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Questions & Answers about Il gioco è finito.
Why is there a definite article il before gioco?
In Italian, singular masculine nouns starting with a consonant typically take il as the definite article. Because gioco (game) is a masculine noun ending in -o, it pairs with il → il gioco = “the game.”
How do I know gioco is masculine?
Most Italian nouns ending in -o are masculine. There are exceptions, but gioco follows the regular pattern: if it ended in -a it would be feminine, but since it ends in -o, it’s masculine.
What tense is è finito?
This is the passato prossimo (present perfect) of finire (to finish). The structure is: present tense of essere (è) + past participle (finito) = “has finished” or “is over.”
Why is the auxiliary è (essere) used instead of ha (avere)?
Some intransitive verbs—especially those expressing a change of state—use essere as their auxiliary in the passato prossimo rather than avere. Here, finire conveys “coming to an end,” so it pairs with è.
Why does finito end with -o?
When you use essere in the passato prossimo, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject. Il gioco is masculine singular, so the participle is finito (masculine singular ending -o).
Why is there an accent on è?
The accent on è (grave accent) distinguishes it from the conjunction e (“and”). Without the accent, you couldn’t tell if you’re seeing “is/has” or “and.”
Can finito function as an adjective here?
Yes. In Il gioco è finito, finito is technically a past participle in a verb phrase but also works like an adjective meaning “finished” or “over.” Italian often blurs the line between participles and adjectives.
What’s the difference between finito and terminato?
Both are past participles meaning “finished/ended.” Finito (from finire) is more colloquial, while terminato (from terminare) can sound more formal or technical. You could say Il gioco è terminato with virtually the same meaning.
Can I change the word order to È finito il gioco?
Yes. Italian allows inversion for emphasis or a poetic feel. È finito il gioco is grammatically correct but more emphatic or stylistic; the neutral, most common word order is Il gioco è finito.