ascoltato

Ascoltato is the past participle of the Italian verb ascoltare, meaning to listen. In Italian grammar it is used in two main ways: in compound tenses with the auxiliary avere (ho ascoltato, hai ascoltato, abbiamo ascoltato) to indicate that listening has occurred; and as an adjective meaning “listened to” or “heard,” describing something that has been listened to, such as un brano ascoltato or una canzone ascoltata. It also appears in passive constructions with essere, as in è stato ascoltato, to indicate that someone or something was heard.

Origin and meaning: ascoltare derives from Latin auscultare, reflecting the sense of paying attention to sound. As a participle used adjectivally, ascoltato agrees with the noun it modifies (un brano ascoltato, una canzone ascoltata, i brani ascoltati). When used in standard verb tenses with avere, the form remains as ascoltato.

Usage notes: The term is common in everyday Italian and appears in a wide range of contexts, from casual speech to journalism. It frequently collocates with objects of listening, such as musica, la radio, una canzone, and interviste: Ho ascoltato la musica; l’intervista ascoltata ieri ha avuto attenzione. In its adjectival role, it provides a way to describe items that have undergone the act of listening, distinguishing them from things that have not been heard. See also ascoltare for the base verb and auscultare as its Latin origin.