Learn Italian: Mi sono seduto tranquillamente, ma ho dimenticato la password. - I sat down quietly, but I forgot the password.

Mi sono seduto tranquillamente, ma ho dimenticato la password.

I sat down quietly, but I forgot the password.

Breakdown of Mi sono seduto tranquillamente, ma ho dimenticato la password.

Questions & Answers about Mi sono seduto tranquillamente, ma ho dimenticato la password.

Why is it mi sono seduto instead of using avere?

In Italian, the verb for sitting down is reflexive: sedersi (literally to sit oneself). In the past tense, all reflexive verbs must use essere as their helping verb. You are essentially saying I am sat myself.

Would the sentence change if a woman were speaking?

Yes! Because the helping verb is essere, the past participle ending must match the gender of the person speaking. A woman would say Mi sono seduta.

How is the adverb tranquillamente formed?

To make an adverb like quietly or calmly, you take the feminine form of the adjective (tranquilla) and add the ending -mente, which works just like the -ly ending in English.

Why does the second half of the sentence use ho dimenticato with the helping verb avere?

Unlike sedersi, the verb dimenticare (to forget) is not reflexive here. Most standard verbs use avere in the past tense, so it simply becomes ho dimenticato.

Why does the English word password use the feminine article la?