past perfect in German
past perfect in German (Plusquamperfekt) is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action. It is important to learn the past perfect tense because it allows you to express a more precise sequence of events in the past. By using the past perfect, you can indicate that one action had already been completed before another action took place.
The past perfect in German is formed by using the auxiliary verb “haben” or “sein” in the imperfect tense (Präteritum) followed by the past participle of the main verb. The choice between “haben” and “sein” as the auxiliary verb depends on the verb being used. The past participle is often formed by adding the prefix “ge-” to the verb stem and adding the appropriate ending.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich hatte bereits gefrühstückt, als sie ankam. | I had already eaten breakfast when she arrived. |
| Er hatte den Film schon gesehen, bevor er ins Kino ging. | He had already seen the movie before he went to the cinema. |
| Sie hatten sich vorher nie getroffen. | They had never met before. |
| Wir hatten das Haus sauber gemacht, bevor die Gäste kamen. | We had cleaned the house before the guests arrived. |
| Er hatte den Zug verpasst, weil er verschlafen hatte. | He had missed the train because he overslept. |
| Sie hatte bereits die Aufgabe gelöst, bevor der Lehrer sie erklärte. | She had already solved the task before the teacher explained it. |
| Wir hatten die Rechnung schon bezahlt, als der Kellner kam. | We had already paid the bill when the waiter came. |
| Der Zug hatte bereits abgefahren, als wir am Bahnhof ankamen. | The train had already left when we arrived at the station. |
| Ich hatte vergessen, meinen Regenschirm mitzunehmen. | I had forgotten to take my umbrella. |
| Sie hatten sich verspätet, weil es einen Stau gab. | They had been delayed because there was a traffic jam. |
| Er hatte die Prüfung bestanden, obwohl er nicht viel gelernt hatte. | He had passed the exam even though he hadn’t studied much. |
| Wir hatten schon lange auf den Bus gewartet, als er endlich kam. | We had been waiting for the bus for a long time when it finally arrived. |
| Sie hatten das Buch bereits gelesen, bevor es veröffentlicht wurde. | They had already read the book before it was published. |
| Ich hatte den Termin vergessen, deshalb bin ich nicht erschienen. | I had forgotten the appointment, so I didn’t show up. |
| Er hatte sich verletzt, als er vom Fahrrad stürzte. | He had injured himself when he fell off the bike. |
| Wir hatten den Kuchen schon aufgegessen, als die Gäste kamen. | We had already eaten the cake when the guests arrived. |
| Sie hatte den Schlüssel verloren, deshalb konnte sie nicht ins Haus. | She had lost the key, so she couldn’t enter the house. |
| Ich hatte meinen Freund lange nicht gesehen, bevor er zurückkam. | I hadn’t seen my friend for a long time before he returned. |
| Sie hatten die Aufgabe bereits erledigt, als der Chef fragte. | They had already completed the task when the boss asked. |
| Wir hatten den Film schon gesehen, deshalb sind wir nicht ins Kino gegangen. | We had already seen the movie, so we didn’t go to the cinema. |
These phrases demonstrate the use of the past perfect in German to indicate actions that had occurred before other past actions or at specific points in the past.
