Reference

Done before something else

Like "I had eaten": the same -nud word, with "to be" in the past.

What it is for

Something that was over before something else happened
- Näkku oli tekkinud uus vistrik.
  A new pimple had appeared on my face.
- Kohale olid tulnud tähtsad vaimulikud isandad.
  Important clergymen had arrived.
Common in stories, and when you retell what someone said

Practice these in the app, on words you are learning, with every answer marked. Sign in, it’s free

Nikolai oli läinud hommikul metsa seenele ja polnud õhtuks tagasi jõudnud.
Nikolai had gone mushroom picking in the forest in the morning and hadn't returned by evening.
Politsei oli saanud mitu vihjet võimalike süüdlaste kohta.
The police had received several tips regarding the possible culprits.

Uses exactly the same -nud word as "have done"

Risuhunnik oli nõgestesse kasvanud.
The pile of brushwood had become overgrown with nettles.
Riigi elanike arv on kasvanud.
The country's population has grown.

Watch out

Only "to be" goes into the past. The -nud word stays exactly as it was, and trying to put it in the past as well is the classic slip.

2 units

Participles and compound tensesB1Use the perfect and pluperfect, and describe things with participles.
HistoryB2Tell the story of past events and explain why they mattered.