Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vi hade köpt biljetter innan filmen började. - We had bought tickets before the movie started.

It’s the pluperfect (Swedish: pluskvamperfekt). You form it with hade + the verb’s supine (here: köpt). It places one past event as completed before another past reference point (here, before the time when the movie started).

Why is it köpt and not köpte?

Because hade must be followed by the supine form, köpt. The simple past (preterite) of the verb is köpte. Paradigm: köpa – köper – köpte – köpt.

Can I just say Vi köpte biljetter innan filmen började? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, that sentence is also correct and very natural. Innan already establishes the time order. Using the pluperfect (hade köpt) adds extra clarity or emphasis that the buying was completed before the reference past event, but the basic meaning is the same.

Why use innan instead of före here?

Use innan before a clause (something with a verb), like innan filmen började. Före is a preposition and goes before a noun/pronoun: före filmen, före mig. You can say före det att filmen började, but it’s bulky; standard Swedish prefers innan with clauses.

What’s the difference between innan and förrän?

Förrän is used after a negation or in a negative-like question and corresponds to “until.” Example: Vi köpte inte biljetter förrän filmen började = “We didn’t buy tickets until the movie started.” Without negation, use innan.

Why is filmen definite while biljetter is indefinite plural?

filmen (“the movie”) is definite because it’s a specific, known movie in the situation.
biljetter is indefinite plural (“tickets” in general). Swedish has no article in the indefinite plural.
If you’re talking about specific, already-identified tickets, you’d use the definite plural: biljetterna.

Could I say Vi hade köpt biljetterna innan filmen började? When would I choose that?

Yes. Use biljetterna when both speakers can identify which tickets you mean (e.g., “the tickets for that showing,” “the ones we discussed earlier”). Biljetter is just “some tickets,” without that built-in specificity.

Is biljett an ett-word because it ends in “...ett”?

No. Biljett is a common-gender noun: en biljett. Plural: biljetter. Definite plural: biljetterna. The letters “ett” at the end of the stem are unrelated to the neuter article ett.

What’s going on with word order? Why is hade second, but in the innan-clause the verb isn’t second?

Main clause V2: the finite verb must be in second position: Vi (1) hade (2) köpt …
Subordinate clauses (like those introduced by innan) use subject–(sentence adverb)–verb order: filmen började. If you add a sentence adverb, it typically comes before the finite verb: innan filmen faktiskt började. With negation, structure would be innan filmen inte hade börjat, though that meaning is awkward; for “not until,” you’d use förrän.

If I put the innan-clause first, what changes? Do I need a comma?

The following main clause still obeys V2, so the finite verb comes before the subject: Innan filmen började, hade vi köpt biljetter. A comma after a fronted subordinate clause is optional but common in Swedish; many writers include it.

Can I say innan filmen hade börjat instead of innan filmen började?

Yes. Both are grammatical. Swedish often prefers simple past in innan-clauses because innan already signals anteriority. Hade börjat can sound heavier or add emphasis to the completion of the starting event.

Where does inte go if I want to negate the main clause?

In the main clause, sentence adverbs like inte go after the finite verb and before the main verb: Vi hade inte köpt biljetter innan filmen började.
To express “not until,” switch to förrän: Vi köpte inte biljetter förrän filmen började.

Pronunciation tips for tricky parts like köpt, biljetter, and började?

köpt: k before front vowels (like ö) is the “soft k,” a sh-like sound; pronounce it roughly like “sh” + rounded vowel: [ɕøpt]. Both p and t are audible.
biljetter: lj is pronounced Stress on the second syllable: bil-JET-ter.
började: rounded ö vowel; [ˈbœr-jɑ-de] (regional variation exists). Stress on the first syllable: BÖR-ja-de.

Why is it började and not börjat?

Började is the simple past of börja, used here because the innan-clause sets the past reference event (“the movie started”). Börjat is the supine and would need har/hade: filmen hade börjat.

Could I use startade instead of började?

You could, but började is the idiomatic choice for events like films, meetings, and concerts. Startade is more mechanical/technical (machines, processes), though you will hear it informally.

What is the “supine” in Swedish, and how is it different from a past participle?

The supine is the verb form used with har/hade to build perfect tenses (e.g., har/hade köpt, har/hade skrivit). For many weak verbs, the supine looks the same as the (neuter) past participle, but they serve different functions:

Supine: only for perfect tenses with har/hade.
Past participle: used adjectivally and in passive (e.g., en köpt vara, brevet är skrivet).
For strong verbs they differ: skrivit (supine) vs skriven/skrivet/skrivna (participle).