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Grammar Tips

More about the past
  • stato, andato and tornato are all past participles of the verbs essere, andare and tornare.

  • The past participle is generally made by swapping the -are -ere -ire ending of the verb with -ato, -uto and -ito:


    • andare andato
    partire partito
    perdere perduto

  • Many common verbs have past participles that don't follow this pattern:


    • essere stato
    stare stato
    fare fatto
    prendere preso
    vedere visto

  • The majority of verbs in the past use avere, including the verb avere itself. The past participle endings stay the same:


    • Ho visitato la chiesa      I visited the church
    Abbiamo visitato il museo      We visited the museum
    Ho avuto un incidente      I had an accident

  • Essere is used with stare, 'to stay' or 'to be', and with the verb essere itself:


    • Sono stato felice di vederti      I was happy to see you
    Sono stato a Roma per due giorni      I stayed in Rome for two days

  • Essere is often used with verbs that describe movement, like andare, 'to go', arrivare, 'to arrive', partire, 'to leave'.


    • Sono andato a Bassano la settimana scorsa      I went to Bassano last week
    Sono partito alle due      I left at two

  • When a verb is used with essere the past participle endings change to agree with the person or thing doing the action:


    • I ragazzi sono partiti alle sette      The boys left at seven
    Le ragazze sono partite alle nove.      The girls left at nine

  • This form of the past tense has three English equivalents. The way it is translated depends on the context:


    • Ho viaggiato      I've travelled / I travelled
    Hai viaggiato?      Did you travel? / Have you travelled?
    Sono andato      I've been / I went
    Sei andato?      Did you go? / Have you gone?

  • See also:
    - verb endings
    - 'avere' and other irregular verbs - 'volere, fare'