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Ieri Luca si è lavato i capelli.

Ieri Luca si è lavato i capelli.
Luca washed his hair yesterday.
From Lesson 71:Reflexive verbs in the past (mi sono svegliato)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Ieri Luca si è lavato i capelli.

Why does this sentence use è instead of ha for the past tense?
Because lavarsi (to wash oneself) is a reflexive verb. In the past tense, all reflexive verbs must use the helping verb essere (to be) instead of avere (to have). Since Luca is the subject, we use è.
What does the si do in this sentence?
si is the reflexive pronoun for 'himself'. Even though the English translation says Luca washed 'his' hair, the Italian phrasing is literally 'Luca washed the hair to himself'. The si tells us who received the action.
Why is it just i capelli (the hair) and not i suoi capelli (his hair)?
In Italian, when talking about body parts, you almost always use the definite article (like il, la, or i) instead of a possessive word like 'his' or 'my'. The reflexive pronoun si already makes it perfectly clear whose hair is being washed.
The English translation uses the singular word 'hair'. Why is capelli plural?
In Italian, the hair on your head is a plural noun, literally translating to 'the hairs'. If you use the singular word il capello, you are talking about just one single strand of hair!
Would the word lavato change if the subject was a woman?
Yes! Because reflexive verbs use essere in the past tense, the ending of the past participle must match the gender of the subject. If the subject were Maria, the sentence would be Maria si è lavata i capelli.

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