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The pluperfect
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By Bieneke Berendsen

The pluperfect works in the precise same way as the present perfect, but this time, we use the simple past tense of the verbs hebben or zijn before the past participle.

ik had/was + pp we hadden/waren + pp
je had/was + pp jullie hadden/waren + pp
hij had/was + pp ze hadden/waren + pp
  • praten (to talk) and luisteren (to listen)
praten stem: praat luisteren stem: luister
ik had gepraat ik had geluisterd
je had gepraat je had geluisterd
hij had gepraat hij had geluisterd
we hadden gepraat we hadden geluisterd
jullie hadden gepraat jullie hadden geluisterd
ze hadden gepraat ze hadden geluisterd
  • vallen (to fall) and betalen (to pay)
vallen* stem: val betalen stem: betaal
ik was gevallen ik had betaald
je was gevallen je had betaald
hij was gevallen hij had betaald
we waren gevallen we hadden betaald
jullie waren gevallen jullie hadden betaald
ze waren gevallen ze hadden betaald

For the past participle of the strong verb 'vallen', we use zijn.

A very useful web site is web linkwww.verbix.com. It conjugates Dutch verbs for you in all eight tenses.

Note that the examples above give you the unstressed personal pronouns. Some pronouns change when they are stressed in a phrase: je/jij, we/wij, ze/zij (both singular and plural).


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Last updated on January 10, 2009 ::