Past Perfect
Pluskvamperfektum
Formed with 'hadde' + past participle. Used for actions completed before another past action: 'Jeg hadde spist før hun kom' (I had eaten before she came). Essential for narrating sequences of past events.
Rule
hadde + past participle
Examples
Jeg hadde allerede spist da hun kom.
I had already eaten when she came.
De hadde bodd der i ti år.
They had lived there for ten years.
Hun hadde aldri sett snø før.
She had never seen snow before.
Common Mistake
Jeg har spist da hun kom.
Jeg hadde spist da hun kom.
Use 'hadde' (not 'har') for past perfect. 'Har' is present perfect (still relevant now), 'hadde' is past perfect (before another past event).
English vs Norwegian
| English | Norsk |
|---|---|
| I had already eaten when she came. | Jeg hadde allerede spist da hun kom. |
| They had lived there for ten years. | De hadde bodd der i ti år. |
| She had never seen snow before. | Hun hadde aldri sett snø før. |
English
I had already eaten when she came.
Norsk
Jeg hadde allerede spist da hun kom.
English
They had lived there for ten years.
Norsk
De hadde bodd der i ti år.
English
She had never seen snow before.
Norsk
Hun hadde aldri sett snø før.