Is there a difference in meaning between the pluscuamperfecto and the antepreterito?

Question

Is there a difference in meaning between the pluscuamperfecto and the antepreterito?

Answer 1

Pretérito pluscuamperfecto (antecopretérito): Yo había cantado

We use it to express an action completed in the past before other finished events:

Juan se había ido cuando le llamé (Juan had left when I called him).

Pretérito anterior (antepretérito): Yo hube cantado

There is a subtle difference between them. In this case, we have two completed past events too. The preterit perfect is used when an action happen immediately before another one. It is rarely used nowadays (formal or literary style).

En cuanto hubo terminado la cena, Juan se marchó (As soon as the dinner had finished, Juan left). Nowadays, we simply say: "En cuanto terminó la cena, Juan se marchó" or, better, "Juan se marchó en cuanto terminó la cena".

• You're correct. I was thinking antepresente. - qfreed Feb 15, 2012
• Thanks, Qfreed! :) - Cordobesa Feb 15, 2012
• Thanks Cordobesa for the nice explanation ... - Mndeen75 Feb 15, 2012
• De nada, Mndeen :) - Cordobesa Feb 15, 2012

Answer 2

What do you mean antepreterito?

Answer 3

I believe they're the same. That's just from a quick google search though.