The Past Participle

The past participle is formed in Spanish by adding -ado to the stem of regular -ar verbs and -ido to the stem of regular -er or -ir verbs: hablar > hablado; poder > podido; vivir > vivido, etc.

The past participle can often be used as an adjective (usually with the verb estar). Then, it has four forms, reflecting the number and gender of the noun it describes:
 
El precio está confirmado. The price is confirmed.
La tarifa está confirmada. The fare is confirmed.
Los fondos están confirmados. The funds are confirmed.
Las reservaciones están confirmadas. The reservations are confirmed.

The past participle can also be used with the verb ser to construct the passive voice: La comida fue preparada por mamá (‘The food was prepared by Mom’). Again, the past participle reflects number and gender of the noun it describes. The passive construction with ser + past participle is not as common in Spanish as it is in English. The active voice should be used whenever possible: Mamá preparó la comida (‘Mom made the food’).