Pluperfect for the 2nd and 3rd Conjugations
You already know that the pluperfect tense uses the suffixes -sem, -seși, -se, -serăm, -serăți, -seră. While 1st and 4th conjugation verbs attach these directly to the infinitive, 2nd conjugation verbs (ending in -ea) and 3rd conjugation verbs (ending in -e) attach them to the stem of their past participle.
Here are the two patterns you will see:
- Past participles ending in "-ut": Drop the -t (leaving a stem like văzu- or pierdu-) and attach the suffixes directly.
- Past participles ending in "-s": Use the whole participle as your stem (like înțeles- or ajuns-) and insert the linking vowel -e- before adding the suffixes.
| Pronoun | a vedea (past part. văzut) | a înțelege (past part. înțeles) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | văzusem | înțelesesem |
| tu | văzuseși | înțeleseseși |
| el / ea | văzuse | înțelesese |
| noi | văzuserăm | înțeleseserăm |
| voi | văzuserăți | înțeleseserăți |
| ei / ele | văzuseră | înțeleseseră |
Let's see the first pattern in action with verbs like a cădea (to fall), a vedea (to see), and a pierde (to lose).
| The mountaineer had fallen into the abyss, but nobody had seen him. | Alpinistul căzuse în prăpastie, dar nimeni nu-l văzuse. |
| The ice had appeared, so we had lost the trail. | Gheața apăruse, așa că pierdusem poteca. |
Now, let's look at the second pattern. Notice the extra -e- linking the stem to the pluperfect suffix in verbs like a înțelege (to understand), a ajunge (to reach), and a distruge (to destroy).
| The mountaineer had understood the danger of the expedition. | Alpinistul înțelesese pericolul expediției. |
| They had reached the cabin at that altitude. | Ei ajunseseră la cabană la acea altitudine. |
| The avalanche had destroyed the tent, so the equipment had frozen. | Avalanșa distrusese cortul, așa că echipamentul înghețase. |
As always, the pluperfect works seamlessly with other past tenses to sequence your stories, clarifying exactly what had already happened before the next action occurred.
| The mountaineer had seen the peak, but he slipped on the ice. | Alpinistul văzuse vârful, dar a alunecat pe gheață. |