Italian Grammar Bank
ITALIAN PAST PERFECT
The trapassato prossimo is a verbal form indicating the completeness or temporal anteriority of an event with respect to a past moment.
In this lesson, we will explore how to use the trapassato prossimo to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past.
INTRODUCTION
The trapassato prossimo is used when you want to talk about an action that occurred before another action in the past.
It’s like saying, “I had done this before that happened.”
You might use it when telling a story or explaining something that happened earlier in the past compared to something else.
In English, the trapassato prossimo can be translated to the past perfect, such as in “I had eaten,” “She had left,” or “They had arrived.”
| Avevo mangiato | I had eaten |
| Lui aveva finito | He had finished |
| Noi eravamo andati | We had gone |
Notice how the action in the Italian past perfect happens first, and another past action follows it.
This is the essence of this tense.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
The trapassato prossimo is formed using two elements:
➡️ An auxiliary verb: avere or essere (either one, depending on the main verb).
➡️ The past participle of the verb.
Let’s see how it’s done:
- Avere or essere is conjugated in the imperfetto (imperfect).
- The past participle of the main verb is used, which you have likely seen before.
CONJUGATION OF AVERE & ESSERE
First, let’s review the conjugation of avere and essere in the imperfetto since they are essential in forming the trapassato prossimo.
| Avere (to have) | Essere (to be) |
|---|---|
| io avevo | io ero |
| tu avevi | tu eri |
| lui/lei/Lei aveva | lui/lei/Lei era |
| noi avevamo | noi eravamo |
| voi avevate | voi eravate |
| loro avevano | loro erano |
The conjugation of the auxiliary verbs is crucial because it tells you who is performing the action and when it happened.
PATTERN
Subject + conjugated auxiliary verb (imperfect) + past participle of the main verb
WHEN TO USE AVERE & ESSERE
- Most verbs use avere (to have) as the auxiliary verb.
- Essere (to be) is used with certain verbs, mainly verbs of motion (like andare – to go, venire – to come), reflexive verbs (like svegliarsi – to wake up), and certain intransitive verbs.
Let’s take a look at how this works with examples.
Example 1: Using Avere (To Have)
| Io avevo già mangiato. | I had already eaten. |
| Tu avevi studiato quando sono arrivato. | You had studied when I arrived. |
View More Examples:
| Loro avevano finito il compito. | They had finished the homework. |
| Noi avevamo visto il film. | We had seen the movie. |
| Lei aveva comprato il biglietto. | She had bought the ticket. |
In these examples, the trapassato prossimo (had eaten, had studied, etc.) describes actions that happened before something else in the past (like arriving, finishing the homework, etc.).
Example 2: Using Essere (To Be)
| Io ero già partito quando lui è arrivato. | I had already left when he arrived. |
| Tu eri andato via prima che io chiamassi. | You had gone before I called. |
View More Examples:
| Loro erano arrivati troppo tardi. | They had arrived too late. |
| Noi eravamo già usciti quando è cominciato a piovere. | We had already left when it started to rain. |
| Lei era già tornata a casa quando mi ha chiamato. | She had already returned home when she called me. |
When we use essere as the auxiliary verb, we must remember that the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
Example 3: Talking About an Action Before Another Action
| Avevo visto quel film prima di leggere il libro. | I had seen that movie before reading the book. |
| Lui aveva già finito il libro quando sono arrivato. | He had already finished the book when I arrived. |
View More Examples:
| Noi avevamo preparato la cena prima che arrivassero gli ospiti. | We had prepared dinner before the guests arrived. |
| Tu avevi visitato Roma prima del viaggio in Toscana. | You had visited Rome before the trip to Tuscany. |
| Loro avevano deciso di partire prima che arrivasse la pioggia. | They had decided to leave before the rain came. |
These sentences show how the trapassato prossimo is used to talk about one action that was completed before another action in the past.
Example 4: Talking About a Past Event in Relation to Another Past Event
| Avevo già fatto la spesa quando tu sei arrivato. | I had already done the shopping when you arrived. |
| Loro avevano costruito la casa prima che io nascessi. | They had built the house before I was born. |
View More Examples:
| Non avevamo mai visto un film così bello prima. | We had never seen such a beautiful movie before. |
| Era tardi quando avevo finito di lavorare. | It was late when I had finished working. |
| Avevano viaggiato molto prima di trasferirsi. | They had traveled a lot before moving. |
These examples show actions that took place before other past actions, often with specific time markers like prima (before), quando (when), etc.
KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The trapassato prossimo is used to describe actions that occurred before another action in the past.
- Avere is used with most verbs, while essere is used with some specific verbs, especially verbs of motion, reflexive verbs, and some intransitive verbs.
- When using essere, remember that the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
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FAQs
What is the Italian Past Perfect?
The Trapassato Prossimo is a past tense used to describe an action that occurred before another past event.
It is the equivalent of the past perfect in English (e.g., “I had eaten”).
How is the Trapassato Prossimo formed?
It is formed using the imperfect tense of essere or avere (e.g., ero / avevo) followed by the past participle of the main verb (e.g., ero andato – I had gone, avevo mangiato – I had eaten).
When should I use essere or avere in the Trapassato Prossimo?
Use avere with transitive verbs (ho mangiato → avevo mangiato) and essere with intransitive verbs or verbs of movement/state (sono andato → ero andato).
What is the difference between Trapassato Prossimo and Passato Prossimo?
The Passato Prossimo describes a completed past action, while the Trapassato Prossimo refers to an action that happened before another past event (e.g., Quando sono arrivato, lei era già uscita – When I arrived, she had already left).
Can I use time expressions with Trapassato Prossimo?
Yes, common time expressions include già (already), ancora (yet), mai (ever), appena (just), and phrases like prima di (before) to indicate the sequence of events.
Can I learn Italian with LTL?
Yes!
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