Plusquamperfekt: Introduction
The Plusquamperfekt (past perfect) lets you describe an action that was already finished before another past event happened. Think of it as the "earlier past" — it answers the question: what had already occurred by the time something else took place?
The good news: if you know the Perfekt, you are almost there. You just swap the present-tense auxiliary (haben / sein) for its simple-past form (hatte / war). One small change — big expressive power.
What Does the Plusquamperfekt Express?
Use the Plusquamperfekt for an action that was already completed before a second past action occurred. Picture a timeline with two events:
Event A (Plusquamperfekt — the earlier one) → Event B (Präteritum or Perfekt)
Ich hatte gegessen, bevor sie ankam. — I had eaten before she arrived.
Common trigger words that often signal the Plusquamperfekt:
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nachdem | after | Nachdem er gegessen hatte, las er. |
| bevor | before | Bevor sie kam, hatte ich geputzt. |
| als | when | Als er ankam, hatte ich schon gegessen. |
| schon / bereits | already | Sie war schon gegangen. |
How to Form the Plusquamperfekt
Formula: simple past of haben or sein + Partizip II (at the end of the clause)
The auxiliary sits in position 2; the Partizip II goes to the end.
Simple past of haben (hatte):
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte |
| du | hattest |
| er / sie / es | hatte |
| wir | hatten |
| ihr | hattet |
| sie / Sie | hatten |
Simple past of sein (war):
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | war |
| du | warst |
| er / sie / es | war |
| wir | waren |
| ihr | wart |
| sie / Sie | waren |
Choosing hatte or war
The same rule as in the Perfekt applies:
- hatte + Partizip II → most verbs (transitive verbs, mental states, activities done to something)
- war + Partizip II → verbs of movement from A to B or change of state, plus sein and bleiben
| Use hatte | Partizip II | Use war | Partizip II |
|---|---|---|---|
| essen | gegessen | gehen | gegangen |
| kaufen | gekauft | kommen | gekommen |
| lesen | gelesen | fahren | gefahren |
| schreiben | geschrieben | aufstehen | aufgestanden |
| vergessen | vergessen | einschlafen | eingeschlafen |
Quick test: Does the verb describe going somewhere or becoming something different? → war. Otherwise → hatte.
📖 Examples
Ich hatte das Buch gelesen, bevor der Film begann.
I had read the book before the film started.
Sie war schon nach Hause gegangen, als er ankam.
She had already gone home when he arrived.
Er hatte die Hausaufgaben gemacht, bevor er fernsah.
He had done his homework before he watched TV.
Wir hatten gegessen, als sie anriefen.
We had eaten when they called.
Das Kind war eingeschlafen, bevor die Mutter ins Zimmer kam.
The child had fallen asleep before the mother came into the room.
Ich hatte meinen Schlüssel vergessen.
I had forgotten my key.
Sie hatten das Museum schon besucht.
They had already visited the museum.
Er war noch nie in Berlin gewesen.
He had never been to Berlin before.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Ich habe gegessen, bevor sie kam.Ich hatte gegessen, bevor sie kam.
When two past events are in sequence, the earlier one needs Plusquamperfekt (*hatte/war* + Partizip II). Using Perfekt (*habe*) makes both actions sound simultaneous rather than showing which came first.
Er hatte nach Berlin gegangen.Er war nach Berlin gegangen.
*Gehen* is a movement verb (travelling from A to B), so it always uses *sein* as its auxiliary — both in the Perfekt and the Plusquamperfekt. Use *war*, not *hatte*.
Sie war das Buch gelesen.Sie hatte das Buch gelesen.
*Lesen* is a transitive verb with no directional movement, so it takes *haben* (*hatte*), not *sein* (*war*). The movement/change-of-state test fails here.
Ich hatte schon gegessen bereits.Ich hatte schon gegessen.
The Partizip II must come at the very end of the clause. Adverbs like *schon* and *bereits* sit between the auxiliary and the participle — stacking both after the participle is incorrect.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which auxiliary verb do you use with *gehen* in the Plusquamperfekt?
Complete the sentence: Ich ___ das Buch schon gelesen, bevor der Film begann.
What is the correct Plusquamperfekt form of *kommen* for *er*?
Which of these verbs uses *war* (not *hatte*) in the Plusquamperfekt?
Where does the Partizip II go in a main-clause Plusquamperfekt sentence?
Which sentence is the correct Plusquamperfekt?
Sie ___ schon nach Hause gegangen, als er ankam. (sein)
Ich ___ das Buch gelesen, bevor der Film begann. (haben)
Das Kind ___ eingeschlafen, bevor die Mutter ins Zimmer kam. (sein)
Wir ___ schon gegessen, als sie ankamen. (haben)