The verb to say · Conjugation
Present Perfect of say
The answer: have / has said
B1
A past action with a link to the present.
Quick answer
The Present Perfect of the verb to say is have / has said.
Example: I have already said that.
Full conjugation in the Present Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | have said | I've said |
| You | have said | You've said |
| He / She / It | has said | He's / She's / It's said |
| We | have said | We've said |
| You (pl.) | have said | You've said |
| They | have said | They've said |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I have say ❌
After have or has, use said (the past participle), not say (the base form). I have said it, never I have say it.
2. I have sayed ❌
Say is irregular, so it never takes -ed. Its Past Simple and past participle are the same: said. It works like have → had and make → made. I said it (Past Simple) / I have said it (Present Perfect).
3. I have said him hello ❌
I have said hello to him ✓ / I have told him the news ✓ / I have said him hello ❌. The rule is the same in every tense: say needs to before the person.
Practice quiz
Going further
The English contest tests the Present Perfect of say in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Practise on PLAYMaster the Present Perfect of say when you speak, not just on paper
The conjugation is clear in your head. On PLAY, you practise it in a game, with instant feedback, until it comes out on its own.
Practise the Present Perfect of say on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Present Perfect of say, and you follow each student
The Academy has self-marking activities on this form, with a dashboard for each student: you see at a glance who is falling behind.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
Frequently asked questions
What is the present perfect of say?+
It is have said or has said. Said is the past participle of say (the same as the Past Simple). For example: I have already said that. The words were said in the past, and they are still true now.
Why is the past participle of say the same as the past simple?+
Some common irregular verbs have the same form for both: have → had → had, make → made → made, say → said → said. There is no rule for this: learn these verbs by heart.
How do you use already with say?+
Say I have already said that. Already goes between have and the past participle. It is a typical word with the Present Perfect. Use this tense when there is no exact time and the result matters now.
What is the difference between I said and I have said?+
I said is the Past Simple: a finished action at a definite time (I said it yesterday). I have said is the Present Perfect: a past action linked to now (I have already said it, so you know it now). The Present Perfect shows that the action still matters.
How do you make questions and negatives with have said?+
Negative: I haven't said anything, she hasn't said a word. Question: Have you said sorry to her? What has he said? Put have or has before the subject. Said does not change.
Related pages: say Present Perfect
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/say/present-perfect
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to say are coming soon.