hecho/dicho/escrito/visto/puesto/abierto/muerto/roto/vuelto/cubierto

Irregular Past Participles

Level 3

Irregular past participles do not follow the standard -ado/-ido endings. Instead, verbs like hacer (hecho), decir (dicho), escribir (escrito), and ver (visto) use distinct stem forms in compound tenses and as adjectives.

How It Works

In Spanish, the past participle is used to form compound tenses (like the present perfect and pluperfect) and as passive adjectives.

While regular verbs take -ado or -ido, a select group of high-frequency verbs use irregular forms:

  • hacer → hecho (done/made)
  • decir → dicho (said/told)
  • escribir → escrito (written)
  • ver → visto (seen)
  • poner → puesto (put/placed)
  • abrir → abierto (opened)
  • romper → roto (broken)
  • volver → vuelto (returned)
  • morir → muerto (died/dead)
  • cubrir → cubierto (covered)

Important Patterns & Derivatives:
Verbs derived from these primary roots follow the same irregular pattern! For example:

  • resolver → resuelto
  • devolver → devuelto
  • descubrir → descubierto
  • deshacer → deshecho

When used in compound tenses with haber, the participle always ends in -o and never changes gender or number. However, when used as an adjective (such as with estar), it must agree with the noun in gender and number (e.g., la puerta está abierta).

Examples (5)

  1. Esta mañana he hecho la comida y he escrito dos cartas.

    This morning I made lunch and wrote two letters.

    Word by Word: This morning I have made the food and I have written two letters.

    Uses the irregular participles 'hecho' (from hacer) and 'escrito' (from escribir) combined with haber.

  2. ¿Has visto mi teléfono? No sé dónde lo he puesto.

    Have you seen my phone? I don't know where I put it.

    Word by Word: Have you seen my phone? Not I know where it I have put.

    Uses 'visto' (from ver) and 'puesto' (from poner).

  3. Ella me ha dicho la verdad sobre lo que pasó.

    She told me the truth about what happened.

    Word by Word: She to me has said the truth about that which happened.

    'Dicho' is the irregular past participle of decir.

  4. La ventana está rota y la puerta está abierta.

    The window is broken and the door is open.

    Word by Word: The window is broken and the door is opened.

    When used as adjectives with estar, irregular participles agree in gender and number: 'rota' (feminine singular) and 'abierta' (feminine singular).

  5. Hemos vuelto de las vacaciones hoy.

    We returned from vacation today.

    Word by Word: We have returned from the vacations today.

    'Vuelto' is the irregular past participle of volver.

Common Mistakes

  • Applying regular -ido or -ado endings to irregular verbs.

    Yo he escribido una carta y he hacido la tarea.
    Yo he escrito una carta y he hecho la tarea.

    Verbs like escribir and hacer do not take regular endings. They require their specific irregular forms 'escrito' and 'hecho'.

  • Changing the ending of the participle for gender or plural in compound tenses.

    Ellas han hechas la cena.
    Ellas han hecho la cena.

    In compound tenses with haber (like present perfect), the participle ALWAYS ends in -o regardless of subject gender or number.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

hecho/dicho/escrito/visto/puesto/abierto/muerto/roto/vuelto/cubiertoLevel 3Irregular Past Participles

Learn This First

To learn irregular past participles, a learner must first understand how regular participles are formed using -ado and -ido. Additionally, since participles are most commonly used in compound tenses, familiarity with the present perfect (Haber + participle) is essential for practical application.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 2 more in the full list.