The past perfect (pluperfect) tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that had been completed before another action in the past. Like the regular past perfect, it is formed using the imperfect tense of haber followed by the past participle of the main verb. However, some verbs have irregular past participles that you need to memorize, as they do not follow the standard -ado or -ido endings.
As a quick review, haber is conjugated in the imperfect tense and is paired with the past participle of the main verb to form the past perfect.
Conjugation of Haber in the Imperfect Tense:
Yo |
había I had |
Nosotros |
habíamos we had |
Tú (Juana, Juan) |
habías you had |
Vosotros (informal Spain) |
habíais you all had |
Él/Ella/Ud. (Sra./Dr. García) |
había he/she/you had |
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. |
habían they/you all |
Irregular past participles do not follow the regular -ado or -ido endings. Below is a list of some of the most common irregular past participles that you will encounter.
Infinitive | Past Participle | English Equivalent |
---|---|---|
abrir (to open) | abierto | opened |
decir (to say) | dicho | said |
escribir (to write) | escrito | written |
hacer (to do/make) | hecho | done/made |
morir (to die) | muerto | died |
poner (to put) | puesto | put/placed |
resolver (to resolve) | resuelto | resolved |
romper (to break) | roto | broken |
ver (to see) | visto | seen |
volver (to return) | vuelto | returned |
When forming the past perfect tense with irregular verbs, follow the same structure as with regular verbs: conjugate haber in the imperfect tense and then add the irregular past participle.
Examples:
Complete the following sentences using the correct form of haber and the irregular past participle of the verb in parentheses:
Answers:
The past perfect tense, combined with irregular past participles, is a valuable tool for expressing completed actions that occurred before another event in the past. By mastering these irregular forms, you’ll be able to communicate more effectively and with greater precision in Spanish. Practice these forms regularly to build your confidence and fluency in using the past perfect tense with irregular verbs.