Dutch uses _had_ or _was_ plus a past participle for something that happened before another moment in the past: _Toen ik aankwam, was de trein al vertrokken_ (when I arrived, the train had already left). This is the past perfect, the past of the past. You will need it most with _toen_, _al_ and _nadat_.
The pattern
For an action that was already over at some moment in the past, use the simple past of _hebben_ or _zijn_ plus a past participle (the "done" form of a verb, like _gegeten_, eaten).
- The helper is _had_ (plural _hadden_) or _was_ (plural _waren_): _ik had gegeten_, _wij waren vertrokken_.
- Verbs that take _zijn_ in the perfect tense take _was_ or _waren_ here: _ik ben gegaan_ becomes _ik was gegaan_. The rest take _had_ or _hadden_ (see [choosing the helper verb](#/lesson/hebben-or-zijn)).
- In a main clause, _had_ or _was_ comes second and the participle goes to the end: _Ik had de soep al gegeten._
- In a subordinate clause (a side clause starting with a word like _nadat_ or _toen_), both verbs go to the end, in either order: _nadat ik had gegeten_ or _nadat ik gegeten had_.
Examples
| Toen ik op het station aankwam, was de trein al vertrokken. | When I arrived at the station, the train had already left. |
|---|---|
| Nadat Daan zijn fiets had gerepareerd, fietste hij naar zijn werk. | After Daan had repaired his bike, he cycled to work. |
| Priya had het formulier al ingevuld voordat ze naar de gemeente ging. | Priya had already filled in the form before she went to the town hall. |
| De huisarts vroeg of ik al eerder last van mijn rug had gehad. | The GP asked whether I had had back problems before. |
| Joris was nog nooit in Groningen geweest voordat hij daar ging studeren. | Joris had never been to Groningen before he went to study there. |
| Het had de hele nacht geregend, dus de fietspaden waren nat. | It had rained all night, so the cycle paths were wet. |
| Toen Mei binnenkwam, begon de film. | When Mei came in, the film started. |
| Toen Mei binnenkwam, was de film al begonnen. | When Mei came in, the film had already started. |
Why it works this way
Picture a story in the simple past: _Ik kwam thuis, zette thee en ging zitten._ Each verb moves the clock forward, and that simple past is the "now" of your story. The past perfect is a flashback to something that was already finished by then.
The last two examples show the difference. With _begon_, the film starts as Mei walks in. With _was begonnen_, it started before she arrived, and she has missed the opening. If you simply tell events in the order they happened, the simple past is enough. You only need _had_ or _was_ when you step back.
This also explains _nadat_ (after). English happily says "after I ate, I left", because "after" already shows the order. Dutch _nadat_ wants a finished action, so when the main clause is in the past, the _nadat_ clause is usually in the past perfect: _Nadat ik had gegeten, ging ik weg._ More in [the lesson on time words](#/lesson/time-conjunctions).
German speakers are in luck: "hatte gegessen" and "war gegangen" work the same way. English and Spanish use one helper for every verb, so the choice between _had_ and _was_ is where most slips happen.
The same form also appears in unreal sentences such as _Als ik het had geweten_ (if I had known). That use has [its own lesson](#/lesson/unreal-past).
Remember: the simple past tells the story, and _had_ or _was_ opens a flashback. If "already, by then" fits your meaning, you probably need them.
Watch out
- Not: _Toen we bij de halte kwamen, had de bus al vertrokken._ Say: _Toen we bij de halte kwamen, was de bus al vertrokken._ (_vertrekken_ takes _zijn_, so it takes _was_ here)
- Not: _Nadat Fatima had betaald, ze pakte haar boodschappen in._ Say: _Nadat Fatima had betaald, pakte ze haar boodschappen in._ (after a subordinate clause, the verb comes straight after the comma)
- Not: _Nadat ik had de afwas gedaan, ging ik zitten._ Say: _Nadat ik de afwas had gedaan, ging ik zitten._ (in a subordinate clause, _had_ joins the participle at the end)
- Not: _Mei had gekocht een cadeau voor Yara._ Say: _Mei had een cadeau voor Yara gekocht._ (the participle closes the main clause)
Quick check
- Fill in _had_, _hadden_, _was_ or _waren_: _Toen Lotte eindelijk terugkwam met de taart, ... haar gasten al naar huis gegaan._
- Fill in _had_, _hadden_, _was_ or _waren_: _Nadat Bas alle e-mails ... beantwoord, ging hij naar huis._
- Fix the sentence by moving one word: _Toen Carlos aankwam, het feest was al begonnen._
- Fix the sentence by changing one word: _Emma had al naar bed gegaan toen haar telefoon ging._
Answers
- _waren_: _gaan_ takes _zijn_, and _haar gasten_ is plural.
- _had_: _beantwoorden_ takes _hebben_, and _Bas_ is one person.
- _Toen Carlos aankwam, was het feest al begonnen._ The verb comes straight after the _toen_ clause.
- _Emma was al naar bed gegaan toen haar telefoon ging._ _Gaan_ takes _zijn_, so _had gegaan_ is wrong.
Use it today
Tell a colleague or neighbour about a time you were too late for something, using _toen_ plus _had_ or _was_. For example: _Toen ik bij de bakker kwam, hadden ze de laatste croissant al verkocht._