-ado/-ido

Past Participle Formation

Level 3

For -ar verbs, replace -ar with -ado (hablar → hablado). For -er and -ir verbs, replace the ending with -ido (comer → comido, vivir → vivido).

How It Works

The past participle is a versatile verb form in Spanish. For regular verbs, the formation is straightforward:

  • For -ar verbs: Drop the -ar and add -ado.
    Example: hablar → hablado (spoken)
  • For -er verbs: Drop the -er and add -ido.
    Example: comer → comido (eaten)
  • For -ir verbs: Drop the -ir and add -ido.
    Example: vivir → vivido (lived)

Main Uses:

1. With the verb 'haber' to form perfect tenses:
This is used to talk about actions that have or had happened. The most common is the present perfect. In this structure, the participle is invariable; it always ends in -o.
He hablado con mi jefe. (I have spoken with my boss.)
Ellas han comido. (They have eaten.)

2. As an adjective:
When used as an adjective, the participle must agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun it modifies. It often follows the verb ser or estar.
El libro está cerrado. (The book is closed.)
La tienda está cerrada. (The store is closed.)
Los libros están cerrados. (The books are closed.)
Las tiendas están cerradas. (The stores are closed.)

Accent Rule:
When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a strong vowel (a, e, o), the 'i' of the -ido ending needs an accent mark to maintain the correct pronunciation.
leer → leído (read)
creer → creído (believed)
oír → oído (heard)

Be aware that many common verbs have irregular past participles.

Examples (5)

  1. He hablado con María.

    I have spoken with María.

    Word by Word: I have spoken with María.

  2. La comida está preparada.

    The food is prepared.

    Word by Word: The food is prepared.

    Here, 'preparada' is used as an adjective modifying 'la comida' (feminine, singular), so it ends in -a.

  3. Hemos vivido aquí por cinco años.

    We have lived here for five years.

    Word by Word: We have lived here for five years.

  4. Las puertas están cerradas.

    The doors are closed.

    Word by Word: The doors are closed.

    'Cerradas' is an adjective describing 'las puertas' (feminine, plural), so it ends in -as.

  5. ¿Has leído este libro?

    Have you read this book?

    Word by Word: Have you read this book?

    The stem of 'leer' ends in 'e', so the participle 'leído' needs an accent on the 'i'.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting adjective agreement

    Las tiendas están cerrado.
    Las tiendas están cerradas.

    When a past participle is used as an adjective with 'ser' or 'estar', it must agree in gender and number with the noun. Since 'tiendas' is feminine and plural, the participle must be 'cerradas'.

  • Incorrectly changing the participle ending in perfect tenses

    Nosotras hemos habladas con el profesor.
    Nosotras hemos hablado con el profesor.

    When forming perfect tenses with the verb 'haber', the past participle is invariable and always ends in -o, regardless of the subject's gender or number.

How It Connects

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-ado/-idoLevel 3Past Participle Formation

Learn This First

To form past participles, you must first be able to identify the infinitive category of a verb (-ar, -er, or -ir) to choose the correct ending. Additionally, because participles are frequently used as adjectives, understanding noun-adjective agreement is vital for their correct application in-context application.

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Words in This Pattern

-ado-ido