A participle is a special verb form used to build perfect tenses (he abierto la puerta) and also to describe things as adjectives (la puerta está abierta).

Chart of common Spanish irregular participles with examples, including abrir–abierto, cubrir–cubierto, decir–dicho, escribir–escrito, freír–frito, hacer–hecho, morir–muerto, poner–puesto, ver–visto, volver–vuelto, and resolver–resuelto.

In this guide, you’ll find a complete list of the most common irregular participles in Spanish, clear example sentences, and tips to avoid the mistakes learners often make.

What Is a Past Participle in Spanish?

A past participle is a non-personal verb form used in two main ways:

  1. To form perfect tenses with haber

    • He comido. → I have eaten.

    • Hemos hablado. → We have spoken.

  2. As an adjective (agreeing in gender/number)

    • La carta está escrita. → The letter is written.

    • Las puertas están abiertas. → The doors are open.

Regular participles follow predictable patterns. Irregular ones, however, need to be memorized.

Regular vs Irregular Participles

  • Regular participles are formed with –ado (for –ar verbs) and –ido (for –er and –ir verbs).

    • hablar → hablado

    • comer → comido

    • vivir → vivido

  • Irregular participles don’t follow the pattern and must be learned individually.

    • decir → dicho

    • romper → roto

    • ver → visto

Some verbs even have two participles: one used with haber, the other used as an adjective.

List of Common Irregular Participles in Spanish

Here are the most frequent irregular participles you’ll encounter:

Infinitive Meaning Irregular Participle Example Sentence
abrir to open abierto He abierto la puerta. (I have opened the door.)
absolver to pardon absuelto Fue absuelto de la culpa. (He was pardoned of guilt.)
componer to compose compuesto Hemos compuesto una canción. (We have composed a song.)
cubrir to cover cubierto La mesa está cubierta. (The table is covered.)
decir to say dicho Lo has dicho muy bien. (You have said it well.)
deshacer to undo deshecho El paquete está deshecho. (The package is undone.)
descomponer to rot descompuesto La fruta se ha descompuesto. (The fruit has rotted.)
descubrir to discover descubierto He descubierto un secreto. (I have discovered a secret.)
devolver to return devuelto He devuelto el libro. (I have returned the book.)
envolver to wrap envuelto El regalo está envuelto. (The gift is wrapped.)
escribir to write escrito Hemos escrito una carta. (We have written a letter.)
exponer to present expuesto El tema fue expuesto claramente. (The topic was presented clearly.)
hacer to do hecho Has hecho un buen trabajo. (You have done a good job.)
imponer to impose impuesto Nos han impuesto una regla nueva. (They have imposed a new rule.)
morir to die muerto El pez está muerto. (The fish is dead.)
oponer to oppose opuesto Sus ideas son opuestas. (His ideas are opposed.)
poner to put puesto He puesto la mesa. (I have set the table.)
predecir to predict predicho Fue predicho por el científico. (It was predicted by the scientist.)
posponer to postpone pospuesto La reunión se ha pospuesto. (The meeting has been postponed.)
prever to foresee previsto Estaba previsto desde ayer. (It was foreseen since yesterday.)
proponer to propose propuesto Han propuesto una solución. (They have proposed a solution.)
reponer to replace repuesto He repuesto la silla rota. (I have replaced the broken chair.)
resolver to solve resuelto El problema ya está resuelto. (The problem is already solved.)
romper to break roto He roto el vaso. (I have broken the glass.)
satisfacer to satisfy satisfecho Estoy satisfecho con los resultados. (I am satisfied with the results.)
ver to see visto He visto esa película. (I have seen that movie.)
volver to return vuelto He vuelto a casa. (I have returned home.)

Verbs with Two Participles

Some verbs have two different participles, one regular and one irregular.

  • The regular form is generally used in perfect tenses.

  • The irregular form is often used as an adjective.

Infinitive Meaning Regular Participle Irregular Participle Example
bendecir to bless bendecido bendito El sacerdote ha bendecido el agua. / El agua bendita
despertar to wake up despertado despierto El niño ha despertado. / El niño está despierto.
freír to fry freído frito He freído las papas. / Las papas fritas
salvar to save salvado salvo Ha salvado la situación. / Está a salvo.
soltar to release soltado suelto Ha soltado la cuerda. / La cuerda está suelta.

Irregular Participles in Context

  • With perfect tenses (haber):
    He escrito un poema. (I have written a poem.)
    Ellos han roto el pacto. (They have broken the pact.)

  • As adjectives:
    La carta está escrita. (The letter is written.)
    Las ventanas están abiertas. (The windows are open.)

Common Mistakes Learners Make

  • ❌ Using a regular form instead of the irregular (decido instead of dicho).

  • ❌ Forgetting gender and number agreement when used as adjectives.

  • ❌ Confusing participles with gerunds (comido vs comiendo).

FAQs About Spanish Participles

What is a participle in Spanish?
A verb form used to create perfect tenses with haber or as an adjective.

What’s the difference between regular and irregular participles?
Regular ones follow predictable –ado/–ido endings. Irregular ones do not and must be memorized.

Can participles be used as adjectives?
Yes, but they must agree in gender and number with the noun.

Is freído correct?
Yes, but frito is far more common in everyday speech.

How many irregular participles are there in Spanish?
Around 30–40 core irregular participles are in frequent use.

Conclusion

Irregular participles are essential for everyday Spanish.

You’ll hear them constantly in conversations, books, and movies.

Mastering them will not only help you form perfect tenses correctly but also make your Spanish sound more natural when describing things.

👉 Download my free PDF with the complete list of Spanish irregular participles so you can study them anywhere.

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