The past perfect or pretérito pluscuamperfecto is a complex verb tense that often intimidates new students of Spanish. Normally, students do not see this verb tense until they reach the intermediate levels of any ELE course.
However, it is frequently used in everyday life. In this post, I will talk about the uses and how teachers should start teaching it.
When to use the past perfect in Spanish?
The past perfect or Pretérito pluscuamperfecto is used when we talk about a past action that happened before another. Remember that we are referring to two actions in the past but one is before the other.
Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| Estaba muy cansada en la clase porque no había dormido casi nada la noche anterior. | I was very tired in class because I had hardly slept at all the night before. |
| Cuando fuimos a la panadería para comprar pan, ya lo habían vendido todo. | When we went to the bakery to buy bread, they had already sold everything. |
| Quería reservar una habitación pero habían reservado la última unos momentos antes. | I wanted to book a room but they had booked the last one a few moments before. |
How we form the past perfect in Spanish
To form the Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto we use the verb haber in the imperfect form followed by a verb in the past particle form.
| Pronouns | HABER | Verb: hablar | Verb: ver | Verb: ir |
| yo | había | hablado | visto | ido |
| tú | habías | |||
| él / ella | había | |||
| usted | había | |||
| nosotros/-as | habíamos | |||
| ellos/-as | habían |
Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| Cancelaron la obra pero yo ya había comprado las entradas. | They canceled the play but I had already bought the tickets. |
| ¿Me habías enviado un mensaje? No lo recibí. | Did you send me a message? I didn’t receive it. |
| Ella había tomado anteriormente pero no aprobó. | I wanted to book a room but they had booked the last one a few moments before. |
| Nosotros ya habíamos visto esta película antes. | We had seen this movie before. |
| Ellos no habían ganado nunca un torneo, el año pasado fue la primera vez. | They had never won a tournament before, last year was the first time. |
We usually use words like: “ya” (already) and “antes” (before) to emphasize the fact that the action already happened in the past.
More about Spanish Grammar:
- How to Say “I Like” in Spanish
If you’re learning Spanish, one of the first things you’ll want to know how to say is “I like.” It’s a simple phrase, and the… Read more: How to Say “I Like” in Spanish - How to Talk About Your Daily Routine in Spanish
If you are a beginner learning Spanish, talking about your daily routine is a great way to practice the language. Not only will it help… Read more: How to Talk About Your Daily Routine in Spanish - What is the imperative in Spanish instructions?
To give instructions, commands and orders in Spanish you will have to learn how to conjugate the verbs, and use the two moods in Spanish:… Read more: What is the imperative in Spanish instructions? - What Are Demonstrative Pronouns in Spanish?
In Spanish, there are three types of demonstrative pronouns: proximal, medial, and distal. Each type of demonstrative pronoun is used to indicate the distance between… Read more: What Are Demonstrative Pronouns in Spanish? - What Are the Basic Spanish Prepositions for Beginners?
If you are just starting to learn Spanish, it is important to understand the basic prepositions. Prepositions are words that are used to connect nouns… Read more: What Are the Basic Spanish Prepositions for Beginners?
