The Italian Trapassato Prossimo describes “the past of other past actions”

If we have two or more actions in the past, the Trapassato Prossimo describes the oldest. We usually need the Trapassato Prossimo when there’s a change, a discontinuity in the past. We’ll see all the details with some examples and a quiz.

This is a very basic post for beginners. If your level is intermediate to advanced, please read this other lesson in Italian.

The Trapassato (Pluperfect in English) is the combination of the Imperfetto of essere or avere and the past participle, the Italian Participio Passato. See the table.

In most cases, the Trapassato Prossimo is used in combination with another past tense with or without a given time frame (e.g. ieri, la settimama scorsa, un’ora fa) with or without adverbs (mentre etc…). For example:

• Passato Prossimo Avevo studiato ma non ho superato gli esami universitari
• Imperfetto, Avevo studiato ma non superavo gli esami universitari
• Passato Remoto. Avevo studiato (ebbi studiato) ma non superai gli esami universitari

First I (had) studied, then I didn’t pass the test. The Trapassato Prossimo works fine with other past tenses, including the Passato Prossimo, Imperfetto, Passato Remoto or even another Trapassato Prossimo if the actions are clearly in the right sequence. If time references are absent, the Trapassato helps to give us an idea of what happened (or did not happen) in the first place.

With the Passato Remoto, third example, we can use the Trapassato Remoto (ebbi studiato), but it’s very rare in spoken Italian.

Look at the following sentences.

• Non sono mai stato a Sorrento.
• Non ero mai stato a Sorrento.

The meaning of these two sentences is totally different. In the first sentence I’ve never been to Sorrento. In the second I am saying that it was the first time for me in Sorrento, I “had never been” there before. So I was there eventually.

In other words, the other past event or circumstance is implied in the sentence.

• Non avevo mai incontrato Marco (but eventually I did).

Have a look at those examples. We clearly need the Trapassato Prossimo to emphasise the change.

• Ho chiesto al professore di ripetere perché non avevo capito.
• Ti avevo detto di non guidare la mia macchina.
• Era rimasto a casa per più di un mese.
• Luigi aveva paura perché non aveva mai preso l’aereo.
• Non avevamo mai visto un tramonto così intenso.

So, for example, Luigi was scared because he “had never taken” a plane before. It means that eventually he did.

Sometimes however, the Trapassato Prossimo is just a way to give more depth to a past event. In theory, we could omit it and use the Passato Prossimo or Remoto instead. For example:

• Ci eravamo divertiti tanto l’anno scorso in vacanza.
• Mi ricordo di Laura. L’avevo conosciuta ai tempi dell’università.
• Avevamo preso un taxi per tornare perché non c’erano più treni.
• Ti ricordi dove avevi comprato il tuo telefono?
• Ha preso una multa perché era passato con il rosso.

For example, in the last sentence the use of the trapassato prossimo is correct because he first ignored the red lights and then he got a ticket. However, the sequence of the events is so clear that a simple Passato Prossimo would be enough clear.

• Ha preso una multa perché è passato con il rosso.

Please try the quiz.