Past perfect tense (Plusquamperfekt) in German
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In German, as in English, the past perfect tense (Pluscuamperfekt) is used, to describe a happening in the past, that took place previous to another happening in the past. It is constructed in the same way as the present perfect tense (Perfekt), except the fact, that the auxiliary verbs of haben oder sein is in the simple past form.
For example:
In this example, both actions took place in the past, but the practicing was terminated before the girl wrote her test.
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The formation is exactly the same as with the present perfect, but with the simple past form of one of the auxiliaries sein or haben.
To use the German past perfect you need the simple past form of sein or haben and the participle II.
sein | haben | |
---|---|---|
ich | war | hatte |
du | warst | hattest |
er/ sie/ es | war | hatte |
wir | waren | hatten |
ihr | wart | hattet |
sie/ Sie | waren | hatten |
The auxiliaries you find above are conjugated irregularly. Try to keep them in your mind and learn them by heart.
The typical construction of the past participle of a weak verb, looks le following way:
ge- + infinitive sten + -t
Infinitive | Verb stem | Participle |
---|---|---|
leben (to live) | leb- | gelebt |
lachen (to laugh) | lach- | gelacht |
fragen (to ask) | frag- | gefragt |
Find some example sentences below:
The past participle of strong verbs is formed by adding the perfix ge- and the ending -en:
Infinitive | Verb stem | Participle |
---|---|---|
sprechen (to speak) | sprech- | gesprochen |
lesen (to read) | les- | gelesen |
sehen (to see) | seh- | gesehen |
Here are some examples:
To make sure you know when to use sein and when to use haben, have a look at the chapter about the present perfect in German, where the difference and the usage situations are described.
In this lesson you have learned about the past perfect tense in the German language. Try our exercises to improve your ability of forming the past perfect tense.
Fill in the missing verbs in the past perfect tense (remember: simple past of sein/ haben + participle II). Choose between sein and haben.
Recap
1. Sein and participle II
We use the auxiliary verb sein:
verbs of movement (without direct object): gehen, laufen, rennen, fahren,... : Wir sind in seinen Garten gegangen. verbs that describes changes in the situation: einschlafen, aufwachen,... : Sie ist aus ihren Träumen aufgewacht. bleiben, sein, werden: Es ist ihm gelungen.
2. Haben and participle II
We use the auxiliary verb haben:
verbs with and without direct object: Stefanie hat ihr Zimmer aufgeräumt. Sie hat aufgeräumt. reflexive verbs: Stefanie hat sich verändert.
1. lesen (to read)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
2. laufen (to run)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
3. lernen (to learn)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
4. sein (to be)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
Fill in the missing verbs in the past perfect tense (remember: simple past of sein/ haben + participle II). Choose between sein and haben.
Recap
1. Sein and participle II
We use the auxiliary verb sein:
verbs of movement (without direct object): gehen, laufen, rennen, fahren,... : Wir sind in seinen Garten gegangen. verbs that describes changes in the situation: einschlafen, aufwachen,... : Sie ist aus ihren Träumen aufgewacht. bleiben, sein, werden: Es ist ihm gelungen.
2. Haben and participle II
We use the auxiliary verb haben:
verbs with and without direct object: Stefanie hat ihr Zimmer aufgeräumt. Sie hat aufgeräumt. reflexive verbs: Stefanie hat sich verändert.
1. lesen (to read)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
2. laufen (to run)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
3. lernen (to learn)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
4. sein (to be)
Ich
Du
Er/ sie/ es
Wir
Ihr
Sie
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Hello, my name is Katerina und I’m a qualified German teacher with 8 years teaching experience.
I would like to help you to master the German language. You will get your personal online lesson via Skype.
If you are interested in learning this world language, just contact me –
I’m looking forward to getting to know you!
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My lessons are needs-oriented. That means that learning goals are discussed with you and based on your level of knowledge. Whether grammar, sentence structure, pronunciation, expression or the practice of communication situations: German as a foreign and second language classes are flexible and take place in a group or one-to-one lessons with individual support and are based on your wishes and requirements. The teaching of content and topics takes place according to the respective language level. Building vocabulary, grammar and means of speaking are structured and conveyed logically building on each other. Let's get to know each other in a free trial class. I am looking forward to meeting you!
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Hello, Wie gehts? Ich heiße Anna! What can I say? Learning German language isn´t easy but I´m happy to say that I´ve chosen the right teacher for me. She is very nice and patient. She happily answered all my questions and explain things in a way you can understand easily. She gives you different homeworks in which sometimes I can´t submit on time because I´m currently undergoing surgery and therapy but she is so understanding about it. Now, I somewhat understand some German writings I´ve read without translating it, and i´m just so happy that I am making progress. Thanks Christin!
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Hello, my name is Katerina und I’m a qualified German teacher with 8 years teaching experience.
I would like to help you to master the German language. You will get your personal online lesson via Skype.
If you are interested in learning this world language, just contact me –
I’m looking forward to getting to know you!
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Very expert and nice teacher. Organized, professional, she made my German lessons a pleasant experience. Customized learning materials according to you needs and interests. Highly recommended!
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Dear Silvia, thank you very much!
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Hello, my name is Katerina und I’m a qualified German teacher with 8 years teaching experience.
I would like to help you to master the German language. You will get your personal online lesson via Skype.
If you are interested in learning this world language, just contact me –
I’m looking forward to getting to know you!
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A very nice and motivated teacher. Thank you Katerina for your support with the German language.
Katerina B.
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Dear Edivania, thank you for the nice words. It is a pleasure to work with you.
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Hello !
I am a teacher of French as a Foreign Language (FLE), with a Master's degree in Training Engineering, specialising in FLE, Professional French and International Cooperation. Your needs are individual: we evaluate them together and I propose you an adapted learning based on my experience as a student as well as in a professional situation. No traditional pedagogy, we will use IT tools (TICE) to live a playful experience, inscribed in the action pedagogy, communicative method. I will accompany you whatever your level, including in the preparation for the exams for which I am qualified (France Education International, ex CIEP, DELF/DALF).
It is the exchange that is important, we move forward together.
Passionate about this profession, it is the diversity of intercultural exchanges that enriches my practice, a necessary complement to my activity in training engineering. I need to keep in touch with learners, so see you soon!
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This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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