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What are Spanish Past Participles?
Spanish past participles (participios pasados) are verb forms used to create perfect tenses, passive voice, and as adjectives. They are equivalent to English past participles (words like "spoken," "written," "broken").
Past participles are formed by adding -ado to -ar verbs and -ido to -er and -ir verbs.
Examples
He terminado mi trabajo.
I have finished my work.
La ventana está rota.
The window is broken.
El libro fue escrito por Cervantes.
The book was written by Cervantes.
Formation of Past Participles
Most Spanish past participles follow regular formation patterns.
Regular Formation
Add the appropriate ending to the verb stem:
Past Participle Formation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| -ar verbs | stem + -ado | hablar → hablado |
| -er verbs | stem + -ido | comer → comido |
| -ir verbs | stem + -ido | vivir → vivido |
Common Irregular Past Participles
These verbs have irregular past participle forms that must be memorized:
abrir → abierto
to open → opened
escribir → escrito
to write → written
hacer → hecho
to do/make → done/made
poner → puesto
to put → put
ver → visto
to see → seen
volver → vuelto
to return → returned
Uses of Past Participles
Spanish past participles have several important functions in the language.
Perfect Tenses
Used with haber to form perfect tenses:
He comido.
I have eaten.
Habían llegado temprano.
They had arrived early.
Habremos terminado mañana.
We will have finished tomorrow.
Passive Voice
Used with ser to form the passive voice:
La casa fue construida en 1990.
The house was built in 1990.
Los libros serán publicados pronto.
The books will be published soon.
As Adjectives
Used as adjectives with estar or other verbs:
La puerta está cerrada.
The door is closed.
Los niños están cansados.
The children are tired.
Tengo el trabajo hecho.
I have the work done.
Agreement Rules
Past participles agree in gender and number when used as adjectives or in passive voice, but not in perfect tenses.
Examples
Perfect tenses (no agreement): He comido, Ella ha comido
I have eaten, She has eaten
As adjectives (agreement): Está cansado/cansada/cansados/cansadas
He/She is tired, They are tired