A2 · The past
The passato prossimo with essere
Here the verb says whether a man or a woman is speaking.
At a glance
- Remember
- Movement takes essere, and then the ending names you.
- When
- Before the past
- The past
- Past linked to the present
- The present
- The future
- Completed in the future
The past — Something that happened, finished, and stays where it happened.
- Form
- (io) sono andato / andataI went
- Signal words
- sono
- sei
- è
- siamo
- siete
- -ato/-a/-i/-e
- Trap
- Wrong:Ho andato a Roma con lei.Right:Sono andato a Roma con lei.
Your turn
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The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Italian. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) tense marker person ending auxiliary verb
| I went | (io) sono andato / andata |
| you went | (tu) sei andato / andata |
| he, she went; you went (formal) | (lui, lei, Lei) è andato / andata |
| we went | (noi) siamo andati / andate |
| you went (plural) | (voi) siete andati / andate |
| they went | (loro) sono andati / andate |
| I got up | (io) mi sono alzato |
| you came back | (tu) sei tornato |
| she went out | (lei) è uscita |
| we left | (noi) siamo partiti |
| you stayed (plural) | (voi) siete restati |
| they arrived (women) | (loro) sono arrivate |
| I was in Rome | sono stato a Roma |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Movement, change of state and staying take essere.
Il treno è partito in orario.The train left on time.
After essere the participle agrees with the subject.
Anna è tornata tardi.Anna came back late.
A mixed group takes the masculine plural.
Marco e Anna sono usciti insieme.Marco and Anna went out together.
Reflexive verbs always take essere.
Ci siamo svegliati alle sei.We woke up at six.
Example sentences
Sono nata a Bologna nel millenovecentonovanta.I was born in Bologna in 1990.
I ragazzi sono usciti mezz’ora fa.The boys left half an hour ago.
Le mie amiche sono rimaste a casa.My friends stayed at home.
Sei stato in Sicilia?Have you ever been to Sicily?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
« I am gone » is not English, so sono andato feels wrong long after the rule is known, and the hand writes ho andato. Nothing in English can be consulted here: « I have arrived » and « I have slept » are built the same way, and Italian splits them — sono arrivato but ho dormito. The list is learnt, not worked out.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
With essere go the verbs of movement (andare, venire, partire, arrivare, uscire, entrare, tornare, salire, scendere), of change of state (nascere, morire, diventare, crescere), of staying (restare, rimanere, stare) — and essere itself: sono stato.
The participle agrees with the subject: è andato / è andata / sono andati / sono andate. English has nothing of the kind. « I went » is the same four letters for everybody, and here the verb ending names the speaker.
The masculine plural covers mixed groups: Marco e Anna sono partiti.
Every reflexive verb takes essere, even those that would take avere without the si: mi sono lavato.
A handful take either, with a change of meaning: ho finito il lavoro (« I have finished the work ») against il film è finito (« the film has ended »).
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