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Past Perfect (Pluperfect)
A2·ElementaryLearn to describe actions completed before another past event
Lesson Overview
15 exercises · Level 3
Grammar Explanation
Past Perfect (Pluperfect) in Farsi
The past perfect describes actions that had been completed before another past event. "I had already eaten when he arrived."
Formation
past participle + past tense of boodan
Past Tense of Boodan (to be)
| Pronoun | Phonetic | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| man | boodam | I was |
| to | boodi | You were |
| oo | bood | He/She was |
| ma | boodim | We were |
| shoma | boodid | You were (formal) |
| oonaa | boodand | They were |
Full Example: raftan (to go)
| Pronoun | Phonetic | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| man | rafte boodam | I had gone |
| to | rafte boodi | You had gone |
| oo | rafte bood | He/She had gone |
| ma | rafte boodim | We had gone |
| shoma | rafte boodid | You had gone (formal) |
| oonaa | rafte boodand | They had gone |
More Examples
| Phonetic | Translation |
|---|---|
| khorde boodam | I had eaten |
| dide bood | He/She had seen |
| neveshte boodim | We had written |
When to Use
Use past perfect for events that happened before another past event:
ghazaa ro khorde boodam ke oo oomad → I had eaten when he/she arrived
ghabl az inke beri, man rafte boodam → Before you went, I had (already) gone
Negative
narafte boodam → I had not gone nakhorde bood → He/She had not eaten
Past Perfect vs Present Perfect
rafte-am → I have gone (relevant now) rafte boodam → I had gone (before another past event)