Pluperfect: Tinha + Past Participle
The pluperfect expresses an action completed before another past action. EP uses tinha + past participle in speech and the synthetic form (falara) in formal writing.
PortuStories Editorial
European Portuguese Grammar Guide
The pluperfect (mais-que-perfeito) describes the "past of the past" — an event already completed before another past event. In spoken EP, use the imperfect of ter + past participle.
Quando cheguei, ela já tinha saído.
When I arrived, she had already left.
Ele disse que tinha comido antes de vir.
He said he had eaten before coming.
| Form | Spoken/Informal | Formal/Written |
|---|---|---|
| eu | tinha falado | falara |
| tu | tinhas falado | falaras |
| ele/ela | tinha falado | falara |
| nós | tínhamos falado | faláramos |
| eles | tinham falado | falaram |
The formal synthetic pluperfect (falara) appears in literary and journalistic writing. In speech, always use tinha + participle.
From a PortuStories Story
Quando a polícia chegou, os ladrões já tinham fugido.
By the time the police arrived, the thieves had already fled.