completato

Completato is the past participle of the Italian verb completare, meaning that something has been finished or brought to full completion. It is used to form compound tenses with the auxiliary verbs avere or essere, and it can also function as an adjective or in passive constructions to describe the result of an action.

Etymology and meaning: The term derives from Latin completus, from com- (together, fully) and plere (to fill). In Italian, completare and its participle completato have developed to express the completion of tasks, processes, or forms, as opposed to the adjective completo, which more simply denotes a state of being complete.

Usage in grammar: When used with avere, the past participle generally does not agree with the subject, but may agree with a preceding direct object (e.g., I compiti li ho completati). With essere, completato agrees in gender and number with the subject (e.g., Il progetto è stato completato; I progetti sono stati completati). Completato commonly appears in written or formal contexts, including administrative, educational, and professional language, to denote that work or a step has been finished.

Common contexts and examples:

- Ho completato il modulo. (I have filled out the form.)

- Il lavoro è stato completato ieri. (The work was completed yesterday.)

- I compiti sono stati completati prima della lezione. (The homework has been completed before the lesson.)

Relation to related terms: Completato is distinct from completo, which is an adjective meaning simply “complete,” while completare denotes the act of finishing a task. In translations, completato often becomes “completed” in English.