The Trapassato Prossimo (Pluperfect)
When telling a story in the past, you often need to refer to an event that happened even earlier. In English, we use the pluperfect tense (e.g., "I had finished my work before she arrived"). In Italian, this is called the trapassato prossimo.
Form it by combining the imperfect tense (l'imperfetto) of avere or essere with the past participle of the main verb.
| Subject | Avere (Imperfect) | Essere (Imperfect) |
|---|---|---|
| io | avevo | ero |
| tu | avevi | eri |
| lui / lei | aveva | era |
| noi | avevamo | eravamo |
| voi | avevate | eravate |
| loro | avevano | erano |
Setting up the Shot (Using Avere)
Most verbs take avere as their auxiliary. The trapassato prossimo is perfect for describing preparations made before taking a photograph.
| I had left the camera on the tripod. | Avevo lasciato la fotocamera sul treppiede. |
The pluperfect establishes a clear sequence of events in the past:
| Since I had prepared the camera, I was ready. | Siccome avevo preparato la fotocamera, ero pronto. |
| I had adjusted the flash before the party. | Avevo regolato il flash prima della festa. |
Reflexive Verbs and Agreement (Using Essere)
Verbs of movement, states of being, and all reflexive verbs take essere as their auxiliary, just like in the passato prossimo. When using essere, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject (ending in -o, -a, -i, or -e).
| The subject had turned around suddenly. | Il soggetto si era voltato improvvisamente. |
Explaining Past Outcomes
Use the trapassato prossimo to explain why something else happened in the past. A sharp (nitido) or blurry (sfocato) portrait is often the result of what the photographer had (or hadn't) done moments before.
| I didn't use the tripod because I hadn't set it up. | Non ho usato il treppiede perché non l'avevo montato. |
| I hadn't pressed the button properly, so the flash didn't work. | Non avevo premuto bene il pulsante, perciò il flash non ha funzionato. |
| I had taken the photo, but the subject was blurry. | Avevo scattato la foto, ma il soggetto era sfocato. |
| The portrait was sharp because I had used the tripod. | Il ritratto era nitido perché avevo usato il treppiede. |