The Spanish PLUPERFECT TENSE
What does this tense mean?
How do I use haber for this tense?
AIMS:
To learn how to recognise regular and irregular pluperfect tense verbs.
To learn how to form regular and irregular pluperfect tense verbs.
REMINDER: SPANISH PERFECT TENSE
Haber + (space) + Stem* + Ending
ENGLISH SPANISH
-ER
I have
He
-AR
-IR
You have Has
He/She has
We have
You have
They have
Ha
Hemos
Habéis
Han
He cantado = I have sung
He comido = I have eaten
He vivido = I have lived
-ado -ido
*Stem = The infinitive (the one you find when you
look in a dictionary) minus the last 2 letters.
In Spanish, you use the pluperfect tense when referring to
actions that had happened in the past.
EXAMPLES
I had washed the car.
I had done the washing.
I had laid the table.
I had prepared the dinner.
I had earned my pocket money.
So, how is the pluperfect
tense formed in Spanish?
1ST
2ND
3RD
SINGULAR
Step 1: Choose the imperfect tense of
the verb haber (the auxiliary verb).
2ND
3RD
PLURAL
1ST
ENGLISH
SPANISH
I had
Había
You had
Habías
He/She had/You (formal) had
Había
We had
Habíamos
You had
Habíais
They had / You (formal) had
Habían
Step 2: Create the past participle (the –ed form of the verb in
English), by adding the appropriate ending to the stem.
The great thing is that to talk about other people, it is only the form
of haber that changes.
Haber
-AR
-ER
-IR
Había
Habías
Había
Habíamos
Habíais
Habían
Stem
+
ADO
Stem
+
IDO
Irregular Past Participles
3 of the most common:
Decir (to say) > dicho
Hacer (to do) > hecho
Ver (to see/watch) > visto
And some other really important ones:
Abrir (to open) > abierto
Absolver (to absolve) > absuelto
Cubrir (to cover) > cubierto
Escribir (to write) > escrito
Freír (to fry) > frito
Morir (to die) > muerto
Poner (to put) > puesto
Romper (to break) > roto
Satisfacer (to satisfy) > satisfecho
Volver (to return) > vuelto
Now translate the following verbs. Remember to choose the correct form
of haber and then conjugate the verb in the steps you have already used.
Beware of irregular verbs because there are lots of them here!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
He had done
They had drunk
We had worked
You (p) had watched
I had lived
They had broken
He had died
She had seen
I had played
I had returned
We had said
He had visited
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Había hecho deberes
Habían bebido
Habíamos trabajado
Habíais visto
Había vivido
Habían roto
Había muerto
Había visto
Había jugado
Había vuelto
Habíamos dicho
Había visitado
SPANISH VERBS: PLUPERFECT TENSE
(ALL PAST PARTICIPLES)
What does this tense mean?
How do I use haber for this tense?
AIMS:
To learn how to recognise regular and irregular pluperfect tense verbs.
To learn how to form regular and irregular pluperfect tense verbs.