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All 14 Flashcards — Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
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Question
das Plusquamperfekt
Answer
the pluperfect (hatte/war + Partizip II = «had done»)
Question
hatte / war
Answer
the helper — the Präteritum of haben (hatte) or sein (war)
Question
machen → Plusquamperfekt (ich)
Answer
ich hatte gemacht (I had done/made)
Question
sehen → Plusquamperfekt (ich)
Answer
ich hatte gesehen (I had seen)
Question
gehen → Plusquamperfekt (ich)
Answer
ich war gegangen (I had gone)
Question
fahren → Plusquamperfekt (ich)
Answer
ich war gefahren (I had travelled/driven)
Question
essen → Plusquamperfekt (ich)
Answer
ich hatte gegessen (I had eaten)
Question
kommen → Plusquamperfekt (ich)
Answer
ich war gekommen (I had come)
Question
schreiben → Plusquamperfekt (ich)
Answer
ich hatte geschrieben (I had written)
Question
nachdem + Plusquamperfekt
Answer
«Nachdem ich gegessen hatte, ging ich ins Bett.» (After I had eaten…) — pluperfect clause + Präteritum main clause
Question
How do you form the pluperfect?
Answer
Take the Präteritum of the helper (hatte / war) and add the Partizip II — like the Perfekt, but the helper is in the past.
Question
When do you use the pluperfect?
Answer
For the «past before the past»: an action already finished before another past action, classically after «nachdem», with the Präteritum in the main clause.
Question
How do you choose hatte vs war?
Answer
Same as the Perfekt: «war» for verbs of motion/change of state (gehen, fahren, kommen, einschlafen); «hatte» for everything else.
Question
What are the most common pluperfect errors?
Answer
Using the present helper habe/bin (= Perfekt), choosing the wrong helper (hatte instead of war), or putting the main clause in the present instead of the Präteritum.
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Full study notes for Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
Topic 3.2 hub
Past tenses
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German B exam skills
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