The passato prossimo is one of the most used past tenses in Italian. It is used to talk about completed actions in the past, and is often used together with the imperfetto for background or ongoing actions.
How to Form It
The passato prossimo is formed with:
PRESENT of avere or essere + PAST PARTICIPLE of the verb
Examples with avere
- Io ho lavorato tutto il giorno. → I worked all day.
- Tu hai mangiato una pizza. → You ate a pizza.
- Loro hanno visto un film. → They watched a movie.
Examples with essere
- Io sono andato/andata al cinema. → I went to the cinema.
- Noi siamo arrivati/arrivate in ritardo. → We arrived late.
- Maria è nata a Roma. → Maria was born in Rome.
Important: with essere, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. With avere, it stays the same.
Past Participle of Regular Verbs
- Verbs ending in -are → -ato → parlare → parlato → to speak → spoken
- Verbs ending in -ere → -uto → vendere → venduto → to sell → sold
- Verbs ending in -ire → -ito → finire → finito → to finish → finished
Some verbs are irregular and must be learned by heart:
essere → stato, fare → fatto, vedere → visto, venire → venuto, scrivere → scritto…
When to Use Avere or Essere
- Avere → with most transitive verbs (verbs with a direct object).
- Example: Ho comprato un libro. → I bought a book.
- Essere → with verbs of movement, change, reflexive verbs, and some intransitive verbs.
- Example: Siamo arrivati tardi. → We arrived late.
- Example: Mi sono svegliato alle 7. → I woke up at 7.
Some verbs can use either avere or essere, depending on meaning:
- Ho cominciato il lavoro. → I started the work.
- La lezione è cominciata alle 9. → The lesson started at 9.
- Ho finito il libro. → I finished the book.
- Il film è finito tardi. → The movie ended late.
Negative Form and Adverbs
- The negative is formed by placing non before the auxiliary:
- Non ho mangiato. → I didn’t eat.
- Non è venuta. → She didn’t come.
- Adverbs like mai, ancora, più, appena, già go between the auxiliary and the past participle:
- Non ho ancora finito. → I haven’t finished yet.
- Ho già visto quel film. → I’ve already seen that movie.
Polite Form
For formal situations:
- Singular: Lei → Lei ha già cenato? → Have you already had dinner?
- Plural: Voi → Voi avete prenotato un tavolo? → Have you booked a table?
Practical Tip
Practice by telling your day or week using the passato prossimo:
“Oggi ho fatto colazione alle 8, sono andata al lavoro e ho parlato con i colleghi.”
→ Today I had breakfast at 8, I went to work, and I talked with my colleagues.