Spanish Past Participles: Forms, Irregulars, and How to Use Them
Spanish past participles are formed by replacing the infinitive ending: -ar → -ado (hablado), -er → -ido (comido), -ir → -ido (vivido). They serve two functions: building compound tenses with haber ('he hablado' = I have spoken) and acting as adjectives that agree in gender and number ('una puerta cerrada' = a closed door). About 14 high-frequency verbs have irregular past participles you must memorize: abierto, dicho, escrito, hecho, puesto, visto, vuelto, and others.
How to form the past participle
Regular -AR verbs: drop -ar, add -ado (hablar → hablado). Regular -ER and -IR verbs: drop the ending, add -ido (comer → comido, vivir → vivido). When used as an adjective, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (cerrado/cerrada/cerrados/cerradas). When used with haber in compound tenses, it is invariable.
| Infinitive | Past Participle | Compound use | Adjective use |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar (to speak) | hablado | he hablado (I have spoken) | — |
| comer (to eat) | comido | ha comido (he has eaten) | una manzana comida |
| vivir (to live) | vivido | hemos vivido (we have lived) | — |
| cerrar (to close) | cerrado | han cerrado (they have closed) | la puerta cerrada |
| pintar (to paint) | pintado | has pintado | una casa pintada |
Two functions of the past participle
- Compound tenses with haber: pretérito perfecto (he hablado), pluscuamperfecto (había hablado), futuro perfecto (habré hablado), condicional perfecto (habría hablado), and all the perfect subjunctive forms.
- Adjective: 'una ventana abierta' (an open window). Agrees with the noun in gender and number.
- Passive voice with ser: 'El libro fue escrito por ella.' (The book was written by her.)
- Estar + past participle for resulting state: 'La puerta está cerrada.' (The door is closed.)
14 essential irregular past participles
| Person / verb | Form | Example (Spanish) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrir | abierto | He abierto la puerta. | I have opened the door. |
| cubrir | cubierto | El cielo está cubierto. | The sky is covered. |
| decir | dicho | ¿Has dicho la verdad? | Have you told the truth? |
| escribir | escrito | Ha escrito un libro. | He has written a book. |
| freír | frito | He frito los huevos. | I have fried the eggs. |
| hacer | hecho | ¿Qué has hecho hoy? | What have you done today? |
| imprimir | impreso | He impreso el contrato. | I have printed the contract. |
| morir | muerto | El árbol ha muerto. | The tree has died. |
| poner | puesto | He puesto la mesa. | I have set the table. |
| resolver | resuelto | Hemos resuelto el problema. | We have solved the problem. |
| romper | roto | Has roto el plato. | You have broken the plate. |
| ver | visto | Han visto la película. | They have seen the movie. |
| volver | vuelto | Ha vuelto a casa. | He has returned home. |
| satisfacer | satisfecho | Estoy satisfecho. | I am satisfied. |
Common mistakes
Agreement only when adjective
With haber: 'la casa que he comprado' (invariable). As adjective: 'la casa comprada' (agrees feminine singular).
Two participles for some verbs
Some verbs have a regular and irregular form: imprimir → imprimido (compound) vs impreso (adjective). The regular form is preferred with haber.
Don't translate 'I have to' with haber + participle
'I have to do' is 'tengo que hacer'. Haber + participle expresses 'I have done' — completed past, not obligation.
Past Participles — frequently asked
- How do you form the past participle in Spanish?
- For regular -AR verbs, replace -ar with -ado (hablado). For -ER and -IR verbs, replace the ending with -ido (comido, vivido). About 14 common verbs have irregular past participles like abierto, dicho, hecho, escrito, visto, puesto, vuelto.
- What are the most common irregular past participles in Spanish?
- abierto (abrir), cubierto (cubrir), dicho (decir), escrito (escribir), frito (freír), hecho (hacer), impreso (imprimir), muerto (morir), puesto (poner), resuelto (resolver), roto (romper), satisfecho (satisfacer), visto (ver), vuelto (volver).
- When does the past participle agree with the noun?
- When it acts as an adjective. 'La puerta cerrada' (feminine singular). 'Los libros leídos' (masculine plural). When it's used with haber in a compound tense, it stays invariable: 'ha cerrado la puerta', 'has leído los libros'.
- What is the past participle of abrir?
- Abierto. It's irregular and used both in compound tenses ('he abierto la ventana') and as an adjective ('una ventana abierta').
- What is the past participle of ser and ir?
- Both have regular past participles: ser → sido, ir → ido. These appear in compound tenses like 'he sido' (I have been) and 'he ido' (I have gone).
Keep going
Continue with the directly related tense, verb, and comparison pages.
Pretérito Perfecto
/grammar/preterito-perfecto/
Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto
/tenses/preterito-pluscuamperfecto/
haber conjugation
/spanish-verbs/haber-conjugation/
abrir conjugation
/spanish-verbs/abrir-conjugation/
Blog: Volver vs Regresar vs Devolver — vuelto & devuelto irregular
/blog/volver-vs-regresar-vs-devolver-spanish-guide/