Brain Boost: Subjunctive and Present Tense
Section 13: Spanish Imperative Mood (Commands)
Brain Boost: Spanish Commands, Present/Past Subjunctive
Section 14. Spanish Past Subjunctive
Brain Boost: Present/Past Subjunctive, Commands, & Present Tense
Sections 15-16: Perfect Tenses: Present, Past, and Future
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Instruction: Spanish Past Perfect (Pluperfect) – Irregular

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. 

1. Conjugation of Haber in the Past Perfect Tense

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

(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

2. Common Irregular Past Participles

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.

InfinitivePast ParticipleEnglish Equivalent
abrir (to open)abiertoopened
decir (to say)dichosaid
escribir (to write)escritowritten
hacer (to do/make)hechodone/made
morir (to die)muertodied
poner (to put)puestoput/placed
resolver (to resolve)resueltoresolved
romper (to break)rotobroken
ver (to see)vistoseen
volver (to return)vueltoreturned

3. Using Irregular Past Participles in the Past Perfect Tense

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:

  • Yo había hecho la tarea antes de salir.
    (I had done the homework before leaving.)
  • Ellos habían visto esa película antes.
    (They had seen that movie before.)
  • Nosotros habíamos escrito la carta cuando recibimos la noticia.
    (We had written the letter when we received the news.)

4. Practice Exercise

Complete the following sentences using the correct form of haber and the irregular past participle of the verb in parentheses:

  1. Tú __________ (decir) todo antes de que llegara.
  2. Ellas __________ (ver) la noticia en la televisión.
  3. Yo __________ (hacer) la cena cuando ellos llegaron.
  4. Nosotros __________ (abrir) la puerta antes de escuchar el ruido.
  5. Ustedes __________ (escribir) el informe antes de enviarlo.
  6. Él __________ (poner) el libro en la mesa antes de salir.
  7. Ellos __________ (romper) el vaso antes de disculparse.
  8. Nosotros __________ (volver) al trabajo después de la pausa.
  9. Ella __________ (morir) antes de que el doctor llegara.
  10. Yo __________ (ver) esa película antes de que me la recomendaras.

Answers:

  1. Tú habías dicho todo antes de que llegara. (You had said everything before he/she arrived.)
  2. Ellas habían visto la noticia en la televisión. (They had seen the news on TV.)
  3. Yo había hecho la cena cuando ellos llegaron. (I had made dinner when they arrived.)
  4. Nosotros habíamos abierto la puerta antes de escuchar el ruido. (We had opened the door before hearing the noise.)
  5. Ustedes habían escrito el informe antes de enviarlo. (You all had written the report before sending it.)
  6. Él había puesto el libro en la mesa antes de salir. (He had put the book on the table before leaving.)
  7. Ellos habían roto el vaso antes de disculparse. (They had broken the glass before apologizing.)
  8. Nosotros habíamos vuelto al trabajo después de la pausa. (We had returned to work after the break.)
  9. Ella había muerto antes de que el doctor llegara. (She had died before the doctor arrived.)
  10. Yo había visto esa película antes de que me la recomendaras. (I had seen that movie before you recommended it to me.)
Conclusion

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.