Many verbs have irregular past participles that can be learned. Here is a list of the most frequent irregular verbs used with the auxiliary avere/essere.
1. Irregular verbs with Avere
| Inf. | P.P | Inf. | P.P |
| Accendere (to turn on) (to switch on) | Acceso (turned on) (switched on) | Nascondere (to hid) | Nascosto (Hid) |
| Aprire (to open) | Aperto (opened) | Offrire (to offer) | Offerto (Offered) |
| Assistere (to assist) | Assistito (Assisted) | Prendere (to take) | Preso (Took) |
| Assumere (to assume) (to hire) | Assunto (Assumed) (Hired) | Piangere (to cry) | Pianto (Cried) |
| Chiedere (to ask) | Chiesto (Asked) | Prendere (to take) | Preso (Took) |
| Chiudere (to close) | Chiuso (Closed) | Produrre (to produce) | Prodotto (Produced) |
| Cogliere (to gather) | Colto (Gathered) | Proteggere (to protect) | Protetto (Protected) |
| Concludere (to conclude) | Concluso (Concluded) | Ridere (to laugh) | Riso (Laughed) |
| Conoscere (to know) | Conosciuto (Known) | Risolvere (to solve) | Risolto (Solved) |
| Correggere (to correct) | Corretto (Corrected) | Rispondere (to answer) | Risposto (Answered) |
| Correre (to run) | Corso (Ran) | Rompere (to break) | Rotto (Broke) |
| Cuocere (to cook) | Cotto (Cooked) | Scegliere (to choose) | Scelto (Chose) |
| Decidere (to decide) | Deciso (Decided) | Sciogliere (to melt) | Sciolto (Melted/Molten) |
| Deludere (to disappoint) | Deluso (Disappointed) | Scrivere (to write) | Scritto (Wrote) |
| Difendere (to defend) | Difeso (Defended) | Soffrire (to suffer) | Sofferto (Suffered) |
| Dipingere (to paint) | Dipinto (Painted) | Sospendere (to suspend) | Sospeso (Suspended) |
| Dire (to say) | Detto (Said) | Spegnere (to switch off) | Spento (Switched off) |
| Dirigere (to direct) | Diretto (Directed) | Spendere (to spend) | Speso (Spent) |
| Discutere (to discuss) | Discusso (Discussed) | Spingere (to push) | Spinto (Pushed) |
| Distruggere (to destroy) | Distrutto (Destroyed) | Uccidere (to kill) | Ucciso (killed) |
| Dividere (to divide) | Diviso (Divided) | Vedere (to see) | Visto (Watch) |
| Fare (to do) | Fatto (Did) | Vincere (to win) | Vinto (Won) |
| Illudere (to deceive) | Illuso (Deceived) | Vivere (to live) | Vissuto (Lived) |
| Leggere (to read) | Letto (Read) | Mettere (to put) | Messo (Put) |
| Muovere (to move) | Mosso (Moved) |
2. Irregular verbs with Essere
| Inf. | P.P |
| Accorrere (to rush up to) | Accorso,a,i,e (Rushed up) |
| Apparire (to appear) | Apparso,a,i,e (Appeared) |
| Avvenire (to happen) | Avvenuto,a,i,e (Happened) |
| Comparire (to appear) | Comparso,a,i,e (Appeared) |
| Crescere (to grow up) | Cresciuto,a,i,e (Grown up) |
| Dipendere (to depend on) | Dipeso,a,i,e (Depended on) |
| Esistere (to exist) | Esistito,a,i,e (Existed) |
| Essere (to be) | Stato,a,i,e (Been) |
| Giungere (to arrive at) | Giunto,a,i,e (Arrived at) |
| Intervenire (to intervene in) | Intervenuto,a,i,e (Intervened in) |
| Morire (to die) | Morto,a,i,e (Died) |
| Nascere (to be born) | Nato,a,i,e (Born) |
| Piacere (to like) | Piaciuto,a,i,e (Liked) |
| Rimanere (to stay) (to remain) | Rimasto,a,i,e (Stayed) (Remained) |
| Scomparire (to disappear) | Scomparso,a,i,e (Disappeared) |
| Sopravvivere (to survive) | Sopravvissuto,a,i,e (Survived) |
| Sorgere (to rise) (to arise) | Sorto,a,i,e (Risen) (Arisen) |
| Succedere (to happen) | Successo,a,i,e (Happened) |
| Svenire (to faint) (to pass out) | Svenuto,a,i,e (Fainted) (Svenuto) |
| Valere (to be worth) | Valso,a,i,e (Worthed) |
| Venire (to come) | Venuto,a,i,e (Came) |
1. The verb (Correre) (to Run) can have both auxiliaries: When the verb is used generically we use the auxiliary Avere; if instead, we indicate the point of departure or arrival, we use the Auxiliary Essere
- Ho corso tutto il giorno.
- (I’ve been running all day)
- Sono corso,a da lei.
- (I ran to her)
2. The verb (Vivere) (to Live) can have both auxiliaries: If it is used as a transitive verb it takes Avere, if it is used as an intransitive verb it takes Essere
- Nella mia vita ho vissuto momenti difficili.
- (I have lived through difficult times in my life)
- Sono vissuto/a per molti anni in Cina.
- (I have lived in china for many years)
Next lesson:
Essere o Avere / Essere or Avere.