alguno and ninguno change for gender, and before a masculine singular noun they drop the -o: algún sitio, ningún sitio (but alguna serie, ninguna serie). ninguno is usually singular, even where English uses a plural: No tengo ningún problema — I don't have any problems.

The key point: where the "no" word goes.

• After the verb: put no before the verb. No viene nadie. No conozco ningún bar.
• Before the verb: no extra no. Nadie viene. Ninguno me gusta.

Examples:

• ¿Conoces a alguien aquí? — No, no conozco a nadie. — Do you know anyone here? — No, I don't know anyone.
• ¿Tienes algún amigo español? — No tengo ninguno. — Do you have any Spanish friends? — I don't have any.
• Nadie me ha dicho nada. — Nobody has told me anything.
• No como ni carne ni pescado. — I don't eat meat or fish.

Common mistakes: ✗ nadie no viene. Before the verb, one negative is enough: Nadie viene. And the other way around: ✗ conozco a nadie. When nadie comes after the verb, you can't leave out no.

"Have you ever...?" is a great question for starting a conversation with new people. It's about experience in your whole life up to now, so Spanish uses the present perfect (he hecho), just like English.

The question. alguna vez (ever, at least once) usually goes after the past participle:

• ¿Has estado alguna vez en Andalucía? — Have you ever been to Andalucía?
• ¿Has probado alguna vez la tortilla? — Have you ever tried Spanish omelet?

Answering "yes". Say how many times: Sí, una vez (once), dos veces (twice), varias veces (several times), muchas veces (many times).

Answering "no". The short answer is No, nunca. In a full sentence there are two ways to say it, with the same meaning:

• Nunca he estado en Andalucía. — I've never been to Andalucía.
• No he estado nunca en Andalucía. — I've never been to Andalucía.

It's the same double negative rule: nunca after the verb — you need no before the verb; nunca before the verb — no no.

Shades of "no".

• nunca — just a fact: I haven't been there, I haven't tried it.
• jamás — the same, but with feeling, "never in my life": Jamás he esquiado. — I've never ever skied.
• todavía no (A2, unit 2) — "not yet, but I'm going to": Todavía no he visto esta serie. — I haven't seen this series yet.

Common mistake: translating "ever" with cuándo. ¿Cuándo has estado en Madrid? means "When were you in Madrid?": a question about time, not about experience. To ask about experience, use alguna vez.