Day 33 - past perfect tense Flashcards
Plusquamperfekt. Say it out loud, Plus-quam-perfekt. It’s such a fun word to say!
The past perfect tense is used to talk about two events in the past. One event will happen before the other, but both are in the past.
The grammar construction is the same as the present perfect, but using the past tense of the auxiliary verb.
Don’t forget, verbs that show motion or a change in state will use sein instead of haben:
I had eaten a cake.
Ich hatte eine Kuchen gegessen.
I had become fat.
Ich war dick geworden.
Of course, this grammar is used to talk about two events in the past. Combining clauses will be covered later in the book. But basically, the auxiliary verb in the relative clause will go to the end.
Study the following examples:
I went to the gym, because I had become fat.
Ich BIN ins Fitnessstudio GEGANGEN, weil ich dick GEWORDEN WAR.
I had eaten a cake before I ate dinner.
Ich HATTE einen Kuchen GEGESSEN, bevor ich Abendessen GEGESSEN HABE.
Notice the auxiliary verb goes to the end of the second clause. If you rearrange the clause order, and put the main clause second, the subject and verb of the main clause will switch places, and the verbs will directly follow each other.
Study the following examples:
Because I had become fat, I went to the gym.
Weil ich dick GEWORDEN WAR, BIN ICH ins Fitnessstudio GEGANGEN. (verb-sub. switch)
Before I ate dinner, I had eaten a cake.
Bevor ich Abendessen GEGESSEN HABE, HATTE ICH einen Kuchen gegessen. (verb-subj. switch)
This is the most common construction. When using the Plusquamperfekt, the main clause is usually second, like in the above example, and the verbs will directly follow each other.
main clause: relative clause: ends w/ auxiliary verb
Ich BIN ins Fitnessstudio GEGANGEN, weil ich dick GEWORDEN WAR.
verb of motion…uses BIN (SEIN). verb of change…uses WAR (SEIN)
went to…passe=composé. had become…plusquamperfekt
Ich HATTE einen Kuchen GEGESSEN, bevor ich Abendessen GEGESSEN HABE.
had eaten…plusquamperfekt. have eaten…passé composé
relative clause 1st. main clause 2nd (verb-sub. switch)
Weil ich dick GEWORDEN WAR, BIN ICH ins Fitnessstudio GEGANGEN.
Simple past + Plusquamperfekt
People often use the simple past with Plusquamperfekt, because you are often explaining a longer story.
Study the following example using the simple past and present perfect:
After I had studied German, I studied Japanese.
Nachdem ich Deutsch gelernt hatte, LERNTE ich Japanisch.
Nachdem ich Deutsch gelernt hatte, HABE ich Japanisch GELERNTE.
To practice this grammar, talk about what you did yesterday, use two events and say when they happened. If there is no one to listen to your story, just talk to the mirror!
Day 33 Grammar Card
- Plusquamperfekt
[main clause] past participle of (sein / haben) + (past participle)
[relative clause] (sein / haben) + (past participle)
If relative clause come first, verbs directly follow each other.
der Laden, die Läden…store
die Kirche, die Kirchen…church
das Denkmal, die Denkmäler…monument, memorial.
das Gebäude…building
die Bibliothek, die Bibliotheken…library
das Krankenhaus, die Krankenhäuser…hospital
das Kino, die Kinos…movie theater
die Apotheke, die Apotheken…pharmacy
die Fabrik, die Fabriken…factory
die Metzgerei, die Metzgerein…butcher shop
- I had gone to the store before I came home.Ich. , bevor
war. ich
zum Laden. nach Hause
gegangen. kam.
Notice the auxiliary verb goes to the end of the second clause.
Ich war zum Laden gegangen, bevor ich nach Hause kam.
