Auxiliary verbs are very important in Italian. They help form different verb tenses, especially with tricky irregular verbs. The main auxiliary verbs in Italian are "essere" (which means "to be") and "avere" (which means "to have"). We use these verbs to create various tenses.

When to Use "Avere"

Most action verbs need "avere." Here’s an example:

• Mangiare (to eat)
  • Ho mangiato (I have eaten)

When to Use "Essere"

Some verbs, especially those that show movement or a change, require "essere." For example:

• Andare (to go)
  • Sono andato/a (I have gone)

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs can be a bit tricky. They have special ways to work with these auxiliary verbs. For example:

• The verb fare (to do or to make) uses "avere":
  • Ho fatto (I have done/made)

Agreement of Gender and Number

When using "essere," you must match the past participle with the subject’s gender and number. Here are some examples:

• Sono andati (They [masculine] have gone)
• Sono andate (They [feminine] have gone)

To wrap it up, knowing when to use "avere" and "essere" with irregular verbs is key to getting better at Italian verb forms and tenses. Remember, practice helps you improve!