Using Past Participles
Are past participles supposed to be simply a verb in its infinitive form in the past tense? I read the article here on how to form past participles, but I don't understand when/how to use them, exactly, or like what they're used for. Sorry, I know that my question is a little bit confusing, but I'm not entirely sure what exactly to ask about. I guess I'll try and simplify it...
- What is a past participle? (Couldn't understand when reading info provided on site)
- When/why would you use one?
Thank you to anyone who can help me!
2 Answers
Basically to form the compound verb tenses, adjectives and passive voice as described in this article.
- I have eaten
- I had eaten
- I will have eaten
- I would have eaten
the past participle would be the "eaten" in these examples (comido)
la palabra hablada (the spoken word) (like other adjectives they agree with the modified noun in gender and number)
These are past participles in English: seen, done, gone, broken, taken, visited, broken... In Spanish, like in English, are used with the verb "haber" for perfect tenses:
He visto = I have seen He comido = I have eaten He roto = I have broken
Also, they appear in special constructions called periphrases, which are more advanced, so learn the perfect tenses first.
