Participle in Spanish

The participle is an essential tool in Spanish that allows us to talk about actions that have already been completed or to describe characteristics of objects or people.

In this article, you will learn what the participle is, how it is formed, its main uses, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

What is the participle in Spanish?

The participle is a non-personal form of the verb that indicates an action that has already been completed and can perform different functions within a sentence. It is similar to "-ed" or "-en" in English (as in played or written).

In Spanish, participles are very useful for forming compound tenses, describing characteristics, or creating sentences in the passive voice. Examples of sentences with participles:

• He terminado mi tarea. (I have finished my homework.) (compound time)
• La puerta está cerrada. (The door is closed.) (adjective)
• El libro fue escrito por un autor famoso. (The book was written by a famous author.) (passive voice)
• Ellos han comido demasiado. (They have eaten too much.) (compound time)
• La mesa está pintada de rojo. (The table is painted red.) (adjective)

How to form the participle in Spanish

The formation of the participle depends on the type of infinitive verb, that is, those ending in -ar, -er, or -ir. For regular verbs, the endings -ado (for -ar) and -ido (for -er and -ir) are added to the root of the verb.

Examples with regular verbs

Here are some examples of how regular verbs are conjugated in the participle for better understanding:

Verbs in -ar

Hablar → hablado (spoken). 

Examples of verbs in participle with -ar ending:

• He hablado con el profesor. (I have spoken with the teacher.)
• La lección fue hablada con claridad. (The lesson was spoken clearly.)
• Nosotros hemos hablado del tema antes. (We have talked about the topic before.)
• Ella había hablado del viaje. (She had talked about the trip.)
• El problema fue hablado en la reunión. (The problem was discussed in the meeting.)

Verbs in -er

Comer → comido (eaten). 

Examples of verbs in participle with -er ending:

• Ellos han comido muy rápido. (They have eaten very quickly.)
• El plato está comido en su totalidad. (The plate is completely eaten.)
• Habíamos comido antes de salir. (We had eaten before leaving.)
• El pastel fue comido por los niños. (The cake was eaten by the children.)
• He comido demasiado hoy. (I have eaten too much today.)

Verbs in -ir

Vivir → vivido (lived). 

Examples of verbs in participle with -ir ending:

• Hemos vivido en Guatemala toda nuestra vida. (We have lived in Guatemala our whole life.)
• He vivido cosas increíbles en este viaje. (I have lived incredible things on this trip.)
• Mi hermana ha vivido en Alicante desde hace más de un año. (My sister has lived in Alicante for over a year.)
• Nosotros habíamos vivido en ese departamento mucho tiempo. (We had lived in that apartment for a long time.)
• Ellas han vivido una vida muy tranquila. (They have lived a very peaceful life.)

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Irregular verbs with participle

Some verbs change in their irregular form when we use them in the participle. It is important to memorize these forms because they are essential for forming compound tenses and using them as adjectives. Examples of verbs with irregular participles:

Hacer → hecho (done).

• He hecho mi lección de hoy. (I have done my lesson for today.)
• ¿Has hecho el pago de esa factura? (Have you made the payment for that bill?)
• Karina no ha hecho nada de lo que se le pidió. (Karina has not done anything that she was asked.)
• Ya hemos hecho todas las reservas para el viaje. (We have already made all the reservations for the trip.)
• Mi hijo ya ha hecho todas sus tareas de la escuela. (My son has already done all his school assignments.)

Decir → dicho (said).

• Ya te había dicho lo que pensaba sobre el proyecto. (I had already told you what I thought about the project.)
• Todo lo que has dicho tiene mucho sentido. (Everything you have said makes a lot of sense.)
• Ellos no han dicho nada sobre la fiesta. (They have not said anything about the party.)
• ¿Ya le has dicho lo que sientes antes? (Have you told him what you felt before?)
• El profesor ha dicho que podremos tener la clase de hoy afuera. (The teacher has said that we can have today’s class outside.)

Escribir → escrito (written).

• He escrito varios libros en los últimos años. (I have written several books in the last few years.)
• ¿Ya has escrito tu ensayo para la clase de historia? (Have you already written your essay for history class?)
• Mi esposo me ha escrito cartas muy románticas para el día de San Valentín. (My husband has written me very romantic letters for Valentine’s Day.)
• Has escrito artículos sobre perros y tortugas, pero no sobre gatos. (You have written articles about dogs and turtles, but not about cats.)
• El informe fue escrito por la gerente de la sucursal. (The report was written by the branch manager.)

Abrir → abierto (opened).

• He abierto la ventana para que entre un poco de aire fresco. (I have opened the window to let in some fresh air.)
• ¿Has abierto el paquete que te enviaron? (Have you opened the package they sent you?)
• El sobre estaba abierto, pero no encontré nada dentro. (The envelope was open, but I didn’t find anything inside.)
• Ella había abierto la caja para buscar su reloj. (She had opened the box to look for her watch.)
• ¿Ya está abierto el supermercado? (Is the supermarket already open?)

Ver → visto (seen).

• Hemos visto esa obra de teatro varias veces. (We have seen that play several times.)
• Nunca había visto algo tan impresionante en mi vida. (I had never seen anything so impressive in my life.)
• Ella no ha visto esa exhibición en el museo. (She has not seen that exhibition in the museum.)
• El director ha visto tu propuesta y le ha gustado mucho. (The director has seen your proposal and liked it a lot.)
• ¿Has visto el nuevo episodio de esa serie? (Have you seen the new episode of that series?)

Common mistakes when using the participle and how to avoid them

The participle is a powerful tool in Spanish, but now we will look at some common mistakes you should avoid so you can use it correctly:

Confusing the participle and the gerund

The gerund and the participle are two forms of the verb that do not depend on a person and are used in different situations, as they serve different roles within the sentence. The participle can function as an adjective, while the gerund acts as an adverb. Example:

• Incorrect: Estoy trabajando en el proyecto. (Gerund)
• Correct: He trabajado en el proyecto. (Participle)

Using an irregular participle incorrectly

Sometimes it can be confusing, but it is important to learn how irregular verbs are conjugated in the participle properly so that our sentences are correct. Example:

• Incorrect: La ventana está rompida.
• Correct: La ventana está rota. (The window is broken.)

Forgetting agreement when used as an adjective

As we have reviewed in other articles, it is very important that our sentences in Spanish always agree in gender and number, and the participle is no exception when used as an adjective. Example:

• Incorrect: Las puertas están cerrado.
• Correct: Las puertas están cerradas. (The doors are closed.)

Summary

The participle is a verbal form that is simply fundamental in the Spanish language. And, as we have seen, it can have uses: forming compound tenses, functioning as an adjective, and appearing in passive constructions.

Learning to differentiate it from the gerund and memorizing irregular participles are key steps to mastering it. Keep practicing through the Promova app, and you will notice how your Spanish improves quickly!