{"id":145064,"date":"2023-12-11T06:14:21","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T11:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/pluscuamperfecto-spanish\/"},"modified":"2025-02-17T11:08:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T16:08:17","slug":"pluscuamperfecto-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/pluscuamperfecto-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use the Pluscuamperfecto"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just looking at the longer name of the pluperfect in Spanish is scary enough, isn’t it?\u00a0In fact, when you get to the nitty-gritty of the Spanish pluscuamperfecto<\/em>, it’s not that <\/em>scary.<\/p>\n

This article will give you a full crash course on how, when and why to use the Spanish pluperfect.\u00a0<\/em>We even have some cool songs at the end where this tense is used, so stick around.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What is the Pluscuamperfecto<\/em>?<\/h2>\n

The pluscuamperfecto\u2014<\/em>or the \u201cpast perfect\u201d or \u201cpluperfect\u201d in English\u2014is one of Spanish\u2019s many tenses<\/a> used to talk about actions that happened in the past.<\/p>\n

The pluscuamperfecto<\/em> is a compound tense, meaning it uses two verbs that are conjugated differently. Specifically, you conjugate the auxiliary verb haber<\/em><\/strong> and a past participle<\/a>. The conjugation of haber<\/em><\/a> depends on the subject of the sentence and whether the sentence requires an indicative or subjunctive verb.<\/p>\n

Confused yet? Don\u2019t worry: Conjugating the pluscuamperfecto<\/em> is much easier than it sounds.<\/p>\n

When Do We Use the Pluperfect in Spanish?<\/h2>\n

When talking about two actions that happened in the past<\/h3>\n

For example, take a look at this English sentence, paying particular attention to the verb conjugated in the past perfect.<\/p>\n

John had already left <\/strong>when Sarah arrived.<\/p>\n

This sentence deals with two actions, both of them in the past: John leaving, and Sarah arriving. Since John left before<\/em> Sarah arrived, we must use the past perfect to talk about John leaving.<\/p>\n

The Spanish indicative pluscuamperfecto<\/em> works the same way. For example, the previous sentence translated into Spanish would read:<\/p>\n

John ya hab\u00eda salido<\/strong> cuando lleg\u00f3 Sarah.<\/em>
\n(John had already left when Sarah arrived.)<\/p>\n

In this sentence, the verb hab\u00eda salido<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(had left) is an example of an indicative pluscuamperfecto <\/em>verb.<\/p>\n

The subjuntivo del pluscuamperfecto\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(past perfect subjunctive) is a little more complicated for English speakers.<\/p>\n

Here’s a rundown<\/a> on when and how to use subjunctive verbs in case you need it, but to sum it up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
When to use the subjunctive form of the pluscuamperfecto<\/em><\/strong><\/th>Example sentences<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1. When talking about emotions, desires\u00a0or other subjective feelings in the past.<\/td> Quer\u00eda que lo hubieras hecho<\/strong> ya. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(I wanted you to have already done it.)
\n
\n Estaba triste de que ella se hubiera ido<\/strong> sin despedirse. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(I was sad that she had gone without saying goodbye.)
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2. With the phrase ojal\u00e1 <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong>\u00a0to express a desire that something would have happened in the past.<\/td> Ojal\u00e1 hubi\u00e9ramos ido.<\/strong> <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(I wish\u00a0we had gone.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3. In \u201cif clauses\u201d used to describe impossible situations, paired with either the past conditional or present conditional.<\/a> *<\/strong><\/td> Si hubiera sabido<\/strong>, no habr\u00eda dicho nada. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(If I had known, I wouldn\u2019t have said anything.)
\n
\n Si no hubiera comido<\/strong> tanto, ir\u00eda contigo al restaurante. <\/a>\n <\/em>
\n(If I hadn\u2019t eaten so much, I would go with you to the restaurant.)
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

*Note:<\/strong> In colloquial Spanish, you can frequently hear\u00a0the conditional verb replaced with a second verb conjugated in the pluscuamperfecto<\/em>. For example:<\/p>\n

Si hubieras dormido <\/strong>m\u00e1s, no hubieras tenido <\/strong>tanto sue\u00f1o.
\n<\/em>(If you had slept<\/strong> more, you wouldn\u2019t have been<\/strong> so tired.)<\/p>\n

When substituting the preterite<\/h3>\n

Just as the pluperfect can be substituted with the preterite<\/a>, the same can happen the other way around.<\/p>\n

Although the substitution \u201cpluperfect \u2192 preterite\u201d occurs much more often than the \u201cpreterite \u2192 pluperfect\u201d one, the latter can still take place, especially if you want to make the sentence slightly more formal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
Preterite<\/th>Pluperfect<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
El profesor entr\u00f3 cuando los alumnos se sentaron.<\/strong><\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(The professor came in when the students sat down<\/strong>.)<\/td>		 El profesor entr\u00f3 cuando los alumnos se hab\u00edan sentado<\/strong>.<\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(The professor came in when the students had sat down<\/strong>.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Desayun\u00e9 cuando mi hermano termin\u00f3.<\/strong><\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(I had breakfast when my brother finished<\/strong>.)<\/td>		 Desayun\u00e9 cuando mi hermano hab\u00eda terminado<\/strong>. <\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(I had breakfast when my brother had finished<\/strong>.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Be careful when making this substitution, though. Bear in mind which action happened first, so that you don’t change the wrong verb.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

Beb\u00ed el vino de la botella que hab\u00eda abierto<\/strong> un d\u00eda antes. <\/em>(I drank the wine from the bottle I had opened<\/strong> one day before.)<\/p>\n

First, you open the bottle (past perfect), then you drink the wine. This makes sense.<\/p>\n

On the other hand:<\/p>\n

Hab\u00eda bebido<\/strong> el vino de la botella y despu\u00e9s la abr\u00ed. <\/em>(I had drunk<\/strong> the wine from the bottle and then I opened it.)<\/p>\n

Although there is no grammatical error in the sentence, it’s impossible to drink the wine before opening the bottle. This doesn’t make sense.<\/p>\n

Lastly, be careful when substituting the preterite for the pluperfect, and make sure you don’t change the whole meaning of the sentence. If the meaning changes when you change the verb form, this means the substitution can’t be done:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t
Preterite<\/th>Pluperfect<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Cuando llegamos, la pel\u00edcula empez\u00f3<\/strong>.<\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(When we arrived, the film started<\/strong>.)<\/td>		 Cuando llegamos, la pel\u00edcula hab\u00eda empezado<\/strong>.<\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(When we arrived, the film had started<\/strong>.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

As you can see, in the preterite example, the sentence implies that the film started the moment “we” arrived. The second, on the other hand, says that, by the time “we” arrived, the film had already started. Maybe it’s already five to 10 minutes in\u2014you get the idea.<\/p>\n

When substituting the present perfect in indirect speech<\/h3>\n

Simply put, the difference between direct and indirect speech<\/a> is that direct speech gives you the literal words someone is uttering\/has uttered, while indirect speech consists of someone repeating those same words later in time.<\/p>\n

There are many changes in pronouns<\/a>, time adverbs<\/a> and verb tenses (among others) when using the indirect speech, but for the purposes of this post, we’re going to concentrate on the present perfect.<\/p>\n

When someone says something in the present perfect, change that tense to the pluperfect when repeating their words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
Direct<\/th>Indirect<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
He ido<\/strong> al cine tres veces esta semana. <\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(I have gone<\/strong> to the cinema three times this week.)<\/td>		 Dijo que hab\u00eda ido<\/strong> al cine tres veces esa semana. <\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(He said he had gone<\/strong> to the cinema three times that week.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hemos comprado<\/strong> naranjas y limones.<\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(We have bought<\/strong> oranges and lemons.)<\/td>		 Dijeron que hab\u00edan comprado<\/strong> naranjas y limones. <\/em> <\/a>\n
\n(They said they had bought<\/strong> oranges and lemons.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

When talking about new experiences in the present<\/h3>\n

The pluperfect in Spanish is used to talk about the present\u2014and so is the English past perfect!<\/p>\n

We know we have to use the present perfect when we talk about our life experiences so far:<\/p>\n

Nunca he visto<\/strong> un tibur\u00f3n. <\/em>(I have<\/strong> never seen<\/strong> a shark.)<\/p>\n

No hemos estado<\/strong> nunca en Espa\u00f1a. <\/em> (We have<\/strong> never been<\/strong> to Spain.)<\/p>\n

But what happens when that changes? How can you say you have finally seen a shark? Or that this is your first time visiting Barcelona? By substituting the present perfect for the pluperfect!<\/p>\n

Have a look:<\/p>\n

Nunca hab\u00eda visto<\/strong> un tibur\u00f3n. <\/em>(I had<\/strong> never seen<\/strong> a shark. [But I am looking at one at the moment.])<\/p>\n

No hab\u00edamos estado<\/strong> nunca en Espa\u00f1a. <\/em>(We had<\/strong> never been<\/strong> to Spain. [But we are in Barcelona now, and oh boy, is it pretty<\/a>!])<\/p>\n

How to Conjugate the Spanish Pluperfect<\/h2>\n

Recall that the pluscuamperfecto <\/em>is a compound tense that requires two verbs: haber<\/em> and a past participle. Before we start putting the two together, let\u2019s review past participles.<\/p>\n

Past Participles<\/h3>\n

In English, we use past participles in the present perfect, past perfect and passive tenses. For example, in the phrase \u201cAndy had seen,\u201d the past participle is \u201cseen.\u201d In the phrase \u201cIt was eaten,\u201d the past participle is \u201ceaten.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Spanish, we use past participles in the present perfect and past perfect tenses. Forming regular past participles is simple: Take the infinitive, chop off the –ar<\/em><\/a>, –er<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or –ir<\/em><\/a> ending and add one of the following endings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Type of verb<\/strong><\/th>Ending<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
-ar<\/em><\/strong><\/td>-ado<\/em><\/td> hablar <\/a>\n <\/em> (speak) \u2192 hablado <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong> (spoken)
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
-er<\/em><\/strong><\/td>-ido<\/em><\/td> comer <\/a>\n <\/em> (eat) \u2192 comido <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong> (eaten)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
-ir<\/em><\/strong><\/td>-ido<\/em><\/td> dormir <\/a>\n <\/em> (sleep) \u2192 dormido <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong> (slept)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Simple, right? Well, kind of. Conjugating regular past participles is easy, but there are many irregular past participles to look out for. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to memorize these irregulars.<\/p>\n

Many irregular past participles take on the endings –to <\/em><\/strong>and –cho<\/em><\/strong>. Here are some of the most common ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
-to<\/em> Spanish Past Participles<\/th>English Translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
roto <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>broken<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
muerto <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>died<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
escrito <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>written<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
abierto <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vuelto <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>returned<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
-cho<\/em> Spanish Past Participles<\/th>English Translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
dicho <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>said<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
hecho <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>done\/made<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
predicho <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>predicted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
deshecho <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>undone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
satisfecho <\/a>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/td>satisfied<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Some important irregular past participles end in –sto<\/em><\/strong>, such as visto<\/strong><\/em> (seen) and puesto<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(put).<\/p>\n

Now that we have sorted out past participles, learning to conjugate the pluscuamperfecto <\/em>in the indicative and subjunctive moods will be a breeze.<\/p>\n

Indicative\u00a0Pluscuamperfecto<\/em><\/h3>\n

In the indicative, we conjugate haber<\/em> in the imperfect tense<\/a>, like this:<\/p>\n