Overview
The Plusquamperfekt, known as the past perfect in English, is a German verb tense used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past event. It is equivalent to the English construction "had + past participle." This tense is frequently used in narratives and reports, helping to establish a clear timeline of past events.
Formation
The Plusquamperfekt is formed with the simple past tense of the auxiliary verbs haben (to have) or sein (to be) plus the past participle of the main verb. The choice of auxiliary verb depends on the verb itself, just like in the present perfect tense.
Example structure:
Auxiliary (Präteritum) + past participle
- Ich hatte gegessen. (I had eaten.)
- Er war gegangen. (He had gone.)
Usage
This tense is mainly used to describe an action that happened before a reference point in the past. It can clarify sequences of events or explain circumstances leading to another past action. The Plusquamperfekt is common in written language and formal speech, especially in storytelling or historical accounts.
Example Sentences
- Nachdem ich das Buch gelesen hatte, schrieb ich eine Zusammenfassung.
(After I had read the book, I wrote a summary.)
- Sie war schon weggegangen, bevor ich angekommen war.
(She had already left before I arrived.)
Conjugations
Below is the conjugation of haben and sein in Präteritum, which are used as auxiliaries in the Plusquamperfekt:
| German Pronoun | Auxiliary: haben (Präteritum) | Auxiliary: sein (Präteritum) |
|---|---|---|
| ich | hatte | war |
| du | hattest | warst |
| er/sie/es | hatte | war |
| wir | hatten | waren |
| ihr | hattet | wart |
| sie/Sie | hatten | waren |
Example with a regular verb: spielen (to play)
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | hatte gespielt | had played | Ich hatte Fußball gespielt. | I had played soccer. |
| du | hattest gespielt | had played | Du hattest Tennis gespielt. | You had played tennis. |
| er/sie/es | hatte gespielt | had played | Er hatte Gitarre gespielt. | He had played guitar. |
| wir | hatten gespielt | had played | Wir hatten Karten gespielt. | We had played cards. |
| ihr | hattet gespielt | had played | Ihr hattet Basketball gespielt. | You (plural) had played basketball. |
| sie/Sie | hatten gespielt | had played | Sie hatten Schach gespielt. | They/You had played chess. |
Example with a verb using sein: gehen (to go)
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | war gegangen | had gone | Ich war nach Hause gegangen. | I had gone home. |
| du | warst gegangen | had gone | Du warst früh gegangen. | You had left early. |
| er/sie/es | war gegangen | had gone | Er war ins Kino gegangen. | He had gone to the cinema. |
| wir | waren gegangen | had gone | Wir waren spazieren gegangen. | We had gone for a walk. |
| ihr | wart gegangen | had gone | Ihr wart zusammen gegangen. | You (plural) had gone together. |
| sie/Sie | waren gegangen | had gone | Sie waren schnell gegangen. | They/You had left quickly. |
This pattern applies to other verbs requiring sein as an auxiliary, typically verbs indicating motion or change of state.
