B1 Portuguese GrammarPast Perfect Tense
Describe actions completed before another past action using the Portuguese pluperfect (mais-que-perfeito). Learn both the compound form with tinha + past participle (common in speech) and the simple pluperfect form (literary). Essential for storytelling and sequencing past events.
1Compound Pluperfect (tinha + Participle)
The most common pluperfect in modern Portuguese uses ter in the imperfect (tinha, tinhas, tinha, tÃnhamos, tinham) + past participle. This expresses an action completed before another past action: Quando cheguei, ele já tinha saÃdo (When I arrived, he had already left).
Compound Pluperfect Conjugation
| Person | ter (imperfect) | Example with falar |
|---|---|---|
| eu | tinha | tinha falado |
| tu | tinhas | tinhas falado |
| ele/ela/você | tinha | tinha falado |
| nós | tÃnhamos | tÃnhamos falado |
| eles/elas/vocês | tinham | tinham falado |
Examples
Quando acordei, ela já tinha saÃdo.
When I woke up, she had already left.
tinha saÃdo = had left (earlier action)
Nunca tinha visto nada assim antes.
I had never seen anything like that before.
Experience before a past reference point
Eles já tinham comido quando chegámos.
They had already eaten when we arrived.
já + pluperfect emphasizes completion
Perguntei se ela tinha recebido a mensagem.
I asked if she had received the message.
Pluperfect in indirect questions
2Simple Pluperfect (Literary)
The simple pluperfect is formed by adding -ra endings to the verb stem. It's mainly used in formal writing and literature. In spoken Portuguese, it often expresses a conditional or polite wish: Quem me dera! (If only I could!). The forms are: falara, falaras, falara, faláramos, falaram.
Simple Pluperfect Formation
| Person | falar | comer | partir |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | falara | comera | partira |
| tu | falaras | comeras | partiras |
| ele/ela/você | falara | comera | partira |
| nós | faláramos | comêramos | partÃramos |
| eles/elas/vocês | falaram | comeram | partiram |
Examples
Chegara à cidade antes do amanhecer.
He had arrived in the city before dawn.
Literary simple pluperfect
Quem me dera poder viajar!
If only I could travel!
Simple pluperfect expressing wish
Nunca antes vira tal beleza.
Never before had he seen such beauty.
vira = simple pluperfect of ver
Tomara que chova amanhã.
I hope it rains tomorrow.
tomara que = I hope that (idiomatic)
3Sequencing Past Events
Use the pluperfect to establish which action happened first in a sequence of past events. The later action uses preterite; the earlier action uses pluperfect. Time markers like antes (before), já (already), ainda não (not yet) help clarify the sequence.
Sequence Markers
| Marker | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| já | already | Já tinha terminado. |
| ainda não | not yet | Ainda não tinha chegado. |
| antes | before | Antes de sair, tinha... |
| depois de | after | Depois de ter comido... |
Examples
O filme já tinha começado quando entrámos.
The film had already started when we entered.
Film starting = earlier; entering = later
Percebi que tinha esquecido a carteira em casa.
I realized I had forgotten my wallet at home.
Forgetting = earlier; realizing = later
Ela disse que ainda não tinha decidido.
She said she hadn't decided yet.
ainda não + pluperfect = not yet (had)
Antes de mudar para Lisboa, tinha vivido no Porto.
Before moving to Lisbon, I had lived in Porto.
Living in Porto = before moving
4Pluperfect with Irregular Participles
Some common verbs have irregular past participles: fazer → feito, dizer → dito, ver → visto, pôr → posto, abrir → aberto, escrever → escrito. These irregular forms are used with ter/haver. Some verbs have two participles (regular for ter, irregular for ser/estar).
Common Irregular Participles
| Infinitive | Participle | Pluperfect |
|---|---|---|
| fazer | feito | tinha feito |
| dizer | dito | tinha dito |
| ver | visto | tinha visto |
| escrever | escrito | tinha escrito |
| abrir | aberto | tinha aberto |
Examples
Eu nunca tinha feito isso antes.
I had never done that before.
feito = irregular participle of fazer
Ela não tinha dito a verdade.
She hadn't told the truth.
dito = irregular participle of dizer
Já tinhas visto este filme?
Had you already seen this movie?
visto = irregular participle of ver
Alguém tinha aberto a janela.
Someone had opened the window.
aberto = irregular participle of abrir