LEARN SPANISH "PRETÉRITO ANTERIOR" (Past Perfect Simple) INDICATIVE MOOD

Hablar (to speak) Correr (to run) Añadir (to add)

To form the "pretérito anterior" (past perfect simple) of the indicative mood, we need to use the auxiliary verb "haber" (have) in its "pretérito perfecto simple" (past simple) and the past participle of another verb. To form the past participle of the regular verbs in Spanish, we need to take the verb as we find it in the dictionary and remove the last two letters. Then, if the verb ends in "-ar" we will add the ending "-ado" and if the verb ends in "-er" or "-ir" we will add the ending "-ido".

Example

For the verbs ending in -ar:

Example: We take the verb "hablar" (to speak). We remove the "-ar": We are left with "habl-" (the stem) and then we add "-ado". In this way we have the past participle of the verb "hablar" (to speak).

To conjugate the pretérito anterior (past perfect simple) of the verb"hablar" (to speak) we will use the "pretérito perfecto simple" (past simple) tense of the verb "haber" (to have) and the past participle of the verb "hablar" (to speak).

For the verbs ending in -er:

Example: We take the verb "correr" (to run). We remove the "-er": We are left with corr- (the stem) and then we add "-ido". In this way we have the past participle of the verb "correr" (to run).

To conjugate the pretérito anterior (past perfect simple) of the verb "correr" (to run) we will use the "pretérito perfecto simple" (past simple) tense of the verb "haber" (to have) and the past participle of the verb "correr" (to run).

For the verbs ending in -ir:

Example: We take the verb "añadir" (to add). We remove the "-ir": We are left with añad- (the stem) and then we add "-ido". In this way we have the past participle of the verb "añadir" (to add).

To conjugate the pretérito anterior (past perfect simple) of the verb "añadir" (to add) we will use the "pretérito perfecto simple" (past simple) tense of the verb "haber" (to have) and the past participle of the verb "añadir" (to add).

The differences between the persons "tú" (you), "vosotros" (you all), "usted" (you formal) and "ustedes" (you all formal) are explained in Spanish Personal Pronouns .

Some of the irregular verbs will be conjugated exactly in the same form, adding the same sets of endings; the only difference is that they will have some spelling changes in the stem of the verb. ***Remember*** Spanish Irregular verbs can be highly irregular and the general rule is "The rules do not apply".

SOME GENERAL USES

The "pretérito anterior" is falling in disuse nowadays and you will probably never hear this tense if you visit a Spanish speaking country. It has been practically substituted by the "pretérito pluscuamperfecto" (past perfect simple).

Example

The "pretérito anterior" is used to express a past action that happened immediately before another past action.

Example