Verbs which require the verb essere as the auxiliary:
Intransitive verbs (usually verbs of motion - displacement - changes in states of being or lack of motion or displacement) and all the reflexive
verbs require essere as the auxiliary verb, not avere. This
means that you use the present tense of essere and the past participle.
N.B. When essere is
the auxiliary, the past participle agrees with the subject of the verb.
For example: “The girls have left” = Le ragazze sono
partite.
“The boys
arrived late” = I ragazzi sono arrivati in ritardo.
“The
children woke up early” = I bambini si sono svegliati presto.
N.B.
The verb 'essere' is also the auxiliary verb for itself; the past participle
is "stato". Here is the full past tense :
| I was/have been |
sono stato/a |
we were |
siamo stati/e |
| you were |
sei stato/a |
you were |
siete stati/e |
| he was |
è stato |
they were |
sono stati/e |
| she was |
è stata |
|
|
Notice how the past participle must change to match the gender and number
of the subject.
Listed below are the most common verbs which require essere as
their auxiliary; learn them now be careful to learn the strong past participles.
|
Infinitive
|
Meaning
|
Past Participle
|
|
Salire
|
to go up |
salito
|
|
Uscire
|
to go out, exit |
uscito
|
|
Partire
|
to leave |
partito
|
|
Entrare
|
to enter |
entrato
|
|
Ritornare
|
to return |
ritornato
|
|
Morire
|
to diet |
morto
|
|
Andare
|
to go |
andato
|
|
Nascere
|
to be born |
nato
|
|
Diventare
|
to become |
diventato
|
|
Arrivare
|
to arrive |
arrivato
|
|
Venire
|
to come |
venuto
|
|
Essere
|
to be |
stato
|
|
Cadere
|
to fall |
caduto
|
|
Crescere
|
to grow up |
cresciuto
|
|
Scendere
|
to go down, to descend |
sceso
|
|
Stare
|
to be (healtwise), to stay |
stato
|
|
Intervenire
|
to intervene |
intervenuto
|
|
Rimanere
|
to remain |
rimasto
|
|
Succedere
|
to happen |
successo
|
|
Esistere
|
to exist |
esistito
|
|
Accadere
|
to happen |
accaduto
|
