Choosing between the verbs essere (to be) and avere (to have) is a necessary skill for forming Italian compound tenses like the passato prossimo.

Many Italian learners find it tricky to know which of these two helping verbs to use.

The good news is that there are clear rules to help you pick the right one every time.

I’ll explain these rules simply so you can conjugate past tense verbs with confidence.

What are auxiliary verbs?

Auxiliary verbs are “helping verbs” that team up with a main verb to create compound tenses.

In Italian, you’ll use them to talk about the past.

To form the passato prossimo (present perfect tense), you need a present tense auxiliary verb followed by a past participle.

Your only two options for this helping verb are essere and avere.

Here’s a quick refresher on how to conjugate both verbs in the present tense:

When to use avere

The vast majority of verbs in Italian take avere as their auxiliary verb.

You must use avere with “transitive verbs.”

A transitive verb is an action that transfers directly to an object.

You can easily identify these verbs by asking “what?” or “whom?” right after the verb.

If the sentence answers that question, you have a direct object and must use avere.

In the example above, if you ask “I ate what?”, the answer is “an apple.”

Here are a few more examples of transitive verbs using avere:

When to use essere

You must use essere with most “intransitive verbs.”

Intransitive verbs don’t take a direct object.

You can’t ask “what?” or “whom?” after these actions.

Instead, these verbs usually describe movement, a state of being, or a change of state.

Here are the three main categories of verbs that require essere:

1. Verbs of movement

Verbs that describe going from one destination to another take essere.

Common examples include andare (to go), venire (to come), partire (to leave), and arrivare (to arrive).

2. Verbs of state

Verbs that describe staying in a place or a state of being take essere.

Common examples include stare (to stay/to be), restare (to remain), and rimanere (to remain).

3. Verbs of change

Verbs that describe a life change or a physical transformation take essere.

Common examples include nascere (to be born), morire (to die), diventare (to become), and crescere (to grow).

It’s extremely important to remember that when you use essere, the ending of the past participle must agree with the gender and number of the subject.

If the subject is a female, the past participle ends in “a” (e.g., andata).

If the subject is a group of men, the past participle ends in “i” (e.g., andati).

Reflexive verbs use essere

Reflexive verbs are actions that the subject performs on themselves.

Common examples include svegliarsi (to wake up), lavarsi (to wash oneself), and vestirsi (to dress oneself).

In Italian compound tenses, all reflexive verbs must use essere.

You still need to match the past participle ending to the subject’s gender and number.

Verbs that use both

There are a few tricky verbs that can take either essere or avere depending on how they’re used.

This usually happens with verbs like finire (to finish), passare (to pass), and cambiare (to change).

If the verb has a direct object (transitive), use avere.

If the verb doesn’t have a direct object and describes a state or movement (intransitive), use essere.

You can always check a reputable dictionary like WordReference if you’re unsure whether a verb is transitive or intransitive.

Italian regional variations

While the rules above apply to standard Italian, you might hear exceptions if you travel through Italy.

In some southern Italian dialects, speakers occasionally use avere in place of essere for intransitive verbs.

You might hear someone say ho andato instead of sono andato in deep regional speech.

That’s grammatically incorrect in standard Italian.

You should always follow the standard rules when studying, writing, or speaking to ensure you’re understood everywhere.

The easiest way to master these rules is through consistent exposure and speaking practice.

I highly recommend signing up for Talk In Italian to practice conjugating compound tenses with immediate feedback.