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IndicativeB1
Past perfect (pluscuamperfecto)
For an action already completed before another past event (the past-before-the-past).
Usage
For an action already completed before another past event (the past-before-the-past).
Rules
51Formation
haber in the imperfect (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) plus the participle.
- yo había hablado — I had spokenhabía + participle
- nosotros habíamos comido — we had eaten
2Past before the past
Describes an action that was already over before another past event.
- Ya habíamos comido cuando llegó. — We had already eaten when he arrived.
- Ella ya había salido. — She had already left.
3Participle stays fixed
The participle always ends in -o and never changes for person or gender.
- habían vivido — they had lived-o stays fixed
- habíamos ido — we had gone
4Irregular participles
Some verbs have a special participle, like hacer → hecho and decir → dicho.
- Yo ya había hecho la cena. — I had already made dinner.
- Tú habías dicho la verdad. — You had told the truth.
5Two fixed parts
haber and the participle stay together; only the word no goes between them around them.
- No habías tenido tiempo. — You had not had time.
- Todavía no habían dormido. — They had not slept yet.
Examples
- Cuando llamaste, yo ya había salido. — When you called, I had already left.
- Nunca habíamos estado en Madrid. — We had never been in Madrid.
- Ella había vivido allí muchos años. — She had lived there for many years.
- Antes de la clase ya habían hecho los deberes. — Before class they had already done the homework.
Conjugate
Test
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