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This lesson teaches the passato prossimo tense with the auxiliary verb "avere" and the past participle "sentito". Learn to conjugate "avere" (ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno) and use it to express past actions like "Ho sentito un rumore" (I heard a noise).
  1. We use the verb "avere" with transitive verbs.
  2. With the auxiliary avere, the past participle remains unchanged.
Coniugazione di 'avere' (Conjugation of 'to have')Participio  (Past participle)Esempio (Example)
Io hoSentitoHo sentito un rumore forte. (I heard a loud noise.)
Tu haiHai sentito delle emozioni forti. (You have heard strong emotions.)
Lui/lei haHai sentito molta felicità. (You have heard much happiness.)
Noi abbiamoAbbiamo sentito della rabbia. (We heard about the anger.)
Voi aveteAvete sentito un bel suono. (You have heard a beautiful sound.)
Loro hannoHanno sentito dei rumori. (They have heard some noises.)

Exercise 1: Il passato prossimo con avere

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

hai sentito, ho fatto, abbiamo mangiato, avete parlato, ha parlato, ha compiuto, ha cucinato, abbiamo sentito

1. Fare:
Io ... in pane in casa.
(I made the bread at home.)
2. Parlare:
Lui ... tutta la notte.
(He talked to him all night.)
3. Sentire:
Noi ... delle emozioni forti.
(We felt strong emotions.)
4. Compiere:
Lei ... 20 anni.
(She has turned 20 years old.)
5. Mangiare:
Noi ... poco.
(We ate little.)
6. Sentire:
Tu ... quel rumore strano?
(Did you hear that strange noise?)
7. Parlare:
Voi ... per ore ieri sera.
(You spoke for hours last night.)
8. Cucinare:
Lui ... con le spezie.
(He cooked with the spices.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Noi ______ partiti presto stamattina per arrivare in orario.

(We ______ left early this morning to arrive on time.)

2. Lei ______ tornata felice dopo il viaggio di lavoro.

(She ______ came back happy after the business trip.)

3. Io ______ arrivato a casa alle sette di sera.

(I ______ arrived home at seven in the evening.)

4. Loro ______ usciti dal ristorante felici della serata.

(They ______ left the restaurant happy about the evening.)

5. Tu ______ rimasta sorpresa dalla notizia del collega.

(You ______ were surprised by the colleague's news.)

6. Noi ______ stati molto contenti della festa ieri sera.

(We ______ were very happy with the party last night.)

Understanding the Past Tense with the Auxiliary Verb avere

This lesson focuses on forming the passato prossimo (present perfect past tense) in Italian using the auxiliary verb avere. It covers the conjugation of avere paired with the past participle of a verb to describe actions completed in the past.

What You Will Learn

  • How to conjugate the verb avere in the present tense
  • How to form the past participle and use it correctly with avere
  • Examples of sentences using avere + past participle, especially with the verb sentire (to hear/feel)
  • Important notes on sentence structure and usage with transitive verbs

Conjugation Highlights

The auxiliary verb avere is conjugated as follows for past tense formation:

  • Io ho
  • Tu hai
  • Lui/lei ha
  • Noi abbiamo
  • Voi avete
  • Loro hanno

The past participle remains unchanged when used with avere. For example, the participle sentito is used with all forms of avere:

  • Ho sentito un rumore forte. (I heard a loud noise.)
  • Hai sentito delle emozioni forti. (You felt strong emotions.)
  • Lui/lei ha sentito molta felicità. (He/she felt a lot of happiness.)
  • Abbiamo sentito della rabbia. (We felt anger.)
  • Avete sentito un bel suono. (You all heard a nice sound.)
  • Hanno sentito dei rumori. (They heard some noises.)

Important Notes

The passato prossimo is formed by combining avere with the past participle for transitive verbs—those verbs that take a direct object. The past participle does not change to agree with the subject when avere is the auxiliary verb.

Comparison with English

In English, the present perfect is formed by using "have" plus the past participle (e.g., "I have heard"). Italian uses avere very similarly for many verbs, but the agreement rules and auxiliary usage can differ. For example, some Italian verbs use essere instead of avere depending on if they are intransitive or describe movement or change of state.

Useful Phrases and Words

  • Avere – to have (auxiliary verb)
  • Sentire – to hear, to feel (transitive verb requiring avere)
  • Partecipio passato – past participle (e.g., sentito)
  • Passato prossimo – the present perfect tense used to describe completed past actions

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 23:27