Passato Prossimo

The Passato Prossimo is one of the most common tenses used to talk about the past. It’s similar to the English Present Perfect (“I have eaten”) or Simple Past (“I ate”), depending on context.

How is it formed?

Auxiliary (Essere or Avere) + Past Participle

Examples:

• Io ho mangiato (I have eaten / I ate).
• Io sono andato (I have gone / I went).

When to use Avere?

Use “Avere” with most transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object).

• Mangiare (to eat) -> Ho mangiato la pasta.
• Guardare (to watch) -> Ho guardato la TV.

When to use Essere?

Use “Essere” with verbs of motion, state, or change, and reflexive verbs.

• Andare (to go) -> Sono andato/a.
• Uscire (to go out) -> Sono uscito/a.
• Svegliarsi (to wake up) -> Mi sono svegliato/a.

Important: When using “essere”, the past participle acts like an adjective—it must match the subject in gender and number!

• Lui è andato (He went).
• Lei è andata (She went).
• Loro sono andati (They went).