In this post, we will show you how to use the Italian Passato Prossimo. As we already stated in our previous articles about grammar, many non-Italian speakers struggle with verbs because every single verb has to be conjugated for person and number. In addition, there are so many forms and pronunciations that it’s almost impossible not to get at least one verb wrong. Don’t feel embarrassed if you can’t remember a verb or say “faciuto” instead of “fatto” – done in English – so many Italian people still struggle with the passato prossimo and the participio passato. It’s normal to make mistakes!  Bear in mind that every language can be frustrating to learn and the best thing you can do is KEEP LEARNING! Find an entertaining way to learn and stick to it; grammar is not fun, but instead of using a textbook, try watching a video and taking notes.  To help you out we have provided you with a video made by our fantastic tutor Francesca, click the link down below to learn the Italian passato prossimo. Francesca will also test your skills at the end, so make sure you watch the entire video.  Keep reading to learn how to create the passato prossimo or past tense in Italian, commonly called present perfect as well. Get ready to learn Italian online! The passato prossimo Italian conjugation might be difficult, but you’re smarter! Learn Italian passato prossimo with us. LEARN THE PAST TENSE IN ITALIAN – HOW TO CREATE THE ITALIAN PASSATO PROSSIMO In Italian, the passato prossimo is used to express past events and actions that are already over. In English, you can choose between the present perfect tense (I have gone) and the simple past tense (I went), while in Italian we use the passato prossimo most of the time. The other past tense (passato remoto) is only used in narratives or when we talk about something that happened a long time ago.  The passato prossimo is composed of the auxiliary verb (to have or to be) and the past participle of the main verb. Present tense of AVERE or ESSERE + PAST PARTICIPLE of the main verb To form the past participle (participio passato), you need to follow these rules:  If a verb ends in -ARE in the infinitive tense, take off -ARE and add -ATO: giocare (to play) — giocato (played); If a verb ends in -ERE in the infinitive tense, take off -ERE and add -UTO: sapere (to know) — saputo (known) If a verb ends in -IRE in the infinitive tense, take off -IRE and add -ITO: sentire (to hear) — sentito (heard) IRREGULAR PAST PARTICIPLES In Italian, there are many irregular verbs that don’t follow the rules mentioned above to form the past participle.  Here is a list of the most used irregular verbs: * Accendere (to switch, light up) – Acceso * Aggiungere (to add) – Aggiunto * Ammettere (to admit) – Ammesso * Apparire (to appear) – Apparso * Apprendere (to learn) – Appreso * Aprire (to open) – Aperto * Assistere (to assist) – Assistito * Assolvere (to acquit) – Assolto * Assumere (to hire) – Assunto * Attendere (to wait for) – Atteso * Attrarre (to attract) – Attratto * Avvolgere (to wrap) – Avvolto * Bere (to drink) – Bevuto * Chiedere (to ask) – Chiesto * Chiudere (to close) – Chiuso * Commettere (to commit) – Commesso * Comparire (to appear) – Comparso * Comprendere (to comprehend, to understand) – Compreso * Condividere (to share) – Condiviso * Confondere (to confuse) – Confuso * Connettere (to connect) – Connesso * Conoscere (to know) – Conosciuto * Correggere (to correct) – Corretto * Correre (to run) – Corso * Crescere (to grow) – Cresciuto * Cuocere (to cook) – Cotto