The Passive Si in Compound Tenses
When using the passive si (si passivante) in a compound tense like the passato prossimo, the auxiliary verb is always essere. Because it uses essere, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the noun receiving the action (which is grammatically the subject of the sentence).
| Noun Gender & Number | Auxiliary | Participle Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | si è | -o | si è venduto (it was sold) |
| Feminine Singular | si è | -a | si è venduta (it was sold) |
| Masculine Plural | si sono | -i | si sono venduti (they were sold) |
| Feminine Plural | si sono | -e | si sono vendute (they were sold) |
If the noun is singular, use si è and match the past participle accordingly.
| The trend was analyzed and the export was blocked. | Si è analizzato l'andamento e si è bloccata l'esportazione. |
If the noun is plural, use si sono and match the past participle ending to the noun.
| In this quarter, many sales were recorded. | In questo trimestre si sono registrate molte vendite. |
| Last year, unsold stocks were avoided. | L'anno scorso si sono evitate le giacenze. |
Mixed Agreement
Sentences often contain multiple passive constructions. Pay close attention to whether you need si è or si sono for each clause, ensuring every past participle reflects its specific noun.
| Many goods were sold, therefore the import was reduced. | Si sono venduti molti beni, quindi si è ridotta l'importazione. |
| New imports were not ordered until the unsold stocks were removed. | Non si sono ordinate nuove importazioni finché non si sono rimosse le giacenze. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io