Italian Verbs with Double Auxiliaries (Essere & Avere)
In Italian, most verbs take only one auxiliary in compound tenses:
- avere for transitive verbs (ho mangiato, abbiamo letto, etc.)
- essere for intransitive verbs, verbs of movement, state, or change (sono andato, è arrivata, siamo stati, etc.).
But some verbs are special: they can take both auxiliaries, depending on whether they are used transitively or intransitively.
Why the Double Auxiliary?
It all comes down to the type of verb use:
- Transitive verbs = avere → they take a direct object (what? / who?).
- Ho finito il libro → I finished the book.
- Intransitive verbs = essere → no object, the action just happens.
- Il film è finito → The movie ended.
👉 Some verbs (like cambiare, finire, iniziare, salire, scendere, migliorare) can be used both ways. That’s why they switch between avere and essere depending on the sentence.
Common Verbs with Double Auxiliaries
Here are the most frequent ones:
- peggiorare – to worsen
- cambiare – to change
- finire – to finish
- iniziare / cominciare – to start
- terminare – to finish/end
- aumentare – to increase
- diminuire – to decrease
- salire – to go up, climb, get on
- scendere – to go down, get off
- migliorare – to improve
Transitive vs. Intransitive Verbs: What Does It Mean?
The choice between essere and avere is not random. It depends on the type of verb use.
1. Transitive Verbs → Avere
- A transitive verb has a direct object.
- In English, you can ask “What?” or “Who?” after the verb.
- If the answer makes sense → the verb is transitive → use avere.
Examples:
- Ho cambiato casa → I changed what? → casa
- Ho finito il libro → I finished what? → libro
- Hanno aumentato le tasse → They increased what? → tasse
Here, cambiare, finire, aumentare affect something else (the object).
2. Intransitive Verbs → Essere
- An intransitive verb has no object.
- The action simply happens to the subject.
- You cannot ask “What?” or “Who?” because there is no answer.
Examples:
- Il clima è cambiato → The climate has changed.
- Il film è finito → The movie ended.
- Il costo della vita è aumentato → The cost of living increased.
Note: Most Italian verbs are always one or the other.
But a handful (like cambiare, finire, iniziare, salire, scendere, migliorare, peggiorare) can be both.
That’s why they sometimes take avere (when transitive) and sometimes essere (when intransitive).
Teacher’s Tip
If the subject is a person doing something to something else → usually transitive → avere.
- Ho iniziato un nuovo libro → I started a new book.
If the subject is a thing/event that simply changes or happens → usually intransitive → essere.
- Il film è finito alle 10 → The movie ended at 10.
Italian Verbs to Talk About the Weather
Italian has a special group of verbs used only for describing the weather.
These verbs are called impersonal verbs because they are always used in the third person singular (“it”).
A unique feature is that they can take either auxiliary, essere or avere, with no difference in meaning.
Common Weather Verbs:
Nevicare – to snow
- Ha nevicato → It has snowed
- È nevicato → It has snowed
Piovere – to rain
- Ha piovuto → It has rained
- È piovuto → It has rained
Grandinare – to hail
- È grandinato → It has hailed
- Ha grandinato → It has hailed
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