The past perfect in Spanish
Pretérito pluscuamperfecto, indicative
Assertive statements about actions in the past from the perspective of the past (actions already completed in the past)
Type the forms, check them instantly, and see which tenses and irregularities need work.
When to use it
- An action completed before another past actionCuando llegué, la película ya había empezado. (When I arrived, the movie had already started.)
- Reported speech about an earlier actionDijo que había terminado. (She said that she had finished.)
Regular verbs
The past perfect of a regular -ar, -er, and -ir verb.
Irregular verbs in the past perfect
Examples
Cuando empezó el concierto, Ana ya había sido presentadora dos veces.
When the concert began, Ana had already been a presenter twice.
Cuando llegó Lucía, Ana ya había estado en la biblioteca.
When Lucía arrived, Ana had already been to the library.
Antes de la clase de ayer, Ana ya había tenido tiempo para practicar.
Before yesterday's class, Ana had already had time to practise.
Cuando Marcos llegó a Madrid, Ana ya había ido al museo.
When Marcos arrived in Madrid, Ana had already gone to the museum.
Antes de la llegada de Ana, Lucía ya había hecho estrellas de papel.
Lucía had already made paper stars before Ana arrived.
Cuando llegó Lucía, Ana ya había hablado con la profesora Ruiz.
When Lucía arrived, Ana had already spoken with Ms. Ruiz.