A1.29 - Physical states and sensations

Past participles as adjectives

I participi passati come aggettivi

Alcuni participi passati si usano come aggettivi.

(Some past participles are used as adjectives.)

What you are learning here

In Italian, the past participle (participio passato) is not only for the past tense.

It can also work like an adjective to describe a state/result:

  • Marco è sudato. = Marco is sweaty (state now).
  • Lei è caduta. = She has fallen / She is in the “fallen” state (result).

The key rule: it must match the subject

When a past participle is used like an adjective with essere, it agrees with the subject in:

  • gender (masculine / feminine)
  • number (singular / plural)
  Singular Plural
Masculine -o

lui è sudato

 -i

loro sono sudati
Feminine -a

lei è caduta

 -e

loro sono cadute

How to choose the correct ending (quick decision steps)

  1. Find the subject: who is “è/sono” talking about?
  2. Decide gender: masculine or feminine?
  3. Decide number: one person/thing or more than one?
  4. Pick the ending: -o / -a / -i / -e

Typical situations where you use this

  • Physical state: sudato/a (sweaty), stanco/a (tired)
  • Mental/emotional state: rilassato/a (relaxed)
  • Result of an event: caduto/a (fallen)

Think: “What is the person like now, as a result?”

Common mistakes (and how to self-correct)

  • 1) Matching the wrong word

    The participle matches the subject, not what comes after.

    Le ragazze sono rilassato. → Le ragazze sono rilassate.

  • 2) “Loro” is not always masculine

    loro can mean “they” (mixed/men) or “they” (women).

    • I colleghi (men/mixed) → loro sono rilassati
    • Le colleghe (women) → loro sono rilassate

  • 3) Remember: essere + participle = agreement

    If you see è/sono and a participle used as a description, check the ending.

Mini self-check before you continue

  • Can I answer: Who is the subject?

  • Do I know if it is masculine or feminine?

  • Is it singular or plural?

  • Did I choose -o / -a / -i / -e correctly?

What to pay attention to in conversation

  • Use this to describe how you (or colleagues) feel after work, sport, travel.

  • Say the subject clearly so agreement is easy: Io… / Lei… / I colleghi… / Le colleghe…

  • If the group is all women, choose -e (not -i).

  1. The past participle can be used to describe a state or a characteristic.
  2. The participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
 Singolare (Singular)Plurale (Plural)
Maschile (Masculine)

Sudato

Lui è sudato.  (He is sweaty. )

Sudati

Loro sono sudati.  (They are sweaty. )

Riposato

Il bambino è riposato. (The child is rested.)

Riposati

I bambini sono riposati. (The children are rested.)

Femminile (Feminine)

Caduta

Lei è caduta. (She has fallen.)

Cadute

Loro sono cadute. (They have fallen.)

Rilassata

Lei si sente rilassata. (She feels relaxed.)

Rilassate

Loro si sentono rilassate. (They feel relaxed.)

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Dopo otto ore al computer sono stanco e un po' ______.

After eight hours at the computer I am tired and a bit ______.

2. Dopo la doccia siamo pulite e ______.

After the shower we are clean and ______.

3. Il paziente è debole e molto stanco, ma oggi è più ______ di ieri.

The patient is weak and very tired, but today he is more ______ than yesterday.

4. Dopo il corso serale vi sentite calme e ______, non più stressate per il lavoro.

After the evening class you feel calm and ______, no longer stressed about work.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences by replacing the adjective with the appropriate past participle; agree in gender and number with the subject (example: After the run he is tired → After the run he is sweaty).

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  1. Dopo la corsa lui è stanco.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dopo la corsa lui è sudato.
    (After the run he is sweaty.)
  2. Dopo la lunga riunione loro sono stanchi.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dopo la lunga riunione loro sono rilassati.
    (After the long meeting they are relaxed.)
  3. Dopo il weekend il bambino è calmo.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dopo il weekend il bambino è riposato.
    (After the weekend the child is rested.)
  4. Dopo il corso di yoga lei è calma.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dopo il corso di yoga lei è rilassata.
    (After the yoga class she is relaxed.)
  5. Dopo la maratona loro sono molto stanche.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dopo la maratona loro sono molto sudate.
    (After the marathon they are very sweaty.)
  6. Dopo la caduta in ufficio le colleghe sono a terra.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dopo la caduta in ufficio le colleghe sono cadute.
    (After the fall at the office the colleagues have fallen.)

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 16/04/2026 07:03