Pluskvamperfekt (Past Perfect)
The Pluskvamperfekt (Past Perfect) tense in Swedish is used to describe actions that were completed before another past action. It emphasizes the order of past events.
Mood:
The Pluskvamperfekt tense is used in the indicative mood, which expresses facts or certainty about actions that were completed before another action in the past.
- Mood: Indicative (expresses actions that were completed before another past event)
Formation:
The Pluskvamperfekt is a compound tense formed by using the auxiliary verb hade (had) followed by the supine form of the main verb.
Supine Form:
The supine is the verb form used after hade to form the pluperfect tense in Swedish. For most verbs, it is formed by adding -t to the root.
Active Voice Conjugation:
| Person | Example Verb: att tala (to speak) |
|---|---|
| Singular | hade talat |
| Plural | hade talat |
Swedish verbs do not change form based on the person or number.
Passive Voice Conjugation:
| Form | Passive (Pluskvamperfekt) |
|---|---|
| / | hade talats |
Examples:
- Active Positive: Jag hade talat svenska innan han kom. (I had spoken Swedish before he arrived.)
- Active Negative: Jag hade inte talat svenska innan han kom. (I had not spoken Swedish before he arrived.)
- Passive Positive: Svenska hade talats här innan festen. (Swedish had been spoken here before the party.)
- Passive Negative: Svenska hade inte talats här innan festen. (Swedish had not been spoken here before the party.)
