das Plusquamperfekt, -e
past perfect
Definition & meaning
Plusquamperfekt is the German past perfect, also called the pluperfect in English. It describes an event that had already happened before another event or point in the past.
For example: Als ich ankam, hatte der Film schon begonnen (“When I arrived, the film had already started”).
Grammar & Word origin
The Plusquamperfekt is formed with haben or sein in the simple past, followed by the past participle:
- hatte / hattest / hatte / hatten / hattet + past participle
- war / warst / war / waren / wart + past participle
The choice between haben and sein follows the same general rules as in the Perfekt .
The name comes from Latin plus quam perfectum, meaning “more than completed.”
Synonyms & antonyms
- Vorvergangenheit is a German synonym and emphasizes that the event occurred before another past event. It is more descriptive and less technical than Plusquamperfekt.
- There is no direct antonym. The Perfekt and Präteritum can contrast with it in context, but they do not mean the opposite; they describe past events without necessarily marking that they happened earlier than another past event.
Common phrases & collocations
Make “Plusquamperfekt” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
Wir üben heute das Plusquamperfekt im Deutschkurs.noun
Today we are practicing the past perfect in our German class.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad