Il gerundio composto e il gerundio assoluto
Il gerundio composto e il gerundio assoluto means “"Having done" — the compound gerund and the gerund with its own subject”. Two more advanced faces of the gerund. Formation: composto: avendo/essendo + participio (avendo mangiato, essendo arrivato) = anteriorità · assoluto: gerundio con un soggetto proprio, diverso dalla principale (essendo tardi, siamo rimasti)
"Having done" — the compound gerund and the gerund with its own subject
B2Formation
composto: avendo/essendo + participio (avendo mangiato, essendo arrivato) = anteriorità · assoluto: gerundio con un soggetto proprio, diverso dalla principale (essendo tardi, siamo rimasti)
Explanation
Two more advanced faces of the gerund. (1) The compound gerund marks anteriority — an action finished before the main one. It is avendo or essendo plus the participle: Avendo mangiato, sono uscito (having eaten, I went out); Essendo arrivata tardi, Maria ha perso il treno (having arrived late, Maria missed the train). With essere the participle agrees. Compared to the simple gerund (mangiando = while eating), the compound one clearly puts the action first. (2) The absolute gerund breaks the usual same-subject rule: it carries its own subject, different from the main clause's, most often with essere: Essendo tardi, siamo rimasti a casa (it being late, we stayed home); Permettendolo il tempo, faremo una gita (weather permitting, we'll take a trip). This absolute use is distinctly formal and written — a compact way to state a background circumstance.
Examples
Note
Compound gerund = the action came first (avendo finito, poi…). Absolute gerund = its subject differs from the main clause, and it's a formal, written device (essendo tardi, …). In casual speech you'd usually just say siccome era tardi ("since it was late") instead.
FAQ
Il gerundio composto e il gerundio assoluto — what does it mean and how is it used?
"Having done" — the compound gerund and the gerund with its own subject. Two more advanced faces of the gerund. (1) The compound gerund marks anteriority — an action finished before the main one. It is avendo or essendo plus the participle: Avendo mangiato, sono uscito (having eaten, I went out); Essendo arrivata tardi, Maria ha perso il treno (having arrived late, Maria missed the train). With essere the participle agrees. Compared to the simple gerund (mangiando = while eating), the compound one clearly puts the action first. (2) The absolute gerund breaks the usual same-subject rule: it carries its own subject, different from the main clause's, most often with essere: Essendo tardi, siamo rimasti a casa (it being late, we stayed home); Permettendolo il tempo, faremo una gita (weather permitting, we'll take a trip). This absolute use is distinctly formal and written — a compact way to state a background circumstance.
Il gerundio composto e il gerundio assoluto — how do you form it?
composto: avendo/essendo + participio (avendo mangiato, essendo arrivato) = anteriorità · assoluto: gerundio con un soggetto proprio, diverso dalla principale (essendo tardi, siamo rimasti)
Il gerundio composto e il gerundio assoluto — any usage notes?
Compound gerund = the action came first (avendo finito, poi…). Absolute gerund = its subject differs from the main clause, and it's a formal, written device (essendo tardi, …). In casual speech you'd usually just say siccome era tardi ("since it was late") instead.