Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto in Spanish
el pretérito pluscuamperfecto
The past perfect tense in Spanish used to describe actions that occurred prior to another action in the past.
The Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto (Past Perfect / Pluperfect) is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb "haber" (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) followed by the past participle (participio) of the main verb (ending in -ado for -ar and -ido for -er/-ir). It is equivalent to English "had done". It describes an action that was already completed before another point of reference in the past.
Examples
Cuando llegué, el tren ya había salido.
When I arrived, the train had already left.
Nunca había visto una película tan buena.
I had never seen such a good movie before.
Ellos ya habían comido cuando los llamamos.
They had already eaten when we called them.
Related terms
Learn Spanish in context — free dictionary and practice.