🔍 In short. The italian past participle (participio passato) does four jobs. It builds every compound tense from passato prossimo to condizionale passato, it agrees with the subject when the auxiliary is essere, it agrees with a preceding direct-object pronoun when the auxiliary is avere, and it works both as a plain adjective (la porta chiusa) and as the head of a clause (finita la cena, uscimmo). Learn the regular endings, memorise the high-frequency irregulars, and the agreement rules fall into place.
Get the italian past participle right and a huge slice of B1 to B2 Italian opens up: every past tense, every reduced clause, half of written style. By the end you will choose the auxiliary, place the agreement, and read a participio assoluto without slowing down.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- What the italian past participle is
- Regular forms: -ato, -uto, -ito
- Irregular past participles worth memorising
- Compound tenses: essere or avere
- Agreement with essere: with the subject
- Agreement with avere: the preceding object
- The past participle as an adjective
- The clausal participle: Finita la cena
- Double auxiliaries and shortened participles
- Cheat sheet: italian past participle
- Common mistakes English speakers make
- Dialog: at the car-rental desk
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What the italian past participle is
Open any Italian novel at a random page and the italian past participle is everywhere: in the compound tenses, dangling at the front of clauses, working quietly as an adjective. It is one of the three indefinite moods, next to the infinito and the gerundio. On its own it carries no person and no tense; it leans on an auxiliary or a noun to do its work. The label “past” is a half-truth, since the form often signals completion rather than past time, but it is the name everyone uses.
Four jobs are worth naming up front: it builds compound tenses, it agrees with the subject under essere, it agrees with a preceding object under avere, and it stands alone as adjective or clause head. Master those four and most of the past-tense workload between B1 and B2 clicks into place. Everything below is one of these four jobs in detail.
Regular forms of the italian past participle: -ato, -uto, -ito
For the first and third conjugations the regular italian past participle is mechanical: drop the infinitive ending and add -ato or -ito, then inflect that like an -o adjective (-ato, -ata, -ati, -ate). The second conjugation in -ere is where the irregulars cluster, but its regular default is -uto.
| Infinitive | Group | Past participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| parlare | -are to -ato | parlato | Ho parlato con il libraio. |
| credere | -ere to -uto | creduto | Non ci ho creduto. |
| finire | -ire to -ito | finito | Ho finito il lavoro. |
| servire | -ire to -ito | servito | Ci hanno servito tardi. |
A few third-conjugation verbs break the pattern even though they look regular: venire gives venuto, aprire gives aperto, offrire gives offerto, morire gives morto, coprire gives coperto, soffrire gives sofferto. Their compounds follow suit: scoprire to scoperto, avvenire to avvenuto. Treat these as a small closed list and you will never guess wrong.
Which irregular italian past participles are worth memorising?
The second conjugation is unpredictable by design: the participle cannot be derived from any other part of the verb, so it has to be learned. The good news is that the high-frequency irregulars are a finite set. Internalise the following and you cover the vast majority of real speech.
| Infinitive | Participle | Infinitive | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| essere | stato | fare | fatto |
| dire | detto | scrivere | scritto |
| leggere | letto | vedere | visto / veduto |
| prendere | preso | mettere | messo |
| chiedere | chiesto | rispondere | risposto |
| aprire | aperto | chiudere | chiuso |
| venire | venuto | nascere | nato |
| vivere | vissuto | bere | bevuto |
| rimanere | rimasto | scegliere | scelto |
| rompere | rotto | correre | corso |
| perdere | perso / perduto | vincere | vinto |
| offrire | offerto | soffrire | sofferto |
| tradurre | tradotto | produrre | prodotto |
Verbs built on the same Latin root share the pattern: produrre to prodotto gives you dedurre to dedotto, condurre to condotto, ridurre to ridotto, tradurre to tradotto. Group the irregular italian past participle forms by shape rather than drilling them one by one. A handful of verbs keep two forms: vedere has visto and veduto (visto is far more common), perdere has perso and perduto.
🔍 Learn families, not single verbs. Every -urre verb uses -otto (tradotto, prodotto, condotto, dedotto, ridotto). Most -cendere and -endere verbs use -eso (acceso, preso, speso) or -uso (chiuso). Clustering the irregular italian past participle by shape cuts the memorisation load by roughly two thirds.
Compound tenses: does the italian past participle take essere or avere?
The past participle pairs with essere or avere to build every compound tense in Italian: passato prossimo, trapassato prossimo, futuro anteriore, condizionale passato, congiuntivo passato and trapassato. The recurring question at every step is the same: which auxiliary?
- Transitive verbs (they take a direct object) generally use avere: Ho stampato i documenti. Abbiamo visto la mostra.
- Verbs of motion, change of state and existence use essere: Sono andato a Padova. È nata ieri. Siamo rimasti a casa tutto il fine settimana.
- Reflexive and reciprocal verbs always use essere: Mi sono svegliato presto. Si sono incontrati alla stazione di Lucca.
- Modal verbs (dovere, potere, volere) copy the auxiliary of the verb they govern: Ho dovuto lavorare (lavorare takes avere), Sono dovuto tornare (tornare takes essere).
The indefinite-subject si deserves a footnote here, because it produces a striking split. Verbs with si always take essere, but the participle shows no agreement when the verb would normally use avere, and plural agreement when it would normally use essere: si è ballato (compare hanno ballato) but si è partiti (compare sono partiti). It looks like an exception; it is really the agreement rules below applied honestly.
Agreement rule 1: with essere, the participle agrees with the subject
When the auxiliary is essere, the italian past participle inflects exactly like an -o adjective and agrees with the subject in gender and number. This is automatic and has no exceptions with essere: if the auxiliary is essere, the participle agrees.
- Matteo è arrivato in ritardo. (masculine singular)
- Caterina è rimasta in sartoria fino a tardi. (feminine singular)
- Gli studenti sono tornati a casa stanchi. (masculine plural)
- Le ragazze sono arrivate alla stazione di Lucca. (feminine plural)
The same rule covers passives and reflexives, because both use essere: Sono state bevute due birre, A che ora vi siete alzate, ragazze?. This is the agreement that English speakers forget for the first two years of Italian, and the single fastest fix to raise written accuracy: once essere appears, scan back to the subject and inflect.
Agreement rule 2: with avere, only with a preceding direct object
With the auxiliary avere, the default is no agreement at all: the participle stays in -o, no matter the gender of the subject. The subject simply does not enter the calculation.
- Le ragazze hanno cantato. (no agreement, the subject is irrelevant under avere)
- Ho stampato i documenti. (no agreement, the object follows)
Agreement appears only when a direct-object clitic comes before the verb. The participle then agrees with that pronoun. With third-person lo, la, li, le the agreement is obligatory; with the partitive ne it follows the noun ne stands for.
- La lettera? L’ho spedita ieri. (la to -a)
- I documenti, li ho stampati stamattina. (li to -i)
- Belle queste scarpe! Dove le hai comprate? (le to -e)
- Di mele ne abbiamo raccolte tre cassette. (ne referring to feminine plural to -e)
One refinement keeps you out of trouble: the agreement disappears when ne replaces a di or da complement instead of a partitive quantity. Abbiamo parlato di lei becomes Ne abbiamo parlato, flat and invariable, because that ne is not a partitive object. Partitive ne agrees; prepositional ne does not.
🔍 The B1 exam trap. Agreement of the italian past participle with avere plus a preceding clitic is the single most-tested participle rule in B1 certification, and a hallmark of genuinely fluent writing. The shortcut: if you see lo, la, li, le or partitive ne before ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno, the participle must agree. Drill it to reflex level.
The italian past participle as an adjective
Outside the compound tenses, the participle regularly works as a plain adjective and agrees with its noun like any other -o word. This is the easiest of the four jobs, because there is no auxiliary to track: just match the noun.
- Una finestra aperta, un libro chiuso, un conto saldato.
- Un preventivo scritto in fretta, una mail inviata ieri.
- Le pratiche concluse, i documenti firmati.
Some participles have drifted so far into adjective territory that the dictionary lists them in their own right: aperto, chiuso, stanco (from an older participle), dotto. Italian also keeps a small set of shortened participles (participi accorciati) of first-conjugation verbs, used only as adjectives: colmo from colmare, domo from domare, guasto from guastare. You will not form these yourself; just recognise them as frozen adjectival forms.
The clausal italian past participle: Finita la cena, uscimmo
Written and formal Italian uses the past participle to head an entire subordinate clause, with no auxiliary. The construction is the participio assoluto, and it is the written equivalent of “having finished dinner, we went out”. It supplies background: the condition or circumstance that precedes the main verb.
- Finita la riunione, Pietro tornò in libreria.
Once the meeting was over, Pietro went back to the bookshop. - Scritto il preventivo, Elena lo consegnò al cliente.
Having written the quote, Elena handed it to the client. - Arrivati a Padova, ci siamo subito messi a cercare l’albergo.
Once we arrived in Padua, we started looking for the hotel right away. - Invitata a intervenire, Caterina ebbe paura.
Having been invited to speak, Caterina got scared.
Two rules govern it. First, the participle agrees with the noun that functions as its subject (finita la riunione, feminine singular; arrivati a Padova, masculine plural matching “we”); and with a transitive verb it must agree with its object noun (scritto il preventivo). Clitics attach to the end of the participle (avvisatala, partirono), and the subject noun usually follows. Second, the construction needs a verb that implies completion: you cannot say *Nuotato due ore, tornò a casa with durative verbs like nuotare or lavorare. The fixed phrase dopo mangiato (dopo mangiato andremo a fare due passi) is the everyday survivor of this pattern.
Double auxiliaries and shortened participles
A productive group of verbs takes avere when transitive and essere when intransitive, and the italian past participle agreement flips accordingly. The meaning is the same verb seen from two angles: someone acting on an object, versus the object simply changing state.
- Ho finito i lavori di restauro. versus A che ora è finito il balletto?
- Abbiamo passato le vacanze in montagna. versus È già passato l’autobus per il centro?
- Il meccanico ha cambiato la gomma. versus Il tempo è cambiato di colpo.
The common members of this group are finire, cominciare, iniziare, continuare, passare, cambiare, salire, scendere, aumentare, diminuire, migliorare, peggiorare, guarire, bruciare. The test is mechanical: ask whether there is a direct object. Object present means avere and no subject agreement; no object means essere and the participle agrees with the subject. One verb, two behaviours, decided entirely by the presence of an object.
Cheat sheet: italian past participle
One table, the whole system. Keep it open while you build your next compound tense.
| Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Regular endings | -are to -ato, -ere to -uto, -ire to -ito | parlato, creduto, finito |
| Irregulars | mostly -ere; learn families (-urre to -otto) | tradotto, prodotto |
| Auxiliary essere | participle agrees with the subject, always | Le ragazze sono arrivate |
| Auxiliary avere, object after | no agreement | Ho stampato i documenti |
| Auxiliary avere, clitic before | agrees with lo/la/li/le/ne | Li ho stampati |
| Reflexive | always essere; agrees with subject | Mi sono alzata |
| Modal verb | copies the infinitive’s auxiliary | Sono dovuto andare |
| As adjective | agrees with its noun | una porta chiusa |
| Clausal participle | agrees with subject/object, marks completion | Finita la cena, uscimmo |
Common mistakes English speakers make with the italian past participle
- Skipping subject agreement with essere. ❌ Maria è andato. ✅ Maria è andata. With essere, the participle always agrees.
- Adding agreement after avere by default. ❌ Ho stampata i documenti. ✅ Ho stampato i documenti. No agreement: the object follows.
- Forgetting the preceding-clitic rule. ❌ Li ho visto. ✅ Li ho visti. A preceding li forces agreement.
- Picking the wrong auxiliary. ❌ Ho andato a casa. ✅ Sono andato a casa. Verbs of motion take essere.
- Using avere with a reflexive. ❌ Mi ho alzato. ✅ Mi sono alzato. Reflexives always take essere.
- Forcing the clausal participle onto a durative verb. ❌ Nuotato due ore, tornò a casa. ✅ Avendo nuotato due ore, tornò a casa. Use the gerundio when there is no completion.
For the past participle inside the past-tense system, see our guide on passato prossimo vs imperfetto. For the other indefinite mood, the italian gerund. For how the participle behaves after a modal, italian modal verbs. The institutional reference on agreement is the Accademia della Crusca note on the accordo del participio passato, with the Treccani entry on participio as a fuller native-language overview.
🎯 Mini-challenge. Put each verb in the correct past participle form, then read your sentences aloud once.
- Caterina (rimanere) _____ in sartoria fino a tardi.
- Le chiavi? Le (lasciare) _____ sul tavolo.
- (Finire) _____ la consegna, Pietro tornò a Lucca.
- I ragazzi si (svegliare) _____ tardi.
- Di pizze ne (mangiare) _____ quattro.
- Maria (dovere) _____ tornare a casa in treno.
Show answers
1. è rimasta (essere + feminine) · 2. le ho lasciate (avere + preceding le to -e) · 3. Finita (clausal, agrees with consegna) · 4. sono svegliati (reflexive + masculine plural) · 5. ne ho mangiate (partitive ne, feminine plural) · 6. è dovuta (modal copying essere of tornare, agreeing with Maria)
Dialog: at the car-rental desk
Pietro returns a rental van to Elena at a car-rental desk in Modena. Watch the italian past participle in all four jobs: compound tenses, agreement with essere and avere, adjective, and one clausal opener.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Buongiorno, ho riportato il furgone. L’ho lasciato fuori, pieno di benzina come da contratto.
Good morning, I have brought the van back. I left it outside, full of petrol as per the contract.
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Perfetto. Ha già firmato la riconsegna? Mi servono i documenti che le abbiamo dato alla partenza.
Perfect. Have you already signed the return form? I need the documents we gave you at departure.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Eccoli, li ho tenuti nella cartellina. Una cosa: ho sentito un rumore ai freni, ma non si è rotto niente.
Here they are, I kept them in the folder. One thing: I heard a noise from the brakes, but nothing broke.
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Ha fatto bene a dirmelo. Controllata l’auto, le mando la ricevuta per email.
You did well to tell me. Once I have checked the car, I will send you the receipt by email.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Grazie. La cauzione, quando me la restituite?
Thanks. The deposit, when will you give it back to me?
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Gliel’abbiamo già sbloccata stamattina. Vedrà l’accredito tra due giorni.
We already released it to you this morning. You will see the credit in two days.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Ottimo. Allora siamo a posto: consegnato il furgone, posso tornare in libreria.
Great. Then we are all set: with the van returned, I can go back to the bookshop.
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Esatto. La ringrazio, è stato tutto regolare. Buona giornata!
Exactly. Thank you, everything was in order. Have a good day!
Notice the participles at work: riportato and lasciato (avere, no agreement); li ho tenuti and gliel’abbiamo sbloccata (avere with a preceding clitic, agreement); si è rotto (reflexive with essere); controllata l’auto and consegnato il furgone (clausal); pieno and regolare as plain adjectives. One short exchange exercises the whole italian past participle system.
Test your understanding
The quiz below drills the italian past participle: regular and irregular forms, auxiliary choice, and agreement with the subject or a preceding object. Take it after the cheat sheet.
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Frequently asked questions
Seven questions about the italian past participle come up in every B1 to B2 cohort. The answers below draw on classroom usage and on the Accademia della Crusca note on the accordo del participio passato.
How do I form the regular Italian past participle?
Drop the infinitive ending and add -ato for -are verbs, -uto for -ere verbs, -ito for -ire verbs. Parlare becomes parlato, credere becomes creduto, finire becomes finito. The -are and -ire groups are almost fully regular; most irregular participles belong to the -ere group and have to be memorised.
What are the most common irregular Italian past participles?
High-frequency irregulars include essere (stato), fare (fatto), dire (detto), scrivere (scritto), leggere (letto), vedere (visto), prendere (preso), mettere (messo), chiedere (chiesto), aprire (aperto), chiudere (chiuso), venire (venuto), nascere (nato), vivere (vissuto), rimanere (rimasto), scegliere (scelto), rompere (rotto), vincere (vinto). Group them by root: produrre, tradurre and condurre all end in -otto.
When does the Italian past participle agree with the subject?
Always when the auxiliary is essere. In Maria e arrivata or I ragazzi sono partiti the participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. The same applies to reflexives, which always take essere: mi sono alzata. With avere the default is no agreement unless a direct-object pronoun comes before the verb.
Why does Le ho viste end in -e?
Because the direct-object pronoun le (them, feminine plural) precedes the verb. When lo, la, li, le or partitive ne comes before a verb conjugated with avere, the Italian past participle agrees with that pronoun. Le ho viste means I saw them, feminine. Without the pronoun the participle stays invariable: Ho visto le ragazze, no -e on visto.
Can the Italian past participle be used as an adjective?
Yes, very often. Una porta chiusa, un preventivo scritto, una finestra aperta all use the participle as an adjective agreeing with its noun. Some have drifted so far the dictionary lists them as independent adjectives: stanco, dotto, aperto. Italian also has shortened participi accorciati like colmo and domo, used only as adjectives.
What is a clausal past participle like Finito il lavoro?
It is a compact subordinate clause headed by the participle with no auxiliary, typical of written and formal Italian. Finito il lavoro, andai a casa means once the work was done, I went home. It implies the event is complete before the main clause. The participle agrees with its subject or object: finita la cena, scritto il preventivo. It is not available with durative verbs like nuotare.
How do I know whether a verb takes essere or avere?
Rule of thumb: transitive verbs take avere, verbs of motion and change of state take essere, reflexives always take essere. Ho stampato i documenti, sono andato a Padova, mi sono svegliato. A productive group takes avere when transitive and essere when intransitive: ho finito i lavori versus e finito il film. Modal verbs copy the auxiliary of the infinitive they govern.
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Related guides
Three guides that pair with the italian past participle, plus an institutional reference on agreement.
- Italian Passato Prossimo vs Imperfetto: the participle inside the past-tense system.
- Italian Gerund: the other indefinite mood, for simultaneous actions.
- Italian Modal Verbs: how the participle behaves after dovere, potere, volere.
- Accademia della Crusca: accordo del participio passato: institutional note on agreement.
