Pretérito mais-que-perfeito
I just started learning Portuguese a couple of weeks ago but I've come across the pretérito mais-que-perfeito and am unsure of the role it plays in the language. I think I understand when to use it but I've read that it's rarely used these days. An example I've found is
"Ontem ele destruiu o carro que comprara antes"
If the use of "comprara" is rare, how else could you construct this sentence using a differnt verb conjugation?
I've also started readin a Conn Iggulden book that uses it a lot. The stories are set in the past but is the pretérito mais-que-perfeito limited to literature or is it used in spoken Portuguese too?
Thanks is advance!
(I don't speak Portuguese well yet so an answer in English would be most helpful!!)
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Corrections · 10
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"comprara is rare, it's the simple form of the verb in the mais-que-perfeito, but there is a common form with an auxiliary: ter (more common) or haver (conjugated) + past participle:
Ontem ele destruiu o carro que ele havia/tinha comprado antes.
In English it would be: he destroyed the car that HE HAD BOUGHT before.
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I just started learning Portuguese a couple of weeks ago but I've come across the pretérito mais-que-perfeito and am unsure of the role it plays in the language. I think I understand when to use it but I've read that it's rarely used these days. An example I've found is "Ontem ele destruiu o carro que comprara antes" If the use of "comprara" is rare, how else could you construct this sentence using a differnt verb conjugation? I've also started readin a Conn Iggulden book that uses it a lot. The stories are set in the past but is the pretérito mais-que-perfeito limited to literature or is it used in spoken Portuguese too? Thanks is advance! (I don't speak Portuguese well yet so an answer in English would be most helpful!!)
We do not use preterito mais que perfeito in spoken Portuguese. Your phrase would be spoken like "Ontem ele destruiu o carro que havia comprado antes". Cheers!
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Wow! Thanks for taking the time to write such an in-depth response! I think I've got it now :)
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The "pretérito mais que perfeito" should be applyed just in two situations:
1) When a past action occur before other past action, meaning an action prior to another past one.
E.G: Quando o noivo apareceu, a noiva chegará na igreja.
"When the groom appeared, the bride already had arrived at the church.
Quando ela chegou, eu já fizerá o trabalho .
"When she arrived, I already had concluded the job"
Notice that, such as you said and other colleagues, it is a really formal way to express yourself in portuguese, and for because of that, this kind of conjugation is basically finded in classic literature.
It is more usual, both in writting and speaking the usage of "pretérito mais que perfeito composto". In this kind of sentence you substitute the verb for two other ones, the first is the auxiliary verb "TER" or "HAVER", this second some intelectuals might say that is more informal, but actually we do not make any distinction between them, and the the other verb in the PRETÉRITO PERFEITO form, which is considered easier to pronunciate.
E.G : Quando o noivo apareceu, a noiva já tinha/havia chegado na igreja.
"When the groom appeared, the bride already had arrived at the church.
Quando ela chegou, eu ja tinha / havia feito o trabalho
"When she arrived, I already had concluded the job"
2) To denote an action / situation that vaguely occurred in the past, without being related to other past action in this scenario.
E.g: "Nascera naquela cidade, em familia distinta, e seus primeiros anos vivera-os sem amor.
He had been born in that city, in a distinct family, and in his early years he had lived without knowing what love was.
I'm not a portuguese professor, but that is what I remember from junior high and also, i have researched in this page, which is very cool when you being better in portuguese: http://www.migalhas.com.br/Gramatigalhas/10,MI128638,31047-Preterito+maisqueperfeito Sorry for my mistakes in english grammar also. Hope I had helped
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The "pretérito mais que perfeito" should be applyed just in two situations:
1) When a past action occur before other past action, meaning an action prior to another past one.
E.G: Quando o noivo apareceu, a noiva chegará na igreja.
"When the groom appeared, the bride already had arrived at the church.
Quando ela chegou, eu já fizerá o trabalho .
"When she arrived, I already had concluded the job"
Notice that, such as you said and other colleagues, it is a really formal way to express yourself in portuguese, and for because of that, this kind of conjugation is basically finded in classic literature.
It is more usual, both in writting and speaking the usage of "pretérito mais que perfeito composto". In this kind of sentence you substitute the verb for two other ones, the first is the auxiliary verb "TER" or "HAVER", this second some intelectuals might say that is more informal, but actually we do not make any distinction between them, and the the other verb in the PRETÉRITO PERFEITO form, which is considered easier to pronunciate.
E.G : Quando o noivo apareceu, a noiva já tinha/havia chegado na igreja.
"When the groom appeared, the bride already had arrived at the church.
Quando ela chegou, eu ja tinha / havia feito o trabalho
"When she arrived, I already had concluded the job"
2) To denote an action / situation that vaguely occurred in the past, without being related to other past action in this scenario.
E.g: "Nascera naquela cidade, em familia distinta, e seus primeiros anos vivera-os sem amor.
He had been born in that city, in a distinct family, and in his early years he had lived without knowing what love was.
I'm not a portuguese professor, but that is what I remember from junior high and also, i have researched in this page, which is very cool when you being better in portuguese: http://www.migalhas.com.br/Gramatigalhas/10,MI128638,31047-Preterito+maisqueperfeito Sorry for my mistakes in english grammar also. Hope I had helped
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