Absolute Participle
A participle at the start of a sentence can stand for a whole clause.
How It Works
| Participle phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aquò fach | once that was done |
| Acabat lo trabalh | once the work was finished |
| Passada la tempèsta | once the storm had passed |
| Barrada la pòrta | once the door was closed |
| Arribats a Tolosa | once they had arrived in Toulouse |
The participle works like a short clause that says when something happened. It has no helper verb and no conjunction. Aquò fach is the form you will meet most often in print.
The agreement is the same as for any adjective: acabat lo trabalh (masculine singular), passada la tempèsta (feminine singular), arribats a Tolosa (masculine plural). In arribats a Tolosa there is no noun after the participle, because it describes the subject of the main clause. It is a written construction, and you meet it mostly in stories.
Examples (5)
- Aquò fach, Joan tornèt a l'ostal.
That done, Joan went home.
Aquò fach: the participle stays masculine after aquò.
- Acabat lo trabalh, partiguèt.
The work finished, he left.
Acabat agrees with trabalh, which is masculine.
- Passada la tempèsta, lo solelh tornèt.
Once the storm had passed, the sun came back.
Passada agrees with tempèsta, which is feminine.
- Barrada la pòrta, Maria anèt dormir.
Once the door was closed, Maria went to sleep.
Barrada agrees with pòrta.
- Arribats a Tolosa, anèron a l'ostal.
Once they had arrived in Toulouse, they went to the house.
Arribats is masculine plural, for the people who arrived.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the participle unchanged
Passat la tempèsta, lo solelh tornèt.Passada la tempèsta, lo solelh tornèt.The participle agrees with its noun, here the feminine tempèsta: passada.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The absolute participle starts a sentence with an agreeing participle, so the participle as an adjective and aprèp aver come first.
- Participles as Adjectives
Know the participle used as an adjective, because it agrees with the noun that follows: Passada la tempèsta, lo solelh tornèt.
Level 3 - aprèp aver + ParticipleAfter Having Done
Know aprèp aver plus a participle, because the absolute participle replaces it: Aquò fach, Joan tornèt a l'ostal.
Level 4
Related Patterns
Practice Absolute Participle in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Occitan lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
