Past perfect
ያለፈ ፍጹም ጊዜ (past perfect)
I had worked. The past before the past: an action that happened before another action or time in the past.
The form
had + past participle, the same for every person: I had left, she had left, they had left. The short form is 'd: I'd left. Amharic often shows this with ሄዶ ነበር: When I arrived, she had left = ስደርስ ሄዳ ነበር.
In Amharic
had + past participle፣ ለሁሉም ሰው አንድ ነው፦ I had left, she had left, they had left። አጭሩ ቅርጽ 'd ነው፦ I'd left። አማርኛ ይህን ብዙ ጊዜ በ"ሄዶ ነበር" ያሳያል፦ When I arrived, she had left = ስደርስ ሄዳ ነበር።
| All persons | |
|---|---|
| + | I / she / they had (’d) finished. |
| − | I / she / they hadn't finished. |
| ? | Had you / she / they finished? |
| short answers | Yes, I had. / No, I hadn't. |
- 'd can be had or would: I'd gone (had) / I'd go (would). The verb after it tells you which.
- When we got to the store, it had closed.
- I had never seen snow before I moved to Denver.
- She was nervous because she hadn't driven on the freeway before.
- Had you met him before the interview?
When to use it
On a timeline there are two past points: the past perfect is the earlier one, the past simple is the later one. I arrived at the station at 8:05. The train had left at 8:00. Use it when you are already telling a story in the past and need to go further back. If the order is already clear from before / after, the past simple is also fine: The train left before I arrived.
In Amharic
በጊዜ መስመር ላይ ሁለት ያለፉ ነጥቦች አሉ፦ ያለፈ ፍጹም ቀደም ያለው፣ ያለፈ ቀላል የኋለኛው ነው። I arrived at the station at 8:05። The train had left at 8:00። ቀድሞውኑ ስለ ያለፈ ታሪክ እየተናገሩ ሳለ ወደ ኋላ መሄድ ሲያስፈልግዎ ይጠቀሙበት። ቅደም ተከተሉ በ before / after ግልጽ ከሆነ ያለፈ ቀላልም ይሠራል፦ The train left before I arrived።
| Earlier (past perfect) | Later (past simple) |
|---|---|
| The movie had started | when we got there. |
| I had already eaten, | so I didn't want lunch. |
| After she had saved enough money, | she bought a car. |
- Signal words: before, after, already, by the time, by then, when, never… before.
- It is also used in reported speech and the third conditional: She said she had lost it. If I had known, I would have called.
- By the time the ambulance came, the neighbour had already helped him.
- I didn't recognise her. She had changed so much.
- We had lived in Ethiopia for thirty years before we came here.
- He told me he had found a new job.
Past perfect or past simple?
The tense changes the meaning. When I got to the party, Selam left (I arrived, then she left; I saw her) / When I got to the party, Selam had left (she left first; I didn't see her). Don't use the past perfect just because something is long ago: I came to the US in 2010 (not I had come). Use it only when you need an 'earlier than' another past moment.
In Amharic
ጊዜው ትርጉሙን ይቀይራል። When I got to the party, Selam left (እኔ ደረስኩ፣ ከዚያ እሷ ሄደች፤ አይቻታለሁ) / When I got to the party, Selam had left (እሷ ቀድማ ሄደች፤ አላየኋትም)። አንድ ነገር ብዙ ጊዜ ስላለፈው ብቻ ያለፈ ፍጹምን አይጠቀሙ፦ I came to the US in 2010 (I had come አይደለም)። የሚጠቀሙበት ከሌላ ያለፈ ቅጽበት "በፊት" ማለት ሲያስፈልግ ብቻ ነው።
- One past event alone = past simple. Two past events, and you go back to the earlier one = past perfect.
- When I called, he answered. / When I called, he had gone to bed.
- I lost my keys yesterday. / I couldn't get in because I had lost my keys.
- She got married in 2015.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I came to the US in 2010. | One past event with a date: past simple, not past perfect. | |
| When I arrived, the bus had already left. | The earlier action needs the past perfect. | |
| She had gone home. | had + past participle: gone, not went. | |
| He had finished before I came. | Before a past moment: had, not has. | |
| I had never seen the ocean before. | never goes between had and the participle. |
Practice
Each answer is checked as you go, with the reason. Nothing here is saved.
When I got to the clinic, it ___.
She ___ (never / fly) before she came to America. (three words)
I wasn't hungry because I ___ lunch.
had + ___ (past participle of go)
“When I arrived, Dawit had left.” Did I see Dawit?
We ___ to Las Vegas in 2016.
By the time the police came, the thief ___ run away. (one word)
In “I'd seen it before”, 'd means:
She said she ___ her phone.
___ you ever driven in snow before you moved to Denver? (one word)