Verb tenses · Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese Pluperfect (Mais-que-perfeito)
The pluperfect is the past before the past: something that had already happened before another moment in the past, as in eu já tinha comido (I had already eaten).
Quando eu cheguei, o filme já tinha começado. When I arrived, the film had already started.
- Used in speech and writing
- Level B1
- Same in Portugal
tinha · tinha · tínhamos · tinham (tu tinhas) + -ado · -ido
When to use the pluperfect
Something finished before another past event.
Quando a gente chegou na estação, o trem já tinha saído.
When we got to the station, the train had already left.
Retelling what someone said had happened.
Ela me disse que tinha perdido a chave.
She told me she had lost her key.
The reason behind a past situation.
Eu estava com fome porque não tinha almoçado.
I was hungry because I hadn't had lunch.
Something that had never happened until then.
Eu nunca tinha comido açaí antes daquela viagem.
I had never eaten açaí before that trip.
In books and news, the simple form does the same job.
Quando a polícia chegou, o ladrão já fugira.
When the police arrived, the thief had already fled.
Often confused with the preterite.
Regular verbs
Every regular verb follows one of these three: -ar like falar (to speak), -er like comer (to eat), -ir like partir (to leave). The ending is in bold and underlined. Tu is used in parts of Brazil, and is shown last.
Mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | falar | comer | partir |
|---|---|---|---|
| eueu | tinha falado | tinha comido | tinha partido |
| vocêvocê, ele, ela, a gente | tinha falado | tinha comido | tinha partido |
| nósnós | tínhamos falado | tínhamos comido | tínhamos partido |
| vocêsvocês, eles, elas | tinham falado | tinham comido | tinham partido |
| tuturegional | tinhas falado | tinhas comido | tinhas partido |
Mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | falar | comer | partir |
|---|---|---|---|
| eueu | falara | comera | partira |
| vocêvocê, ele, ela, a gente | falara | comera | partira |
| nósnós | faláramos | comêramos | partíramos |
| vocêsvocês, eles, elas | falaram | comeram | partiram |
| tuturegional | falaras | comeras | partiras |
Irregular verbs
The most common irregular verbs in the pluperfect, most used first. Verbs built on the same one change the same way: learn ter and you know manter and obter. Irregular forms are marked (irregular).
fazer
feito (irregular) (not fazido)tinha feito
Also: desfazer (desfeito), satisfazer (satisfeito) and 9 more
dizer
dito (irregular) (not dizido)tinha dito
Also: contradizer (contradito), bendizer (bendito) and 4 more
ver
visto (irregular) (not vido)tinha visto
vir
vindo (irregular) (not vido)tinha vindo
ganhar
ganho (irregular) (not ganhado)tinha ganho
descobrir
descoberto (irregular) (not descobrido)tinha descoberto
escrever
escrito (irregular) (not escrevido)tinha escrito
Also: descrever (descrito), inscrever (inscrito) and 10 more
pôr
posto (irregular)tinha posto
Any verb in the pluperfect
How Brazilians use it
Tinha, havia, or the simple form
In speech Brazilians say tinha feito. Havia feito means the same and sounds more formal, in writing or careful speech. The simple form (fizera, falara) lives in books and news, and in a few set phrases: quem dera, tomara, pudera.
Often the preterite is enough
When a word like depois que or antes already shows the order, Brazilians often keep the preterite: depois que ele saiu, eu dormi. The pluperfect is for when the order would otherwise be unclear, especially with já and nunca.
In Portugal
The pluperfect works the same way in Portugal.
Common mistakes
Not
Quando eu cheguei, ela já saiu.ButQuando eu cheguei, ela já tinha saído.
When one past event came before another, the earlier one goes in the pluperfect: tinha + participle.
Not
Eu tive comido antes da reunião.ButEu tinha comido antes da reunião.
The helper verb is ter in the imperfect (tinha, tínhamos, tinham), never in the preterite.
Not
Ele tinha fazido o jantar.ButEle tinha feito o jantar.
Some participles are irregular: fazer → feito, ver → visto, dizer → dito, escrever → escrito, abrir → aberto, pôr → posto.
Practise the pluperfect
Ten questions on the most common verbs. Type the form; you'll see right or wrong at once.
Cheat sheet
The endings and the most common irregular verbs on one printable page.
Pluperfect cheat sheet (PDF)Questions
What is the pluperfect in Portuguese?
The mais-que-perfeito, the past before the past: eu já tinha jantado quando ela ligou (I had already had dinner when she called). In speech it is ter in the imperfect plus a participle.
How do you form the pluperfect in Portuguese?
Use tinha, tinha, tínhamos, tinham and the participle: tinha falado, tinha comido, tinham saído. The simple form takes the eles form of the preterite and swaps -ram for -ra: falaram → falara, fizeram → fizera.
Is the simple pluperfect used in Brazil?
Hardly ever in speech. Brazilians read forms like fizera and falara in books and newspapers, and say tinha feito or tinha falado instead.
What is the difference between tinha feito and havia feito?
None in meaning: both are “had done”. Tinha feito is what people say; havia feito is more formal and shows up mostly in writing.
Related tenses: the preterite, the imperfect, the present perfect
See the pluperfect in real books
Tables teach the forms; stories teach when to use them. Read Brazilian books and stories at your level, tap any verb for its meaning in that sentence, and press Listen to hear the page in a Brazilian voice.
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