The Compound Pluperfect
The Compound Pluperfect (pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto) is also called Past Perfect. It describes an action that happened before another action in the past.
The Portuguese and English structures are similar:
- The auxiliary verb ‘ter’ (to have) is conjugated in the imperfect past;
- The auxiliary verb ‘ter’ is followed by the past participle of the main verb. This past participle remains unchanged. This means that the default masculine singular form is always used.
Here are some examples:
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Tinha terminado, já tinham chegado. The Portuguese compound pluperfect for what happened before something else in the past, with haver and the passive.
Written for level B1–B2. Every lesson has its own, anywhere from A1 to B2.
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