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Yo todavía no había visto ese descuento en el supermercado.

Yo todavía no había visto ese descuento en el supermercado.
I still hadn’t seen that discount at the supermarket.
FromLesson 16inHardcore Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of Yo todavía no había visto ese descuento en el supermercado.

yo
I
en
at
ese
that
todavía
still
no
not
el supermercado
the supermarket
haber visto
to have seen
el descuento
the discount

Questions & Answers about Yo todavía no había visto ese descuento en el supermercado.

Why is it había visto and not vi or he visto?

Because the past perfect (pluperfect) describes something that had not happened yet at a specific moment in the past. No había visto = I hadn’t seen (by then).

  • No vi = I didn’t see (a simple, completed past event).
  • In Spain, no he visto = I haven’t seen (up to now, often for a time period that includes the present, like today/this week).
Do I need the subject pronoun Yo?
No. Spanish usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Yo is used for emphasis or contrast: Yo hadn’t seen it (but maybe others had).
Where can I put todavía?

Common, natural placements:

  • Todavía no había visto ese descuento…
  • Yo todavía no había visto ese descuento…
  • Yo no había visto ese descuento todavía. All are fine. Todavía no (together) is very common and slightly emphasizes the “not yet” idea.
What’s the difference between todavía and aún? And what about aun without an accent?
  • Todavía and aún both mean “still/yet” and are interchangeable here: Yo aún no había visto…
  • Aun (without accent) usually means “even”: Aun con descuento, es caro.
How do todavía, ya, and ya no differ?
  • Todavía no = not yet: Todavía no había visto…
  • Ya = already: Ya había visto ese descuento.
  • Ya no = no longer/not anymore: Ya no había descuento (there was no longer a discount). Don’t use ya no to mean “not yet.”
Why does no come before había and not before visto?
In Spanish, the negator no goes before the conjugated verb. In compound tenses, it precedes haber: no había visto. You cannot split haber and the participle with no.
Does visto agree with descuento in gender or number?
No. With haber, the past participle is invariable: había visto (never vista/vistos/vistas). It only agrees when used adjectivally or in the passive with ser: una película vista, fueron vistas.
Why use haber and not tener for the perfect?
Perfect tenses are built with haber: había visto. Tener + participle exists in resultative uses with a direct object (e.g., Tengo hecho el trabajo), but it’s not the standard auxiliary for forming the past perfect of actions you’ve experienced.
What’s the infinitive behind visto, and is it irregular?
The infinitive is ver. Visto is an irregular past participle (not “veído”). Other common irregular participles include hecho (hacer), escrito (escribir), puesto (poner), vuelto (volver).
Why ese and not este or aquel?
  • Este = this (near the speaker; newly introduced).
  • Ese = that (near the listener or previously known/mentioned).
  • Aquel = that over there (more distant in space/time/discourse).
    Here ese points to a specific discount the listener likely knows about.
Should ese have an accent?
No. Modern spelling does not accent demonstratives (este, ese, aquel) whether they’re adjectives or pronouns, except in very rare, avoidable ambiguities.
Is descuento the best word here in Spain? What about oferta or rebajas?
  • Descuento = a reduction/percentage off (e.g., −30%).
  • Oferta = a special price or deal (e.g., 2×1, bundle).
  • Rebajas = the seasonal sales period (winter/summer).
    Use descuento if you mean a markdown/percentage; use oferta if it’s a promo deal.
Why en el supermercado and not al or del?
  • En (el) = in/at: location of where you saw it.
  • Al = to the (movement): Fui al supermercado.
  • Del = of/from the: el descuento del supermercado (= the supermarket’s discount). In your sentence you’re talking about where you saw it, so en el is correct.
Does en mean “in” or “at” here?
It can mean either, depending on context. With places like shops, en commonly covers both “in” and “at.” Here it’s naturally read as “at the supermarket.”
Can I shorten supermercado?
Yes. Colloquially in Spain: el súper. Example: Yo todavía no había visto ese descuento en el súper.
Can I replace ese descuento with a pronoun?
Yes. Use the direct object pronoun lo (not le, since it’s inanimate): Yo todavía no lo había visto. With compound tenses, the pronoun goes before haber.
Do I need an explicit past reference point for the past perfect?
Usually yes; context supplies it. Phrases like cuando…, para entonces, antes de anchor the past moment: Cuando llegué ayer, yo todavía no había visto ese descuento.
Could I say Nunca había visto ese descuento instead of Todavía no…?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

  • Todavía no = not yet (implies it might happen later).
  • Nunca = never (up to that past point, with no expectation implied).
    Word order with nunca: either Nunca había visto… (no extra no) or No había visto nunca… (negative doubling after the verb).
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