pluperfect tense Flashcards
How is the pluperfect tense formed in German for most verbs?
For most verbs, the pluperfect tense is formed by conjugating haben (to have) for the correct person in the imperfect tense and combining with a past participle.
The past participle goes to the end of the sentence.
Er hatte mich nichts gefragt
(He had asked me nothing)
Conjugate haben (to have) in the imperfect tense.
haben
ich hatte
du hattest
er hatte
wir hatten
ihr hattet
sie; Sie hatten__
How are past participles formed for regular verbs?
Add ‘ge’ to the infinitive, remove the ‘en’ at the end and then add a ‘t’.
kaufen … gekaufen … gekauf … gekauft
How is the past participle formed for?
machen (to make)
gemacht
How is the past participle formed for?
fragen (to ask)
gefragt
How is the past participle formed for?
Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern. What is the past participle for irregular verb schlafen (to sleep)?
geschlafen
How is the past participle formed for?
nehmen (to take)
genommen
How is the past participle formed for?
essen (to eat)
gegessen
How is the past participle formed for?
trinken (to drink)
getrunken
How is the past participle formed for?
geben (to give)
gegeben
How is the past participle formed for?
bringen (to bring)
gebracht
How is the past participle formed for?
sehen (to see)
gesehen
How is the past participle formed for?
singen (to sing)
gesungen
How is the past participle formed for?
verstehen (to understand)
verstanden
Verbs of movement tend not to use haben to form their perfect tense. Which auxiliary verb is used in these cases?
Verbs of movement use sein (to be) conjugated in the imperfect tense together with a past participle to form the pluperfect tense.
Ich bin gegangen (I have gone)
