já tinha

had already

→ já

phrase Common #3,455

had already Used to say something had already happened before another past action. It is formed with já + tinha, usually followed by a past participle, like já tinha saído or já tinha visto.

PO: Quando cheguei, ela já tinha comido.

EN: When I arrived, she had already eaten.

Quando cheguei, ele já tinha desaparecido.

When I arrived, he had already disappeared.

— Agente Zeta (2026)

Eu sabia que já tinha te visto!

I knew I'd seen you before!

— Família de Aluguel (2025)

Sabia que já tinha te visto em algum lugar.

I knew I’d seen you somewhere before.

Antes que o alarme fosse desligado, todo mundo já tinha acordado.

Before the alarm was turned off, everyone was already awake.

Mesmo jovem, ela já tinha publicado dois livros.

Even at a young age, she had already published two books.

Já tinha estudado.

I had already studied.

— Tropa de Elite (2007)

Tom me disse que Mary já tinha comido.

Tom told me that Mary had already eaten.

Alguém já tinha lhe dito sobre esses buracos antes?

Had anyone told you about these holes before?

— Rebecca, A Mulher Inesquecível (1940)

Que jeito, se já tinha puxado o gatilho?

How, if he had already pulled the trigger?

— O Auto da Compadecida (2000)

Ele já tinha trabalhado nessa empresa antes.

He had worked at that company before.

Eu achava que Tom já tinha falado com Mary sobre isso.

I thought Tom had already spoken to Mary about it.

A chuva já tinha parado quando chegamos.

The rain had already stopped when we arrived.

Já tinha passado da hora de colocar alguém no meu lugar.

It was long past time to put someone in my place.

— Tropa de Elite (2007)

Mas talvez ele já tinha fugido.

But perhaps he had already escaped.

— As Aventuras de Paddington 2 (2017)

Quando voltei, o gato já tinha fugido.

When I returned, the cat had already run away.

Já tinha tomado esse?

Had you already taken this?

— Que Horas Ela Volta? (2015)

E Félix já tinha tirado meu nome do caso.

And Felix had already removed my name from the case.

— Um Contratempo (2017)

Ele já tinha partido.

He had already left.

Ela já tinha comprado os ingressos para o show.

She had already bought the tickets for the show.

Se eu quisesse já tinha mandado.

If I wanted to, I would have sent it already.

— O Auto da Compadecida (2000)

Quando cheguei ao ponto de ônibus, o ônibus já tinha partido.

When I arrived at the bus stop, the bus had already left.

Quando eu cheguei, todo mundo já tinha partido.

When I arrived, everyone had already left.