Past Perfect (Pluperfect)

The past perfect (pluperfect) is formed by combining the verb's past tense II stem (past participle) with idem, ideñ, ide, etc.

min yazğan idem

sin yazğan ideñ

ul yazğan ide

bez yazğan idek

sez yazğan idegez

alar yazğan ide(lər)

min kitkən idem

sin kitkən ideñ

ul kitkən ide

bez kitkən idek

sez kitkən idegez

alar kitkən ide(lər)

⏳ The past perfect (pluperfect) denotes:

🕐 A past action that preceded another past action and was completed before the latter occurred. The two (or more) actions may be expressed in one sentence, or each action may be conveyed in a separate sentence. The verb designating the second action may appear in a variety of forms.

Bez awılğa kergəndə qoyaş batqan ide inde. (Mirsəy Əmir, "Ağidel") 

The sun had already set when we were entering the village.

💡 Instead of following the verb designating the second action as it does in the above examples, the verb in the past perfect tense may precede it, either in the same sentence or context. In this case, the action expressed by the verb in the latter part of the sentence or in the following sentence often interrupts the action expressed by the verb in the past perfect tense or contradicts the action.

Wasil aña bulğan xəlne söyləp birü öçen awızın ğına açqan ide. Nikitin anı şunda uq bülderde. (Söbbux Rafikov, "Tın yılğa buyında")

Wasil had just opened his mouth to tell him what happened. Nikitin interrupted him right there.

🕐 An action performed at some point in past time or the result of a past action or the state resulting from a past action.

Alarnıñ söylise süzləre küptən söyləngən, əytergə teləgənnəre küptən əytelgən ide inde. (Ğaziz Müxəmmətşin, "Yörəktəge ezlər")

The words they had had to say had been said already long ago; what they had wanted to tell had been told already long ago.

🕐 A past action that is in close connection with the moment of speaking. In this case, the past perfect may be replaced by the form ending in -dı, -de, -tı, -te.

- Monda başlıqlar barmı soñ? Miña berniçə kön şuşında yəşəp torırsız dip əytkənnər ide.

- Bar. Beatrisa tütəy. Yortlar idarəsenə kitkən ide. Xəzer qaytır. (Ğaziz Möxəmmətşin, "Yörəktəge ezlər")

- Are there any bosses here? I have been told that I would stay here for a couple of days.

- There is one. Aunt Beatrice. She has gone to the housing administration. She’ll return any moment.