Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide, Third Edition (2013)
Part A. Structures
2. Verbs
2.1 General features of verbs
2.1.1 Introduction
Actions, events and situations are expressed by the use of verbs. Italian has a complex system of verb forms. In the first section of this chapter (2.1), we introduce and explain the main features of Italian verbs: grammatical subject; persons; conjugations; regular and irregular verbs; auxiliary and modal verbs; moods and tenses; transitive and intransitive verbs; active, passive and reflexive voice; si passivante and impersonal si.
In the second section of the chapter (2.2), we look at each individual verb mood (indicative, conditional and subjunctive) and tense with brief explanations and illustrations of their use. The most common irregular verb forms are also explained and illustrated. Part B of the book illustrates usage more fully.
For easy reference, Appendix II illustrates all the forms of the regular verbs in table form (both active and passive) while Appendix III illustrates the most common irregular verb forms.
2.1.2 Grammatical subject
Usually the subject of a verb is the ‘agent’ or ‘doer’ of an action, or the ‘protagonist’ of an event:
Noi partiamo per l'America.
We leave for America.
Franco e Teresa partono per l'America.
Franco and Teresa leave for America.
Sometimes you want to talk about facts rather than actions. In this case, the ‘subject’ of the verb is not carrying out an action, but is the theme or main topic expressed by the verb:
Giulia è bionda.
Giulia is blonde.
Questo film dura due ore.
This film lasts two hours.
The grammatical subject of the verb may be different from the real subject or agent of the action. This is the case with passive constructions (see 2.1.10 and 19.2).
2.1.3 Persons of the verb
The different forms of the verb, determined by its grammatical subject, are called the persons (this is a purely grammatical term, not necessarily referring to human beings):
1 |
Singular first person (the speaker) |
I |
2 |
Singular second person (the person addressed) |
you |
3 |
Singular third person (the third party) |
he, she, it |
4 |
Plural first person (the speaker + other people) |
we |
5 |
Plural second person (the people addressed) |
you |
6 |
Plural third person (the third parties) |
they |
In each tense, Italian verbs have six different endings, depending on who or what is carrying out the action. The different endings immediately identify the ‘person’ — the subject of the action — unlike in English where only the third person singular has a distinctive ending (‘I eat’, ‘you eat’, ‘he eats’) and we have to rely on the subject pronouns (‘I, you, he’ etc.) to identify the person.
The first and second persons are usually evident in the context of communication (speaker/ writer and person addressed):
Quanti anni hai? |
Ho trent'anni. |
How old are you? |
I am thirty. |
Using a subject pronoun to refer to the third person is often unnecessary too, for example where the person (or thing) has already been mentioned:
Quanti anni ha Maria? |
Ha venticinque anni. |
How old is Maria? |
She is twenty-five. |
In general, it is not necessary to use subject pronouns in Italian, unless you need to give particular emphasis to the subject (see also 8.4).
2.1.4 Conjugations
Italian verbs have a pattern of six distinct verb endings in each of the tenses which creates a large number of different forms for every verb (almost a hundred in total). Fortunately, most verbs follow one of three common patterns known as conjugations. Knowing which of the three conjugations a verb belongs to makes it easier to find and use the correct verb form. Each verb has an invariable part (the stem), which carries its meaning, and an inflected part (the ending), which identifies the person, the tense, the mood and other features. Traditionally we distinguish the three conjugations by the form that the verb takes in the infinitive (the form used in dictionary entries):
1st conjugation ending in -are as parl -are ‘to speak’
2nd conjugation ending in -ere as cred -ere ‘to believe’
3rd conjugation ending in -ire as dorm -ire ‘to sleep’
The verbs of the 3rd conjugation (ending in -ire) follow two distinct patterns, the second of which, with endings in -isco, as in fin -ire / fin -isco ‘to finish’, is the most common. Both patterns, despite their differences, belong to the same conjugation.
2.1.5 Regular verbs
We call the verb patterns described above regular because the stems of these verbs (the invariable part) remain constantly the same throughout the whole system of moods and tenses. Understanding the way the endings (the variablepart) change will allow us to learn all the possible forms of most Italian verbs. The regular conjugation patterns (for both active verb forms and passive verb forms across the full range of moods and tenses) are shown in the verb tables in Appendix II for easy reference.
2.1.6 Irregular verbs
Irregular verbs are those that not only change their endings, but also change the stem in one or more of their tenses. Italian has a large number of irregular verbs, or verbs with some irregular forms, most of them in the 2nd conjugation, including many verbs used frequently in everyday language. Sometimes the irregular changes of the stem are unique to one verb (as in the case of essere). Sometimes several verbs share a common pattern of irregularity, and this can help you to memorise the many deviations from the ‘norm’. In 2.2, the most common irregular verb forms are shown for each individual tense. In Appendix III all the irregular forms of the most common verbs are shown in alphabetical order.
2.1.7 Verbi ausiliari e verbi servili (avere, essere, dovere, potere, volere)
The verbs avere ‘to have’ and essere ‘to be’ are often used as auxiliary verbs, combining with the past participles of other verbs to form compound tenses (see also 2.1.9).
Avere is used with all transitive verbs (but see 2.1.10) but also with many intransitive verbs:
Ho capito il messaggio. (transitive)
I've understood the message.
Ho viaggiato per tutto il paese. (intransitive)
I've travelled all over the country.
Essere is used with a large number of intransitive verbs, reflexive verbs and verbs used mainly impersonally or in the third person, such as piacere:
Sono arrivata alle 19.00. (intransitive)
I arrived at 7 pm.
Mi sono alzata presto. (reflexive)
I got up early.
Il film è piaciuto molto.
The film was much liked.
For further information on transitive/intransitive verbs, see 2.1.9.
The verbs dovere ‘to have to’, potere ‘to be able to’ and volere ‘to wish to’ are very often used in combination with another verb in the infinitive form, to complement its meaning. When used in this way, they are called verbi servili ‘modal verbs’. Here are some examples:
Ieri ho dovuto chiudere io l'ufficio.
I had to lock the office, yesterday.
Quando potremo incontrare il Dott. Salvi?
When can we meet Dr Salvi?
Voglio tornare a casa presto stasera.
I want to go home early tonight.
For further examples of their use, see 22.1.5, 23.3.5, 34.6 (dovere), 22.1.1, 22.3.1, 22.4.1 (potere) and 21.2.1, 23.2.1 (volere).
2.1.8 Moods and tenses
Moods (modi)
The different forms and uses of Italian verbs are traditionally grouped in seven moods. These convey the different ways in which the speaker or writer wants to communicate: with certainty or doubt, politeness or straightforwardness, in a request or a command form, etc.
The seven moods are:
indicative |
infinitive |
conditional |
participle |
subjunctive |
gerund |
imperative |
Each individual verb mood and tense is described separately in section 2.2 below. Verb tables for regular verbs are given in Appendix II and for irregular verbs in Appendix III. The ways in which moods are used to express distinct communicative functions and meanings are illustrated in Part B.
tenses (tempi)
The word tense denotes the different verb forms that indicate the relationship between the time of the action or event and the time of speaking or writing (or other reference point in time). There is a range of tenses for each mood of verbs (except the imperative).
In Italian different tenses are sometimes used to distinguish features other than time relationships. For example, perfect and imperfect tenses can express the aspect of the action (see 13.5.3), while different subjunctive and conditional tenses can express different degrees of doubt, possibility, politeness, etc. (see Sections III and IV).
Compound tenses (tempi composti)
Many Italian verb tenses are formed using the past participle of the main verb along with either avere or essere as the auxiliary verb. These are called compound tenses. All passive forms of verbs (see 2.1.10 below) are compound forms, commonly formed with the auxiliary essere. Students of Italian often find it difficult to know which verbs use avere in compound tenses, and which use essere. To know which one to use, it helps to understand the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs (see 2.1.9 below).
2.1.9 Transitive and intransitive verbs (verbi transitivi e intransitivi)
Transitive verbs
The actions expressed by verbs can be ‘completed’ with an object. A transitive verb is one that takes a direct object as in the examples below:
Lucia scrive una lettera. |
Lucia writes a letter. |
Cerchiamo una casa. |
We look for a house. |
In these sentences, the action of the verb can be completed by answering the question che cosa? ‘what?’ The direct object of the verb is the noun that can answer this question directly (in this case una lettera and una casa):
Che cosa scrive Lucia? |
What is Lucia writing? |
Lucia scrive una lettera. |
Lucia is writing a letter. |
Che cosa cerchiamo? |
What are we looking for? |
Cerchiamo una casa. |
We're looking for a house. |
Intransitive verbs
Some Italian verbs, however, cannot be completed by a direct object. If the question che cosa? cannot be answered or does not make sense, the verb is intransitive:
Andiamo in ufficio alle 9. |
We go to the office at 9. |
Il treno per Napoli parte alle 6. |
The train to Naples leaves at 6. |
Compound tenses: auxiliary avere or essere
Because it determines the way they are used it is important to know whether verbs are transitive or intransitive. It is particularly important in compound tenses such as passato prossimo, since it helps to determine whether to use the auxiliary avere or the auxiliary essere.
If the verb is transitive, it will always use the auxiliary avere in compound tenses:
Lucia ha scritto una lettera. |
Lucia wrote a letter. |
Abbiamo cercato una casa. |
We looked for a house. |
If the verb is intransitive, it will often — but not always — use the auxiliary essere in compound tenses:
Siamo andate in ufficio alle 9. |
We went to the office at 9. |
Il treno per Napoli è partito alle 6. |
The train to Naples left at 6. |
Check whether you can ask and answer the question che cosa? ‘what?’ You can also check in a dictionary. Verb entries in dictionaries usually carry the following indications:
v.t. or v.tr. |
verbo transitivo |
v.i. or v.intr. |
verbo intransitivo |
Speakers of English find it difficult to distinguish transitive from intransitive verbs, because English compound tenses only use the auxiliary ‘to have’ in the active forms and the auxiliary ‘to be’ in passive forms (‘I have criticised my colleagues’; ‘I am criticised by my colleagues’). Problems also arise from the fact that many English verbs used transitively and intransitively have an Italian equivalent which can only be used intransitively. Below we show examples of English phrases which cannot be translated directly into Italian, since the verbs camminare and volare are not used transitively; you cannot camminare il cane or volare il mondo.
•I'm going to walk the dog.
•Fly the world with Silverwings!
Intransitive verbs that use the auxiliary avere
Generally in Italian transitive verbs use the auxiliary avere, while many intransitive verbs use the auxiliary essere in the compound tenses. However, there are quite a few intransitive verbs that use the auxiliary avere. Here are a few of the most common:
camminare |
to walk |
dormire |
to sleep |
giocare |
to play |
passeggiare |
to walk |
piangere |
to cry |
riposare |
to rest |
volare |
to fly |
Ho camminato per due ore.
I walked for two hours.
Come hai dormito?
How did you sleep?
Avete giocato a carte?
Did you play cards?
Verbs that can be used both transitively and intransitively
Some verbs can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively (without a direct object), for example, aumentare, cambiare, cominciare, crescere, diminuire, finire, passare.
In the first two examples that follow, the subjects of these actions — beginning and finishing — are people and both verbs have direct objects (‘the lesson’, ‘the holidays’). So in these examples, they are used transitively.
Il professore comincia la lezione alle 11.00.
The teacher begins the lesson at 11.00.
Finiamo le vacanze in agosto.
We finish our holidays in August.
In the next two examples, the same verbs have ‘the lesson’ and ‘the holidays’ as their respective subjects and cannot have a direct object. So in these examples they are used intransitively.
La lezione comincia alle 11.00.
The lesson begins at 11.00.
Le vacanze finiscono in agosto.
The holidays finish in August.
In simple tenses, for example present, imperfect or future, the forms of the verbs are identical, whether they are transitive or intransitive. But in compound tenses such as the passato prossimo, their forms vary according to whether they are used transitively or intransitively, with verbs used transitively taking avere and verbs used intransitively taking essere:
Il professore ha cominciato la lezione. (transitive)
The teacher began the lesson.
La lezione è cominciata alle 11.00. (intransitive)
The lesson began at 11.00.
Abbiamo finito le vacanze in agosto. (transitive)
We finished the holidays in August.
Le vacanze sono finite in agosto. (intransitive)
The holidays finished in August.
Another verb with both transitive and intransitive functions is mancare, which has different meanings depending on whether it is used transitively or intransitively.
When used intransitively mancare means ‘to fail, to be lacking, to be missing’ and uses essere. It is used like piacere, so that the person or object missed or lacking is the subject of the sentence and the person missing them is expressed by an indirect pronoun (mi):
Volevo fare la pista nera ma mi è mancato il coraggio.
I wanted to do the black (ski) run but I lacked the courage.
Mi sei mancata tanto.
I missed you so much.
When used transitively (for example, in the phrase mancare il bersaglio) mancare means ‘to miss a target’ and uses avere:
Gli screening per il colesterolo hanno mancato il bersaglio.
The screening tests for cholesterol have missed their target.
For some other verbs, such as correre ‘to run’, saltare ‘to jump’, vivere ‘to live’, the rules are less rigid. When used transitively, they always take avere:
Hanno corso un grosso rischio. |
They ran a great risk. |
Oggi ho saltato il pranzo. |
Today I skipped lunch. |
Ho vissuto una vita d'inferno. |
I have lived a life of hell. |
When used intransitively, however, the choice of avere or essere as auxiliary tends to be a question of personal choice and linguistic habit, with both options possible:
Ho vissuto / Sono vissuto a Londra per 10 anni.
I lived in London for 10 years.
Giuliana ha corso / è corsa a casa.
Giuliana ran home.
I bambini hanno saltato / sono saltati giù dal letto.
The children jumped down from the bed.
Verbs like these are marked in dictionaries as v.tr. e intr. (verbi transitivi e intransitivi).
Verbs describing the weather are intransitive and usually take essere but can also take avere:
È (ha) piovuto tanto. |
It rained a lot. |
2.1.10 Voice: active, passive, reflexive
‘Voice’ describes the relationship of the verb action with its subject and object. These relationships are:
(a)Active voice
Normally the grammatical subject of the verb (see 2.1.2) is the agent or doer of the action or the main theme of the event, in which case the verb construction (‘voice’) is active:
Gianni guarda Luisa.
Gianni watches Luisa.
Il meccanico ripara la macchina.
The mechanic repairs the car.
(b)Passive voice
Sometimes the person or object on the receiving end of the action is the grammatical subject, and in this case the verb construction is passive:
Luisa è guardata da Gianni.
Luisa is watched by Gianni.
La macchina è riparata dal meccanico.
The car is repaired by the mechanic.
In the second example, the agent or doer of the action is clearly the mechanic (the one who repairs the car), but the grammatical subject of the verb is the car. The construction is passive.
(c)Reflexive and pronominal voice
A verb form is reflexive when its subject and object are the same:
Gianni si guarda allo specchio.
Gianni looks at himself in the mirror.
There are other verb forms that are not strictly speaking reflexive but are similar in form. These are called pronominal. The following paragraphs look at the passive, reflexive and pronominal verb forms in detail.
Passive constructions are used when you want to focus on the action itself or the object of an action, rather than on the agent or doer of an action. The passive of Italian verbs is formed by the past participle and the auxiliary essere, using the same tense as the corresponding active form. The participle agrees with the gender and number of the subject. The passive conjugation of verbs is shown in the verb tables in Appendix II. The passive can also be formed using venire or andare as auxiliary instead of essere (see 19.2) or by using the si passivante construction (see 2.1.11 and 19.4). Only transitive verbs (see 2.1.9) can have a passive form. For more examples of the passive, see 19.2.
Reflexive verb forms are active verb forms accompanied by a reflexive pronoun (see 3.4.3). Look at these two examples:
Il Sig. Franchi sta lavando la macchina.
Mr Franchi is washing the car.
Il Sig. Franchi si sta lavando.
Mr Franchi is washing himself.
In the first example, the direct object of the action of washing is the car. The person who is doing it is the subject of the action. In the second example, the subject and the object of the action are the same person (Il Sig. Franchi). This is the reflexive verb form; the reflexive pronoun si refers to the person carrying out the action (the subject), but is grammatically the object of the action. You probably already know one reflexive verb: chiamarsi ‘to call oneself’.
The position of the reflexive pronoun is the same as that of the other unstressed personal pronouns (see 3.4.7): it usually comes before the verb, but is sometimes attached to the end of it, for example with infinitives, gerunds and tu, noi, voi imperatives:
Prego si accomodi.
Please, have a seat (make yourself comfortable).
In genere i giovani italiani si vestono alla moda.
In general young people in Italy dress fashionably.
Sono le 9.00. Dovete prepararvi a uscire.
It's 9.00. You must get yourselves ready to go out.
Preparati ad uscire!
Get yourself ready to go out!
In the compound tenses, reflexive verbs are always conjugated with the verb essere, even though the verbs are transitive (cf. lavare, alzare) and normally take avere in their compound tenses. The past participle has to agree with the subject:
Stamattina i bambini si sono alzati alle 6.
This morning the children got (themselves) up at 6.
Mi sono vestita con calma.
I got dressed slowly.
Pronominal verb forms are verb forms which use the reflexive pronoun but are not true reflexives. In Italian they are used much more frequently than in English not only in a true reflexive pattern but also in many other ways. In true reflexives (see above), the subject and object of the verb are one and the same. This is not the case with pronominal verb forms, but they still embody the concept of ‘reciprocal’ or ‘reflexive’ action (an action relating or reflecting back to the subject).
The different uses of the pronominal verb form are illustrated in the examples below:
(a)Indirect reflexive (action carried out on oneself )
The reflexive always indicates an action which is related to the person carrying out the action (the subject). Note the use of the auxiliary essere in the compound tense in the last example:
Giulio si lava le mani.
Giulio washes his hands.
Mi metto la giacca.
I put on my jacket.
Stamattina non mi sono fatto la barba.
This morning I didn't shave (myself ).
In the examples above, the actions are not truly reflexive, since the subjects and the objects of the actions are not exactly identical: Giulio … le mani, io … la giacca, io … la barba. However the reflexive pronoun is used to stress the fact that the object of the action is closely related to the person who does it, and indeed is either part of his/her body (le mani, la barba) or a personal belonging (la giacca) (see also 3.7.2).
In the last example, the participle can also agree with the object:
Stamattina non mi sono fatta la barba.
The reflexive pronoun can also be omitted, in which case the construction no longer takes essere in the compound tenses, as shown in the final example:
Giulio lava le mani.
Metto la giacca.
Non ho fatto la barba.
(b)Reciprocal reflexive (action carried out on each other)
A reciprocal action is when two people jointly carry out an action that affects each of them:
Arrivederci. Ci vediamo domani.
Bye. See you tomorrow.
Mario e Nicoletta si sposano domani.
Mario and Nicoletta are getting married tomorrow.
Dove vi siete conosciuti tu e Maria?
Where did you and Maria meet (each other)?
Io e il Dottor Rossi ci siamo incontrati in Spagna.
Dr Rossi and I met (each other) in Spain.
In the examples above the reflexive pronoun marks an event or action involving the same people; the two people are at the same time both subject and object of a reciprocal action. The same actions can also be expressed by the active form, where one person is the subject and the other is the object:
Domani Mario sposa Nicoletta.
Tomorrow Mario will marry Nicoletta.
Dove hai conosciuto Maria?
Where did you meet Maria?
Ho incontrato il Dottor Rossi in Spagna.
I met Dr Rossi in Spain.
(c)Emotional involvement expressed with reflexive pronouns
In Italian you can use the reflexive pronoun simply to stress the subjective side of an event, the importance of the event to the person involved or the emotional involvement of the person who is the (grammatical) subject:
Stasera ci vediamo un bel film.
Tonight we'll watch a nice film.
Ho fame! Voglio mangiarmi una pizza!
I'm hungry! I really want a pizza!
Mannaggia! Mi sono dimenticata le chiavi!
Damn! I forgot the keys!
In the examples above, the objects of the verbs are totally separate from, and not part of, the subjects, so the construction is not truly reflexive. However the reflexive pronoun shows the emotional involvement felt by the persons carrying out these actions. The same sentences can be expressed without using the reflexive pronouns, but then the statements will sound much less emotionally involved and more objective:
Stasera vediamo un bel film.
Voglio mangiare una pizza.
Ho dimenticato le chiavi.
There are a few Italian verbs that are always (or almost always) used with a reflexive pronoun, because of the ‘psychological’ and subjective meaning they convey, for example:
accorgersi |
to realize, to be aware |
arrabbiarsi |
to get angry |
divertirsi |
to have fun |
innamorarsi |
to fall in love |
pentirsi |
to regret, repent |
vergognarsi |
to be ashamed |
Sbrigati! Non ti accorgi che è tardi?
Hurry up! Don't you realize that it's late?
Non arrabbiarti!
Don't be angry!
Vi siete divertiti a Roma?
Did you have a good time in Rome?
Giulia si è pentita di aver accettato quel lavoro.
Giulia regretted having accepted that job.
Non vergognarti di questo errore, non è colpa tua.
Don't be ashamed of this mistake. It's not your fault.
2.1.11 Si passivante
The reflexive pronoun si can be used to give a passive meaning to the active form of the verb (see also 19.4):
Si parla italiano.
Italian is spoken.
Nella mia famiglia si parlano tre lingue.
In my family three languages are spoken.
Dal terrazzo si vedono i tetti della città.
From the terrace the roofs of the city can be seen (one can see the roofs).
In the first example, the si passivante form appears identical to the si impersonale form (‘one’ speaks Italian) mentioned in 2.1.12 below. However, when there is a plural subject, as in the second two examples, the verb is plural, making it clear that the construction is passive (‘three languages are spoken’, ‘the roofs can be seen’).
2.1.12 Impersonal si
The pronoun si is also used to express the impersonal form of verbs (see also 19.5), i.e. in cases where no subject is mentioned or rather where the subject cannot be identified with a particular person or thing (English would use the indeterminate subject ‘one’ or perhaps ‘everyone’):
Si lavora meglio con il fresco.
One works better in cool weather.
Stasera si va a ballare.
Tonight everybody is going dancing.
A tavola non si invecchia.
One doesn't get old at the dinner table.
(This last example is a popular saying, meant to discourage people from rushing their food.)
Unlike the si passivante (see 2.1.11), the impersonal form is always formed with si and the third person singular of the verb.
2.2 Individual verb moods and tenses
In this section, we look at each mood and tense of verbs individually, with a brief illustration of their use. We also mention the most common irregular verb forms in each tense. For a complete table of the regular verbs and the most common irregular verbs, see Appendices II and III respectively.
2.2.1 Infinito (infinitive mood)
The infinitive is the basic form of verbs and the form used as a dictionary entry (in other words, the ‘name’ of the verb). The infinitive form (-are, -ere, -ire) indicates which conjugation a verb belongs to. The infinitive has both present and past forms.
Forms of the infinito (present and past)
The forms of the present infinitive are:
1st conjugation |
parlare |
to speak |
2nd conjugation |
vendere |
to sell |
3rd conjugation |
partire |
to go |
3rd conjugation (in -isc-) |
finire |
to finish |
The past infinitive is formed by the past participle and the infinitive avere or essere. When formed with essere, the past infinitive changes form to agree with the verb subject (see examples below).
1st conjugation |
parlare |
to speak |
avere parlato |
to have spoken |
1st conjugation |
andare |
to go |
essere andato/a/i/e |
to have gone |
2nd conjugation |
vendere |
to sell |
avere venduto |
to have sold |
2nd conjugation |
vivere |
to live |
essere vissuto/a/i/e |
to have lived |
3rd conjugation |
sentire |
to hear |
avere sentito |
to have heard |
3rd conjugation |
partire |
to leave |
essere partito |
to have left |
Irregular forms of the infinito
There are three groups of 2nd conjugation verbs with an irregular infinitive (i.e. not with the usual -ere ending). In most cases the infinitive is a contracted form of the original infinitive and several of the tenses (for example, imperfect) are based on the original verb stem.
(a)Verbs with infinitive in -urre
Several verbs have an infinitive ending in -urre, which is a contracted form of the original infinitive ending in *-ucere (*producere, etc.). In fact several of the tenses are based on the original stem in *-duc- (see 2.2.3 below for the present indicative forms). These verbs include:
condurre |
to conduct, lead |
dedurre |
to deduct |
indurre |
to induce |
introdurre |
to introduce, insert |
produrre |
to produce |
sedurre |
to seduce |
tradurre |
to translate |
(b)Verbs with infinitive in -orre
Several verbs have an infinitive ending in -orre. Their infinitive is a contracted form of the original *ponere. (Their irregular present indicative forms are also based on this older verb stem.) These verbs include:
comporre |
to compose |
deporre |
to depose |
imporre |
to impose |
porre |
to place, put |
opporre |
to oppose |
proporre |
to propose |
supporre |
to suppose |
(c)Bere,dire,fare
Bere is a contracted form of an older infinitive *bevere and many of the forms of this verb follow the original verb stem (see 2.2.3 below for the present indicative forms and 2.2.4 for the imperfect forms). Dire (originally *dicere) and fare (originally *facere) also come into this category.
Uses of the infinito
Infinitive depending on a verb
The infinitive can be linked to — and depend on — another verb:
Present infinitive:
Dobbiamo partire alle 7.00.
We must leave at 7.00.
Sai usare il computer?
Can you use the computer?
Non riesco a sentire la tua voce.
I can't hear your voice.
Past infinitive:
Penso di avere capito.
I think I have understood.
Si ricorda di aver visto il ragazzo vicino a casa sua.
He remembers having seen the boy near his house.
The infinitive is normally linked to the preceding verb by a preposition such as di or a as in the last three examples above (see list of verbs and prepositions in Appendix IV). With dovere, potere, volere and amare, desiderare, osare, preferire, sapere, however, no preposition is needed, as in the first two examples above. For particular uses of the infinitive with a preposition, see 4.4. See also 33.2 (purpose), 34.3.2 (cause), 35.4 (result), 38.5.3 (condition).
In Italian the subject of the infinitive must be the same as that of the verb on which it depends. Otherwise two separate finite verbs must be used, usually linked by che. So sentences in English such as ‘I want you to come soon’ cannot be translated directly into Italian using the infinitive (*voglio tu venire presto), but have to use che, as in voglio che tu venga presto, making clear that the two different verbs have different subjects (see also 21.5.3).
An exception to this is when the main verb of the clause is fare or lasciare (see also 21.7). These are followed directly by the infinitive:
Fammi passare. |
Let me pass. |
Lasciali parlare. |
Let them speak. |
Ho fatto entrare i signori. |
I allowed the gentlemen to come in. |
Infinitive used as imperative
The present infinitive form can be used to tell somebody not to do something, i.e. as a negative imperative, either second person singular, as in the first example below, or with an impersonal meaning, as in the second example (see 21.3):
Zitto, non parlare. |
Be quiet, don't speak. |
Non sporgersi dal finestrino. |
Don't lean out of the window. |
Note how a phrase that was originally the imperative of a reflexive verb non ti scordare ‘do not forget’ has now become the name of a flower:
Nontiscordardimé |
Forget-me-not |
Infinitive used as a noun
Infinitive verbs are often used as nouns, with or without the masculine singular definite article, as in the last example (il sapere):
Lavorare stanca.
Work is tiring.
Mangiare è necessario per vivere.
Eating is necessary for life.
Il sapere degli antichi si trasmette di generazione in generazione.
The wisdom of the ancients is handed down from generation to generation.
Infinitive used after a preposition
The infinitive can be found after prima ‘before’ and dopo ‘after’:
Prima di andare a casa, devo passare dal panettiere a prendere il pane.
Before going home, I have to pass by the baker's and get some bread.
Dopo aver cucinato, non ho voglia di mangiare.
After having cooked, I don't feel like eating.
For further uses of the infinitive and past infinitive, see also 30.6.1, 30.6.2 and 36.4.2.
2.2.2 Indicative mood: introduction
The indicative mood is used to express straightforward statements of facts, objective descriptions, real and definite situations, etc. We look here at each of the eight tenses of the indicative mood, both regular and irregular forms, with a brief reference to their use, covered in detail in Part B.
2.2.3 Indicativo presente (present indicative)
Forms of the presente
The forms of the present indicative of the three regular conjugations are shown below:
Conjugations |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
3rd |
Verbs |
parl-are |
cred-ere |
dorm-ire |
fin-ire |
1st person sing |
parl-o |
cred-o |
dorm-o |
fin-isco |
2nd person sing |
parl-i |
cred-i |
dorm-i |
fin-isci |
3rd person sing |
parl-a |
cred-e |
dorm-e |
fin-isce |
1st person pl |
parl-iamo |
cred-iamo |
dorm-iamo |
fin-iamo |
2nd person pl |
parl-ate |
cred-ete |
dorm-ite |
fin-ite |
3rd person pl |
parl-ano |
cred-ono |
dorm-ono |
fin-iscono |
Irregular forms of the presente
1st conjugation (-are)
Some verbs in the 1st conjugation, while not irregular, present potential difficulties with spelling and/or pronunciation.
First, verbs ending in -care, -gare, such as cercare, pagare: in those forms that have an i in them (cerchi, cerchiamo), the ‘h’ indicates that they are pronounced with hard g:
cercare ‘to look for’ |
pagare ‘to pay’ |
cerco |
pago |
cerchi |
paghi |
cerca |
paga |
cerchiamo |
paghiamo |
cercate |
pagate |
cercano |
pagano |
Second, verbs ending in -ciare and -giare, such as cominciare, mangiare: the i found before o, a indicates that the verb forms should be pronounced with a soft c or g; the i is not pronounced as a separate vowel. In the forms that already have i in them (2nd person singular cominci, mangi and 1st person plural cominciamo, mangiamo) there is no doubling of the i:
cominciare ‘to begin’ |
mangiare ‘to eat’ |
comincio |
mangio |
cominci |
mangi |
comincia |
mangia |
cominciamo |
mangiamo |
cominciate |
mangiate |
cominciano |
mangiano |
The only verbs of the 1st conjugation with a truly irregular present indicative are: andare (‘to go’), dare (‘to give’), fare (‘to do’) and stare (‘to stay’).
andare ‘to go’ |
dare ‘to give’ |
fare ‘to do’ |
stare ‘to stay’ |
vado |
do |
faccio |
sto |
vai |
dai |
fai |
stai |
va |
dà |
fa |
sta |
andiamo |
diamo |
facciamo |
stiamo |
andate |
date |
fate |
state |
vanno |
danno |
fanno |
stanno |
2nd conjugation (-ere)
There are more irregular verbs in the 2nd conjugation than in any other conjugation.
Some verbs in the 2nd conjugation, while not irregular, present potential difficulties with spelling and/or pronunciation. Verbs ending in -cere, -gere, -scere have a hard c, g, sc sound before the vowel o but a soft c, g, sc sound before the vowels e, i:
vincere ‘to win’ |
piangere ‘to cry’ |
conoscere ‘to know’ |
vinco |
piango |
conosco |
vinci |
piangi |
conosci |
vince |
piange |
conosce |
vinciamo |
piangiamo |
conosciamo |
vincete |
piangete |
conoscete |
vincono |
piangono |
conoscono |
Although some verbs appear irregular, their forms are in fact regular but based on an older form of the verb (see 2.2.1 above), for example the forms of bere are based on the older verb form *bevere (bevo, bevi, etc.) while the forms of tradurre are based on the older verb form *traducere (traduce, traduci, etc.).
Dire also originates from an older infinitive form *dicere so some of its tenses (e.g. present indicative shown below) follow the pattern of a second conjugation verb (ending in -ere):
dire ‘to say’ |
dico |
dici |
dice |
diciamo |
dite |
dicono |
The most common 2nd conjugation verbs with a truly irregular present indicative are the modal verbs (verbi servili) and also sapere:
There are several verbs which share a similar pattern of alternating forms in the present indicative, for example cogliere (colgo/cogli), piacere (piaccio/piaci), porre (pongo/poni), rimanere (rimango/rimani), scegliere (scelgo/scegli). Some verbs change not only their endings but the verb stem itself, for example tenere (tengo/tieni).
All these common irregular verb forms are fully illustrated in Appendix III.
3rd conjugation (-ire)
Three important irregular verbs of the 3rd conjugation are salire (‘to go up’), uscire (‘to go out’), venire (‘to come’). Salire has alternating forms (salgo/sali) and both uscire and venire also have stem changes. Other verbs which follow these patterns can be found in Appendix III.
salire ‘to go up’ |
uscire ‘to go out’ |
venire ‘to come’ |
salgo |
esco |
vengo |
sali |
esci |
vieni |
sale |
esce |
viene |
saliamo |
usciamo |
veniamo |
salite |
uscite |
venite |
salgono |
escono |
vengono |
Uses of the presente
Verbs in the present indicative express actions, facts and situations that happen or are going on at the moment of speaking or writing. This applies to:
(a)Actions and facts happening at the precise moment of speech:
Mara, il telefono suona. Rispondi, per favore.
Mara, the phone is ringing. Please answer it!
(b)Something that happens regularly, with continuity or which is always true (in the present as well as in the past and future):
Nel mio ufficio il telefono suona continuamente di mattina.
In my office the phone rings continuously in the mornings.
La domenica le campane della chiesa suonano alle 8 meno 10.
On Sundays the church bells ring at 10 to 8.
Gli italiani fumano più degli inglesi.
Italians smoke more than English people.
Le balene sono mammiferi.
Whales are mammals.
There are two situations in which the present indicative is used to refer to facts that are not in the present time:
(c)Referring to the future, as happens frequently in conversational situations (see 14.3):
Domani arrivano gli ospiti spagnoli.
Tomorrow the Spanish guests are coming.
L'anno prossimo compriamo una macchina nuova.
Next year we'll buy a new car.
(d)As a historical present in order to render the description of past events more vivid (see 13.7). This is done when the events are described in a narrative way and is very common in history books and news reports:
Nel 1870 Roma diventa capitale d'Italia.
Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870.
Al quinto rigore Baggio sbaglia e l'Italia perde il Campionato del Mondo.
At the fifth penalty Baggio missed the penalty kick and Italy lost the World Cup.
(e)The present indicative of stare can be used in combination with the gerund to form a present progressive (see also 12.3):
Sto scrivendo |
I am writing |
2.2.4 Indicativo imperfetto (imperfect indicative)
Forms of the imperfetto
The imperfect indicative is formed by adding the imperfect endings shown below in bold to the stem of the verb. It is the most regular of all the tenses of Italian verbs. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugations |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verbs |
parl-are |
cred-ere |
dorm-ire, fin-ire |
1st person sing |
parl-avo |
cred-evo |
dorm-ivo |
2nd person sing |
parl-avi |
cred-evi |
dorm-ivi |
3rd person sing |
parl-ava |
cred-eva |
dorm-iva |
1st person pl |
parl-avamo |
cred-evamo |
dorm-ivamo |
2nd person pl |
parl-avate |
cred-evate |
dorm-ivate |
3rd person pl |
parl-avano |
cred-evano |
dorm-ivano |
Irregular forms of imperfetto
There are few irregular imperfect forms.
The imperfect of the 2nd conjugation verbs with contracted infinitive in -urre is regular, but follows the pattern of its original stem in duc-, giving condurre (*conducere): conducevo, etc.
Similarly, the verbs with contracted infinitive in -orre have a regular imperfect based on the stem in pon-, giving porre (*ponere): ponevo, etc.
The contracted infinitive bere has a regular imperfect bevevo based on the older verb stem (as in infinitive *bevere).
For other verbs that follow this pattern, see Appendix III.
Finally, dire and fare both have imperfect forms based on older stems and follow the pattern of 2nd conjugation verbs: dicevo, facevo.
The only truly irregular imperfect is that of essere: ero, eri.
Verb |
essere ‘to be’ |
1st person sing |
ero |
2nd person sing |
eri |
3rd person sing |
era |
1st person pl |
eravamo |
2nd person pl |
eravate |
3rd person pl |
erano |
Uses of the imperfetto
The imperfect indicative is mainly used to refer to the past (see 13.5). In using past tenses, one should always considered the context or aspect. The question of aspect and the choice of imperfect or perfect is very important when referring to the past in Italian, particularly in situations where the two past forms are used in the same sentence (see 13.6). Here is a summary of the most common cases when the imperfect indicative is used:
(a)To describe a past action or fact in its duration (ongoing and not completed):
Guardavo la televisione quando c'è stato il terremoto.
I was watching TV when the earthquake struck.
(b)To describe situations, compose a ‘picture’ with facts or events happening at the same time in the past (see also 13.5.1):
Era mezzanotte, pioveva e la macchina correva silenziosa.
It was midnight, it was raining and the car ran silently.
(c)For past actions repeated regularly as a habit (see also 13.5.2):
Prendevamo sempre il caffè alle 11.00.
We used to have a coffee at 11.00.
(d)To relate the background cause or situation in which an event happened (see also 13.6.1–4 and 34.8):
Non ho mangiato perché non avevo fame.
I didn't eat because I wasn't hungry.
Erano già le 5.00 quando hai telefonato.
It was already 5.00 when you phoned.
(e)To refer to the ‘future seen from the past’, instead of using the compound conditional (see 14.8.3 and 30.5.2):
La settimana scorsa mi hanno detto che tu venivi (saresti venuto) ieri.
Last week I was told that you would come yesterday.
(f)To express a polite request or statement in place of the present conditional (see 23.3.1) or to express slight embarrassment:
Volevo (vorrei) delle rose.
I'd like some roses.
Buongiorno, cercavo un libro di Umberto Eco.
Good morning, I'm looking for a book by Umberto Eco.
Mi scusi, non volevo disturbare.
Excuse me, I don't want to disturb you.
(g)In hypothetical clauses (‘if’ clauses) where the ‘if’ condition is unlikely to happen, or can no longer happen, as a replacement for the compound conditional and subjunctive (see 38.4). This is more common in spoken than in written Italian.
Se andavi più piano non facevi l'incidente.
If you had gone more slowly, you wouldn't have had the accident.
For the use of the imperfect of modal verbs dovere, potere, volere, see 13.6.8.
2.2.5 Passato prossimo (present perfect)
Forms of the passato prossimo
The passato prossimo is formed by the past participle and the present indicative of the auxiliary avere or essere (see also 2.1.7, 2.1.9). In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern. In the table below, only forms with avere are shown:
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verbs |
Parlare |
Credere |
Dormire |
1st person sing |
ho parlato |
ho creduto |
ho dormito |
2nd person sing |
hai parlato |
hai creduto |
hai dormito |
3rd person sing |
ha parlato |
ha creduto |
ha dormito |
1st person pl |
abbiamo parlato |
abbiamo creduto |
abbiamo dormito |
2nd person pl |
avete parlato |
avete creduto |
avete dormito |
3rd person pl |
hanno parlato |
hanno creduto |
hanno dormito |
Uses of the passato prossimo
The passato prossimo is the tense most frequently used to talk about past events or actions, especially in spoken language. The uses of the passato prossimo and the other past tenses are more fully illustrated in Part B.
The passato prossimo refers to facts that are seen as completed, but have some relation to the present, generally in one of the following two contexts:
(a)The past events are very close to the present time:
Ho appena preso un caffè.
I've just had a coffee.
Avete capito quello che ho detto?
Did you understand what I said?
(b)The facts or events, even if they are in the distant past, still have some relationship with the present time or with the person who is speaking:
Siamo venuti in Inghilterra vent'anni fa.
We came to England twenty years ago (and we are still here).
La Basilica di S.Pietro è stata costruita nel '500.
St Peter's Basilica was built in the 16th century (and you can still see it now).
Because of these characteristics the passato prossimo is very frequently used in conversational Italian, allowing the speaker to relate the facts of the past to the present.
2.2.6 Passato remoto (past definite)
Forms of passato remoto
The forms of the passato remoto of the three regular conjugations are shown below, with the endings shown in italics. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verbs |
-are |
-ere |
-ire |
1st person sing |
parl-ai |
cred-etti (cred-ei) |
dorm-ii |
2nd person sing |
parl-asti |
cred-esti |
dorm-isti |
3rd person sing |
parl-ò |
cred-ette (cred-é) |
dorm-ì |
1st person pl |
parl-ammo |
cred-emmo |
dorm-immo |
2nd person pl |
parl-aste |
cred-este |
dorm-iste |
3rd person pl |
parl-arono |
cred-ettero (cred-erono) |
dorm-irono |
Note that the passato remoto of certain 2nd conjugation verbs (for example, credere) has alternative forms for the first person singular and third person singular and plural:
credei/credetti |
I believed |
credé/credette |
he/she believed |
crederono/credettero |
they believed |
Irregular forms of passato remoto
Two of the most frequently used verbs in the Italian language (avere, essere) have irregular passato remoto forms:
Verb |
avere |
essere |
1st person sing |
ebbi |
fui |
2nd person sing |
avesti |
fosti |
3rd person sing |
ebbe |
fu |
1st person pl |
avemmo |
fummo |
2nd person pl |
aveste |
foste |
3rd person pl |
ebbero |
furono |
The passato remoto is often irregular, particularly in 2nd conjugation verbs. The most common pattern of irregular verb forms is the short verb form ending in -si alternating with the longer verb form based on the stem of the infinitive as in the four examples shown below (chiesi/chiedesti, dissi/dicesti, presi/prendesti, vissi/vivesti):
chiedere |
dire |
prendere |
vivere |
‘to ask’ |
‘to say’ |
‘to take’ |
‘to live’ |
chie-si |
dis-si |
pre-si |
vis-si |
chied-esti |
dic-esti |
prend-esti |
viv-esti |
chie-se |
dis-se |
pre-se |
vis-se |
chied-emmo |
dic-emmo |
prend-emmo |
viv-emmo |
chied-este |
dic-este |
prend-este |
viv-este |
chie-sero |
dis-sero |
pre-sero |
vis-sero |
In some cases (for example, mettere, muovere, sapere, vedere) the stem has a vowel change as well:
mettere |
muovere |
piacere |
sapere |
vedere |
‘to put’ |
‘to move’ |
‘to please’ |
‘to know’ |
‘to see’ |
misi |
mossi |
piacqui |
seppi |
vidi |
mettesti |
muovesti |
piacesti |
sapesti |
vedesti |
mise |
mosse |
piacque |
seppe |
vide |
mettemmo |
muovemmo |
piacemmo |
sapemmo |
vedemmo |
metteste |
muoveste |
piaceste |
sapeste |
vedeste |
misero |
mossero |
piacquero |
seppero |
videro |
Dare, fare, venire show a similar alternating pattern with a stem change:
dare |
fare |
venire |
diedi |
feci |
venni |
desti |
facesti |
venisti |
diede |
fece |
venne |
demmo |
facemmo |
venimmo |
deste |
faceste |
veniste |
diedero |
fecero |
vennero |
Dovere, potere, volere
In the verb forms below, the written accent on vòll-i, vòll-e, vòll-ero indicates where the stress is placed:
dovere |
potere |
volere |
dov-ei (dovetti) |
pot-ei |
vòll-i |
dov-esti |
pot-esti |
vol-esti |
dov-é (dovette) |
pot-é |
vòll-e |
dov-emmo |
pot-emmo |
vol-emmo |
dov-este |
pot-este |
vol-este |
dov-erono (dovettero) |
pot-erono |
vòll-ero |
Because the passato remoto is not used in everyday spoken Italian in much of Italy, many speakers are not familiar with the correct forms, so it is always best to check in the list of irregular verb forms in Appendix III or in your dictionary.
Uses of passato remoto
The passato remoto is used whenever you want to express the distance of past events, not just in terms of time, but mainly in terms of their ‘separateness’ (remoteness) from the present situation (see 13.4.1):
Vissi male a Milano. Perciò sono tornato a Napoli.
I had a bad time living in Milan. That's why I came back to Naples (and I am still here).
I dinosauri scomparvero 65 milioni d'anni fa.
Dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago.
In spoken Italian, the passato remoto tends to be used very rarely in the north of Italy, where the passato prossimo is preferred. Northern Italian speakers tend to consider use of the passato remoto in spoken Italian as incorrect, but it is used quite often both in Tuscany and in central and southern Italy, where it would not be considered incorrect.
In written Italian, the passato remoto is far more common, especially in narrative and historical language, because of the precise way in which it defines the past (see 13.4.2). Typically it is the tense of fairy tales, when events are placed in a far and abstract past, in a different dimension, separate from the reality of the present:
Come andò che maestro Ciliegia, falegname, trovò un pezzo di legna che piangeva e rideva come un bambino.
Appena maestro Ciliegia ebbe visto quel pezzo di legno, si rallegrò tutto e, dandosi una fregatina di mani per la contentezza, borbottò a mezza voce:
— Questo legno è capitato a tempo: voglio servirmene per fare una gamba di tavolino.
Detto fatto, prese subito l'ascia arrotata per cominciare a levargli la scorza e a digrossarlo; ma quando fu lì per lasciare andare la prima asciata, rimase col braccio sospeso in aria, perché sentì una vocina sottile che disse raccomandandosi:
— Non mi picchiar tanto forte!
(Collodi, Pinocchio, I Libri di Gulliver, 1983)
2.2.7 Trapassato prossimo (pluperfect)
Forms of trapassato prossimo
The trapassato prossimo is formed by the past participle and the imperfect of avere or essere. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verb |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
avevo parlato |
avevo creduto |
avevo dormito |
2nd person sing |
avevi parlato |
avevi creduto |
avevi dormito |
3rd person sing |
aveva parlato |
aveva creduto |
aveva dormito |
1st person pl |
avevamo parlato |
avevamo creduto |
avevamo dormito |
2nd person pl |
avevate parlato |
avevate creduto |
avevate dormito |
3rd person pl |
avevano parlato |
avevano creduto |
avevano dormito |
Uses of trapassato prossimo
This tense — a past within the past — is used to refer to an event previous to an event in the past. See also 30.5.2 (sequence of tenses), 31.3.1 (indirect or reported speech), 34.3.1 (expressing reason), 36.4.2 (time clause).
Ricordo che tu eri arrivato da poco quando Maria ha telefonato.
I remember that you had just arrived when Maria called.
Penso che alle 7.00 Franco aveva già chiuso il negozio.
I think Franco had already closed the shop at 7.00.
If we place the two examples on a ‘time line’ it is easy to see where the trapassato prossimo stands in the sequence of events:
2.2.8 Trapassato remoto (past anterior)
Forms of trapassato remoto
The trapassato remoto is formed by the past participle and the passato remoto of the auxiliary avere or essere. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verb |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
ebbi parlato |
ebbi creduto |
ebbi dormito |
2nd person sing |
avesti parlato |
avesti creduto |
avesti dormito |
3rd person sing |
ebbe parlato |
ebbe creduto |
ebbe dormito |
1st person pl |
avemmo parlato |
avemmo creduto |
avemmo dormito |
2nd person pl |
aveste parlato |
aveste creduto |
aveste dormito |
3rd person pl |
ebbero parlato |
ebbero creduto |
ebbero dormito |
Uses of trapassato remoto
The trapassato remoto is a pluperfect tense used only when the main event or action is expressed by a verb in the passato remoto. Its use is rare and generally limited to the literary and more formal registers of the written language. It is always introduced by a conjunction such as (non) appena, dopo (see also 36.4.2–3), finché, quando (see also 36.5.2, 36.2.1):
Dopo che ebbe salutato, uscì in fretta.
After he had said goodbye, he went out in a hurry.
Appena fu uscita, tutti si misero a ridere.
As soon as she had gone out, everybody started laughing.
2.2.9 Indicativo futuro (future indicative)
Forms of futuro
The forms of the future indicative of the three regular conjugations are shown below, with the endings shown in italics. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verb |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
parl-erò |
cred-erò |
dorm-irò |
2nd person sing |
parl-erai |
cred-erai |
dorm-irai |
3rd person sing |
parl-erà |
cred-erà |
dorm-irà |
1st person pl |
parl-eremo |
cred-eremo |
dorm-iremo |
2nd person pl |
parl-erete |
cred-erete |
dorm-irete |
3rd person pl |
parl-eranno |
cred-eranno |
dorm-iranno |
Irregular forms of futuro
Several verbs have an irregular future indicative. In most cases, the irregularity consists in the contraction of the stem (*anderò to andrò, etc.). In some cases there is not only a contraction but an assimilation of the consonant groups nr, lr etc. to rr as in berrò, rimarrò, verrò, vorrò. In the case of essere, there is a stem change (sarò). The verb forms then follow the regular pattern of the future tense.
andare |
andrò |
avere |
avrò |
bere |
berrò |
cadere |
cadrò |
dovere |
dovrò |
essere |
sarò |
potere |
potrò |
rimanere |
rimarrò |
sapere |
saprò |
tenere |
terrò |
vedere |
vedrò |
venire |
verrò |
volere |
vorrò |
A similar contracted pattern can be seen in the present conditional of these verbs (see 2.2.11 below).
Uses of futuro
The future indicative tense is naturally mainly used to refer to facts that will happen in the future in relation to the time when you are speaking or writing. However Italians use this verb tense sparingly, often preferring to use the present tense instead (see 14.3). The future tense is also used in Italian to express probability, as in English ‘it will be …’, with no relation to the future time (see 26.4.2):
Che ore sono? Saranno le tre meno dieci.
What time is it? It must be (about) ten to three.
Suona il telefono. Chi sarà? Sarà Davide.
The phone is ringing. Who could it possibly be? It will be Davide.
2.2.10 Futuro anteriore (future perfect)
Forms of futuro anteriore
The future perfect is a compound tense formed of the future tense of the auxiliary avere or essere together with the past participle of the verb. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finirepattern.
Conjugations |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verb |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
avrò parlato |
avrò creduto |
avrò dormito |
2nd person sing |
avrai parlato |
avrai creduto |
avrai dormito |
3rd person sing |
avrà parlato |
avrà creduto |
avrà dormito |
1st person pl |
avremo parlato |
avremo creduto |
avremo dormito |
2nd person pl |
avrete parlato |
avrete creduto |
avrete dormito |
3rd person pl |
avranno parlato |
avranno creduto |
avranno dormito |
Uses of futuro anteriore
The futuro anteriore is used to indicate facts or actions that will take place in the future (in relation to the moment when you are speaking or writing), but before facts or actions that will happen even later; it is a sort of ‘past projected into the future’:
Non so se avrò finito il lavoro quando arriverà il cliente.
I don't know whether I will have finished the job by the time the customer comes.
Stiamo aspettando la fattura. Quando avremo ricevuto la fattura, Le invieremo i soldi.
We are waiting for the invoice. When we've received the invoice, we'll send you the money.
Each of the three verbs in each sentence could be illustrated by a time sequence:
The examples show the position in time of the actions expressed by the future perfect (avrò finito/avremo ricevuto): they are in the future with reference to the moment of speaking, but are in the past in relation to a second reference point placed in the future (arriverà, invieremo). More examples of the use of the future perfect can be found in 14.7 and 26.4.2.
2.2.11 Condizionale (conditional): introduction
The condizionale is used to express a fact, action or event which can/will only take place subject to some condition being met. There are two tenses of the conditional mood: the present and the past.
2.2.12 Condizionale presente (present conditional)
Forms of condizionale presente
For the regular verbs, the condizionale presente is formed by adding the conditional endings, shown in italics, to the stem of the verb. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verb |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
parl-erei |
cred-erei |
dorm-irei |
2nd person sing |
parl-eresti |
cred-eresti |
dorm-iresti |
3rd person sing |
parl-erebbe |
cred-erebbe |
dorm-irebbe |
1st person pl |
parl-eremmo |
cred-eremmo |
dorm-iremmo |
2nd person pl |
parl-ereste |
cred-ereste |
dorm-ireste |
3rd person pl |
parl-erebbero |
cred-erebbero |
dorm-irebbero |
Irregular forms of condizionale presente
The verbs with an irregular present conditional show the same pattern already seen in the future indicative (see 2.2.9 above). In most cases, the irregularity consists in the contraction of the stem (*anderei to andrei, etc). In some cases there is not only a contraction but an assimilation of the consonant groups nr, lr, etc. to rr as in berrei, rimarrei, verrei, vorrei. In the case of essere, there is also a stem change (sarei).
andare |
andrei, andresti, etc. |
avere |
avrei |
bere |
berrei |
cadere |
cadrei |
dovere |
dovrei |
essere |
sarei |
potere |
potrei |
rimanere |
rimarrei |
sapere |
saprei |
vedere |
vedrei |
venire |
verrei |
volere |
vorrei |
Uses of condizionale presente
(a)The condizionale presente is used in conditional sentences. The condition may be explicitly mentioned, usually by using a clause beginning with se ‘if’. In Italian this is called periodo ipotetico (see 38.2–4). This type of sentence is made up of two parts: the condition and the consequence. The condition is introduced by se (‘if such and such were to happen’) and expressed by a verb in the indicative or, more often, the subjunctive mood. The consequence, if the condition were to be met, is expressed by a verb in the indicative or, more often, conditional mood (‘this would be the result’).
Se fossi ricco, non lavorerei.
If I were rich, I wouldn't work.
Se Lei mi stimasse davvero, mi darebbe più responsabilità.
If you really valued me, you would give me more responsibility.
(b)The present conditional is often used to express politeness, when making a request. The politeness of these requests lies in their being subject to some implicit condition: ‘I'd like a coffee (if it is available)’, ‘Could you open the window (if it isn't too much trouble)’. For further examples, see 22.1.1, 22.4.1, 22.4.3 and 23.2.1.
Vorrei un caffè.
I would like a coffee.
Potrebbe aprire la finestra?
Could you open the window?
(c)The present conditional is also used in many other contexts to ‘soften’ a statement, for example to express an opinion less forcefully:
Secondo me dovresti riposarti.
I think you should rest.
Io sarei per la soluzione più facile.
I would be for the easier option.
(d)It is also used to express hearsay or an unconfirmed report where English would use the word ‘apparently’ (see 31.4):
La ragazza sarebbe la figlia di Beckham.
Apparently, the girl is the daughter of Beckham.
2.2.13 Condizionale passato (past conditional)
Forms of condizionale passato
The condizionale passato is formed by the past participle of the verb and the present conditional of avere (as in the examples shown here) or essere. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
|
1st person sing |
avrei parlato |
avrei creduto |
avrei dormito |
2nd person sing |
avresti parlato |
avresti creduto |
avresti dormito |
3rd person sing |
avrebbe parlato |
avrebbe creduto |
avrebbe dormito |
1st person pl |
avremmo parlato |
avremmo creduto |
avremmo dormito |
2nd person pl |
avreste parlato |
avreste creduto |
avreste dormito |
3rd person pl |
avrebbero parlato |
avrebbero creduto |
avrebbero dormito |
Uses of condizionale passato
The condizionale passato is used in a similar way to the present conditional shown above, but mainly referring to past time:
(a)It is used to express a consequence in a conditional sentence (see also 38.4):
Ieri non sarei arrivato in ritardo se avessi preso il treno.
I wouldn't have been late yesterday if I had taken the train.
(b)It is used to convey a statement or request more politely:
Avrei preferito un caffè.
I would have preferred a coffee.
(c)It is used to ‘soften’ a statement, for example to express an opinion less forcefully:
Penso che la Sig.ra Prati avrebbe dovuto pagare in contanti.
I think signora Prati should have paid in cash.
(d)It is used to express hearsay or an unconfirmed report, particularly in the press (see 31.4):
Secondo La Repubblica, sarebbero arrivati duecento clandestini sull'isola.
According to La Repubblica, two hundred illegal immigrants arrived on the island.
(e)This tense is also used to express an action which took place or was to take place after a point referred to in the past, the so-called ‘future in the past’ (see 30.5.2, 31.1.2, 31.3.1):
La mia segretaria mi ha detto che avrebbe prenotato l'albergo subito.
My secretary told me that she would reserve the hotel immediately.
Dieci anni fa non immaginavo che tu avresti fatto una carriera così brillante.
Ten years ago I didn't imagine that you would have such a brilliant career.
2.2.14 Congiuntivo (subjunctive mood): introduction
The congiuntivo is mainly used to express something which is subjective rather than objective, uncertain rather than definite, a concept rather than a reality. Verbs in the subjunctive mood always depend directly or indirectly on another verb, to which they are linked by che, or by a conjunction, thereby forming a complex sentence of at least two verbs. Only in a few cases is the subjunctive used by itself, without depending on another verb.
The ‘indefinite’ or ‘subjective’ nature of the verb phrase may be suggested by something that comes before. This could be any of the following.
The main verb on which the subjunctive depends, for example:
Mi pare che tu abbia esagerato.
I think you've gone a bit over the top.
The conjunction that links the two verbs, for example:
Ti scrivo affinché tu sappia la verità.
I write to let you know the truth.
The pronoun or adjective that introduces the verb phrase, for example:
Qualsiasi canzone lei canti è sempre un piacere ascoltarla.
Whatever song she sings, it is always a pleasure to listen to her.
The choice of indicative or subjunctive to convey the same facts can determine whether a sentence is objective or subjective.
Look at the two statements below. The first refers to a known, existing, person (as shown also by the use of the definite article ‘l'assistente’) and the statement sounds objective, referring to a concrete need that can be met. The second refers to a person needed who may or may not exist, and therefore the need is presented as ‘subjective’, a wish that cannot necessarily be met.
Ho bisogno dell'assistente che parla italiano.
I need the assistant who speaks Italian.
(that particular assistant who is known to speak Italian)
Ho bisogno di un assistente che parli italiano.
I need an assistant who can speak Italian.
(any assistant who might be able to speak Italian, not a particular one)
In the first of the two sentences below, the news is presented as almost certain, while the second sentence, by using the subjunctive, implies a higher degree of doubt or uncertainty about the reliability of the news:
Sembra che Apple sta per lanciare un nuovo computer.
It seems that Apple is about to launch a new computer.
Sembra che Apple stia per lanciare un nuovo computer.
It seems that Apple is about to launch a new computer.
These and other uses of the subjunctive in different contexts are illustrated fully in Sections III and IV It is often said that the subjunctive mood is becoming less common in modern Italian. It is true that Italians tend to associate the frequent use of subjunctive with the more formal, sophisticated registers of language, in particular the written register, to express nuances of meaning. However using the indicative instead of the subjunctive does not only convey a more informal style; it also conveys a different meaning, and may well change substantially the message that you want to communicate.
2.2.15 Uses of the subjunctive
In some cases, it is almost compulsory to use the subjunctive, even in the most familiar context of communication. This is particularly true of the following contexts:
(a)After a range of verbs and other expressions expressing hope, doubt, expectation, desire, fear, emotion, including:
desiderare |
to wish |
dubitare |
to doubt |
illudersi |
to delude oneself |
pensare |
to think |
sospettare |
to suspect |
sperare |
to hope |
temere |
to fear |
Spero che abbiate capito.
I hope you understood.
Temo che sia troppo tardi.
I'm afraid it is too late.
Non illuderti che il Napoli possa vincere il campionato.
Don't delude yourself that ‘Napoli’ can win the championship.
Non avrei mai sospettato che tu fossi capace di mentire.
I would never have suspected you of being able to lie.
► See also Sections III and IV in Part B of the book.
(b)With a range of conjunctions, including:
come se |
as if |
malgrado, benché, sebbene |
although |
nonostante |
despite |
prima che |
before |
se |
if |
tranne che, a meno che |
unless |
Prima che sia troppo tardi, dobbiamo pagare il telefono.
We must pay the phone bill, before it is too late.
Parlava come se avesse il raffreddore.
He was speaking as if he had a cold.
Dovete sbrigarvi, a meno che non vogliate fare tardi.
You must hurry up, unless you want to be late.
Malgrado fossero in tre non sono riusciti a sollevare l'armadio.
Although there were three of them, they couldn't lift the cupboard.
Sebbene siano stanchi, i ragazzi vogliono uscire stasera.
The kids want to go out tonight, although they're tired.
Se fossi in te, non le parlerei.
If I were you I wouldn't speak to her.
See also Part B, Sections III and IV. Se is the conjunction most often used to introduce the subjunctive, usually in the context of a conditional sentence. However, even here, whether to use the subjunctive or not is a matter of personal choice (see 38.2).
(c)After impersonal phrases such as bisogna che, (mi) pare che, (mi) sembra che:
Bisogna che riparino la casa appena possibile.
They need to repair the house as soon as possible.
Mi sembra che il telefono non funzioni.
I think the telephone must be out of order.
Mi pareva che ieri il telefono non funzionasse.
It seemed to me that the phone must have been out of order yesterday.
(d)After an indefinite pronoun or adjective (see 3.9.1) such as chiunque, qualunque, qualsiasi:
Chiunque bussi alla porta, non aprire.
Whoever knocks at the door, don't open up.
Sono pronta a fare qualsiasi cosa tu mi chieda.
I'm ready to do whatever you ask me.
(e)After a superlative in a dependent clause:
Venezia è la più bella città che io abbia mai visto.
Venice is the most beautiful city I have ever seen.
(f)After a relative clause which restricts the category of person or object you are looking for, with a main verb such as aver bisogno di, cercare, chiedere, volere:
Cerco un assistente che sappia guidare la macchina.
I am looking for an assistant who knows how to drive.
Even in some of the examples shown above, many Italians, speaking informally, might use the indicative instead of the subjunctive. However it is useful to get into the habit of using the subjunctive where it is essential and it is especially important for those who need to communicate formally in Italian. There are four tenses of the subjunctive: present, perfect, imperfect, pluperfect. In 2.2.16–19 we look at each tense individually, both its forms and its uses. The most common irregular subjunctive forms are also shown.
2.2.16 Congiuntivo presente (present subjunctive)
Forms of congiuntivo presente
The regular conjugations of the present subjunctive have the same ending for all three singular persons. Note the variation between verbs of the dormire pattern and those of the finire pattern:
Conjugations |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
3rd (-isc-) |
Verbs |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
finire |
1st person sing |
parli |
creda |
dorma |
finisca |
2nd person sing |
parli |
creda |
dorma |
finisca |
3rd person sing |
parli |
creda |
dorma |
finisca |
1st person pl |
parliamo |
crediamo |
dormiamo |
finiamo |
2nd person pl |
parliate |
crediate |
dormiate |
finiate |
3rd person pl |
parlino |
credano |
dormano |
finiscano |
Irregular forms of congiuntivo presente
As is often the case, the verbs most frequently used have irregular forms:
Uses of congiuntivo presente
The present subjunctive is used when you want to mention something that is in the same time context or the future (there is no future tense in the subjunctive). It is almost always linked to a main verb in the present tense (see also 30.5.1):
Spero che tu capisca.
I hope you understand.
Credo che l'agenzia di viaggio ci prenoti l'aereo oggi stesso.
I think the travel agency is booking our flight today.
2.2.17 Congiuntivo passato (perfect subjunctive)
Forms of congiuntivo passato
The perfect subjunctive is formed by past participle and the present subjunctive of the auxiliary avere or essere. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugations |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verbs |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
abbia parlato |
abbia creduto |
abbia dormito |
2nd person sing |
abbia parlato |
abbia creduto |
abbia dormito |
3rd person sing |
abbia parlato |
abbia creduto |
abbia dormito |
1st person pl |
abbiamo parlato |
abbiamo creduto |
abbiamo dormito |
2nd person pl |
abbiate parlato |
abbiate creduto |
abbiate dormito |
3rd person pl |
abbiano parlato |
abbiano creduto |
abbiano dormito |
Uses of congiuntivo passato
The perfect subjunctive is used to refer to a past fact linked to a main verb, usually but not always in the present tense:
Credo che l'agenzia di viaggio ci abbia prenotato l'aereo ieri.
The travel agency should have reserved our flight yesterday, I think.
Marco penserà che tu sia uscito.
Marco will think you have gone out.
2.2.18 Congiuntivo imperfetto (imperfect subjunctive)
Forms of congiuntivo imperfetto
Here are the endings of the imperfect subjunctive. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern. Note how 1st and 2nd persons have the same ending (-assi, -essi, -issi).
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verbs |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
parl-assi |
cred-essi |
dorm-issi |
2nd person sing |
parl-assi |
cred-essi |
dorm-issi |
3rd person sing |
parl-asse |
cred-esse |
dorm-isse |
1st person pl |
parl-assimo |
cred-essimo |
dorm-issimo |
2nd person pl |
parl-aste |
cred-este |
dorm-iste |
3rd person pl |
parl-assero |
cred-essero |
dorm-issero |
Irregular forms of congiuntivo imperfetto
The following verbs have either stem changes (as in the case of dare, essere, stare) or forms that relate to an older infinitive (as in the case of bere, dire, fare). Their endings then follow the regular pattern of imperfect subjunctive endings.
Verb |
Impecfect subjunctive |
bere (*bevere) |
bevessi |
dare |
dessi |
dire (*dicere) |
dicessi |
essere |
fossi |
fare (*facere) |
facessi |
stare |
stessi |
Uses of congiuntivo imperfetto
The imperfect subjunctive is used for events or actions taking place in the same time context as the action of the main verb in the past:
Credevo che l'agenzia di viaggio prenotasse l'aereo il giorno stesso.
I assumed that the travel agency was booking our flight that same day.
The imperfect subjunctive is also used to express a present or future action, which depends on a main verb in the present conditional:
Sarebbe bene che domani arrivasse in orario.
It would be better if he arrived on time tomorrow.
Compreresti una Rolls Royce, se avessi i soldi?
Would you buy a Rolls Royce, if you had the money?
2.2.19 Congiuntivo trapassato (pluperfect subjunctive)
Forms of congiuntivo trapassato
The pluperfect subjunctive is formed by the past participle and the imperfect subjunctive of avere or essere. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Verb |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
1st person sing |
avessi parlato |
avessi creduto |
avessi dormito |
2nd person sing |
avessi parlato |
avessi creduto |
avessi dormito |
3rd person sing |
avessi parlato |
avessi creduto |
avessi dormito |
1st person pl |
avessimo parlato |
avessimo creduto |
avessimo dormito |
2nd person pl |
aveste parlato |
aveste creduto |
aveste dormito |
3rd person pl |
avessero parlato |
avessero creduto |
avessero dormito |
Uses of congiuntivo trapassato
The pluperfect subjunctive is used to refer to an earlier event referred to by a main verb in the past tense:
Speravo che avessi capito.
I hoped you had understood.
Credevo che l'agenzia di viaggi ci avesse prenotato l'aereo già da un mese.
I assumed the travel agency had already reserved our flight a month ago.
2.2.20 The subjunctive used as a main verb
In a few cases the subjunctive is used by itself as a main verb without depending on another verb.
(a)To give an order or invite somebody to do something, when using the polite Lei/Loro form. In this function the present subjunctive serves as the 3rd person form of the imperative, both singular and plural (see below):
Prego, dica!
Can I help you? (literally: Please, tell me)
Prego, si accomodi.
Please, have a seat.
Esca immediatamente!
Get out immediately!
Prego signori, vengano di qua.
Please come over this side, gentlemen.
(b)In exclamations, to express a wish or a threat:
Dio salvi la Regina.
God save the Queen.
Viva l'Italia!
Long live Italy!
Dio ti benedica.
God bless you.
Ti venga un accidente.
Drop dead.
When expressing a wish, the imperfect subjunctive can be introduced by magari ‘if only’ or se ‘if’:
Magari potessi andare in vacanza …
If only I could go on holiday …
Se avessi vent'anni!
If I were twenty years old!
In these examples, the subjunctive, although used alone, still depends on a main verb, although it is implicit rather than actually stated:
(Spero che) ti venga un accidente!
(I hope that) something horrible happens to you!
(Mi auguro che) Dio ti benedica.
(I wish that) God would bless you.
Se avessi vent'anni (farei tante cose) …
If I were young (I would do lots of things) …
2.2.21 Imperativo (imperative)
Introduction
The imperative is the mood you use when you want to give orders or to ask somebody to do something, so it has no 1st person singular form. The 2nd person singular (tu) and 2nd person plural (voi) are used to address someone informally, while the 3rd person form (Lei) is used to address someone formally. The 1st person plural form (noi) is more of an exhortation than a command. The 3rd person plural form (loro) is used only to address more than one person formally (for example, a hotel receptionist addressing clients) and is now almost always replaced by the voi form.
Forms of the imperativo
The polite ‘you’ forms of the imperative (singular Lei and plural Loro) are actually present subjunctive forms (see 2.2.16). Note too the variation between verbs of the dormire pattern and those of the finire pattern:
Conjugation |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
3rd |
Verbs |
parlare |
credere |
dormire |
finire |
tu |
parl-a |
cred-i |
dorm-i |
fin-isci |
Lei |
parl-i |
cred-a |
dorm-a |
fin-isca |
noi |
parl-iamo |
cred-iamo |
dorm-iamo |
fin-iamo |
voi |
parl-ate |
cred-ete |
dorm-ite |
fin-ite |
loro |
parl-ino |
cred-ano |
dorm-ano |
fin-iscano |
Irregular forms of the imperativo
A few verbs have an irregular imperative with stem change. Here we show only the main forms of imperative (tu, Lei, voi):
Person |
avere |
essere |
sapere |
tu |
abbi |
sii |
sappi |
Lei |
abbia |
sia |
sappia |
voi |
abbiate |
siate |
sappiate |
For the five verbs andare, dare, dire, fare, stare, the shortened tu imperative forms are normally marked with an apostrophe (va', da', di', fa', sta'), to distinguish them from the prepositions di, da or the third person singular of the present indicative da, fa, sta.
Abbi pazienza! |
Be patient! |
Sii prudente! |
Be prudent (drive carefully)! |
Dammi la penna, per favore! |
Please give me the pen. |
Fammi un piacere. |
Do me a favour. |
Vallo a trovare. |
Go to see him. |
The last example is very colloquial use; normally the direct object pronoun would be attached to the end of the infinitive, rather than the first verb (Va' a trovarlo).
Uses of the imperativo
Ama il prossimo tuo come te stesso.
Love your neighbour like yourself.
Prendimi l'ombrello, per favore.
Please, get my umbrella for me.
Dott. Bianchi, finisca quella lettera e poi venga da me.
Dr Bianchi, could you please finish that letter and then come to see me.
Mi dia il telefono, per favore.
Give me the telephone, please.
Aiuto, datemi una mano.
Help, give me a hand.
Credetemi, sono sincero.
Believe me, I am sincere.
Note how in the examples above the tu or voi imperative is combined with any pronoun used, whether direct or indirect object or reflexive (see also 3.4.7), while with the Lei imperative, the pronoun comes before.
The imperative form of the verbs dare, fare, stare, andare is sometimes replaced by a request, using the second person indicative forms dai, fai, stai, vai, since these sound less abrupt.
For more illustrations of the use of the imperative, see 21.2.
2.2.22 Negative imperative
To ask somebody not to do something, addressing someone with the tu form, use non + verb infinitive. For all other persons of the imperative, simply add non.
Tu:
Teresa, non giocare in casa con la palla.
Teresa, don't play indoors with the ball.
Franco, non preoccuparti.
Don't worry, Franco
Lei:
Non si preoccupi, signora Rossi.
Don't worry, signora Rossi.
Voi:
Bambini, non andate lontano.
Children, don't go far away.
2.2.23 Gerundio (gerund): introduction
The gerund (whether present or past) is always used in connection with another verb on which it is closely dependent. The subject of the gerund must be the same as that of the main verb (unless explicitly stated). The gerund is invariable: it does not change form whether its subject is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. It has two forms: present and perfect.
2.2.24 Gerundio presente (present gerund)
Forms of gerundio (presente)
The gerundio is formed by adding the endings -ando for the 1st conjugation and -endo for the 2nd and 3rd conjugations, to the verb stem. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finirepattern.
Infinitive |
Gerundio |
parlare |
parlando |
credere |
credendo |
dormire |
dormendo |
finire |
finendo |
Irregular forms of the gerundio (presente)
The gerund forms of verbs such as bere, dire, fare are based on the older long verb stem:
bere — bevendo
dire — dicendo
fare — facendo
When the gerund has an unstressed pronoun as direct or indirect object, the pronoun is attached to the end of the verb (see 3.4.7):
Guardandoli bene ho capito che quei francobolli erano falsi.
Looking at them carefully I realized that those stamps were false.
Dandole più fiducia otterrai migliori risultati da lei.
By putting more trust in her, you will get better results from her.
Uses of gerundio (presente)
The gerund is used as follows:
(a)To indicate an action happening at the same time as that of the main verb, be it past, present or future:
Il Prof. Neri parla leggendo gli appunti.
Prof. Neri speaks reading from notes.
Il Prof. Neri ha parlato leggendo gli appunti.
Prof. Neri spoke reading from notes.
Il Prof. Neri parlerà leggendo gli appunti.
Prof. Neri will speak reading from notes.
(b)With stare (in present or imperfect tense) to describe an action in progress:
Sto preparando il caffè.
I'm making coffee.
Non ho risposto al telefono perché stavo facendo la doccia.
I didn't answer the phone because I was having a shower.
(c)The gerundio cannot be used to translate the English -ing form. In Italian you would use a relative clause with che:
C'è un uomo che bussa alla porta.
There is a man knocking at the door.
Ho visto uno studente che leggeva ‘Panorama’.
I saw a student reading ‘Panorama’.
2.2.25 Gerundio passato (past gerund)
Forms of gerundio al passato
The past gerund is formed by the gerund of the auxiliary avere or essere (as in the case of partire) and the past participle. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
parlare |
avendo parlato |
vedere |
avendo visto |
dormire |
avendo dormito |
partire |
essendo partito |
Uses of gerundio al passato
The past gerund indicates an action that took place before that of the main verb, whatever the tense:
Avendo distribuito gli appunti in inglese, il Prof. Neri parla in italiano.
Having distributed notes in English, Prof. Neri speaks in Italian.
Avendo distribuito gli appunti in inglese, il Prof. Neri ha parlato in italiano.
Having distributed notes in English, Prof. Neri spoke in Italian.
Avendo distribuito gli appunti in inglese, il Prof. Neri parlerà in italiano.
Having distributed notes in English, Prof. Neri will speak in Italian.
2.2.26 Participio presente (present participle)
Forms of participio presente
The present participle is formed by the endings -ante/i in the 1st conjugation and -ente/i in the 2nd and 3rd conjugations. In modern Italian this form is very rarely used as a verb, and has taken on the function of adjective or noun:
Adjective: |
affascinante |
fascinating |
bollente |
boiling hot |
|
ignorante |
ignorant |
|
imbarazzante |
embarrassing |
|
importante |
important |
|
potente |
powerful |
|
rilevante |
relevant |
|
soddisfacente |
satisfactory |
|
splendente |
splendid |
|
urgente |
urgent |
|
Noun: |
amante |
lover |
agente |
agent |
|
cantante |
singer |
|
comandante |
commander, commandant |
|
dipendente |
dependant |
|
dirigente |
manager, director |
|
insegnante |
teacher |
|
stampante |
printer |
|
studente |
student |
and many more …
Uses of participio presente
As a verb it is sometimes used in very formal and bureaucratic language:
Gli impiegati perdenti il posto riceveranno una pensione.
The employees losing their jobs will receive a pension.
Vivente il padre, i figli non ricevono l'eredità.
The father being alive, the children shall not receive the inheritance.
But in general it is preferable to use a gerund a relative clause (che …) or a time clause (quando … or mentre …):
Gli impiegati che perdono il posto riceveranno una pensione.
Mentre il padre è in vita, i figli non ricevono l'eredità.
2.2.27 Participio passato (past participle)
Unlike the present participle, the past participle is one of the most frequently used forms of Italian verbs. It is found in all compound tenses of verbs, together with the auxiliary avere or essere.
Forms of participio passato
The regular past participle is formed by the endings -ato for the 1st, -uto for the 2nd and -ito for the 3rd conjugation. In this tense, there is no difference between verbs of the dormire and verbs of the finire pattern.
guardare |
guardato |
credere |
creduto |
dormire |
dormito |
Its endings have to agree with the subject (in the case of verbs taking the auxiliary essere) or sometimes the object of the verb (see below), following the pattern of adjectives in o/a/i/e (see 1.5).
Irregular forms of participio passato
There are many verbs with an irregular past participle. All verbs with irregular past participles are listed in Appendix III. But some basic groups can be identified:
(a)Verbs (mainly 2nd conjugation) with past participle ending in -so such as:
accendere |
acceso |
apparire |
apparso |
chiudere |
chiuso |
correre |
corso |
decidere |
deciso |
mettere |
messo |
perdere |
perso |
prendere |
preso |
scendere |
sceso |
(b)Verbs of the 2nd and 3rd conjugation with past participle ending in -to or -tto such as:
aprire |
aperto |
chiedere |
chiesto |
dire |
detto |
essere |
stato |
leggere |
letto |
morire |
morto |
nascere |
nato |
offrire |
offerto |
porre |
posto |
produrre |
prodotto |
rispondere |
risposto |
rompere |
rotto |
scegliere |
scelto |
scrivere |
scritto |
vedere |
visto |
tradurre |
tradotto |
venire |
venuto |
vivere |
vissuto |
Uses of participio passato
The past participle is used in two ways:
(a)In compound tenses
Compound tenses are formed with auxiliary avere or essere. When the auxiliary is avere, the participle ends in -o (masculine singular), and does not change to agree with the subject of the verb:
L'Avv. Serpe non aveva capito il suo problema e la Sig.ra Brandi gli ha scritto un pro-memoria.
Dr Serpe didn't understand her problem so Mrs Brandi wrote a memorandum for him.
Sandro e Lucia hanno lavorato bene.
Sandro and Lucia did a good job.
But if the verb is preceded by a direct object pronoun the participle changes to agree with the gender and number of this pronoun (see also 3.4.9):
Avete visto quelle pratiche? |
Sì, le abbiamo viste. |
Did you see those files? |
Yes, we've seen them. |
Hai visto Elisa? |
Sì, l'ho vista. |
Did you see Elisa? |
Yes, I saw her. |
When the auxiliary is essere the past participle always agrees with the gender and number of the subject:
È arrivato il mio stipendio?
Has my salary arrived?
È arrivata la posta?
Has the mail arrived?
Ci siamo accorti troppo tardi del nostro errore.
We realised our mistake too late.
Le fatture non sono state ancora ricevute dal cliente.
The invoices haven't yet been received by the customer.
(b)As a verb form on its own
As a verb form on its own it can have the same function as an adjective (i.e. qualifying a noun) and its ending is in agreement with the gender and number of the noun it qualifies:
Oggi non c'era posta indirizzata a Lei, Sig. Sini.
There was no mail addressed to you today, Mr Sini.
Oggi non c'erano lettere indirizzate a Lei, Sig. Sini.
There were no letters addressed to you today, Mr Sini.
Dove sono i pacchi arrivati oggi?
Where are the parcels that arrived today?
It can also have the function of a verb in its own right, expressing an action completed before the action expressed in the main clause; the subject can be the same as that of the main verb or a different one:
Appena arrivati, abbiamo preso un caffè.
As soon as we arrived, we had a coffee.
Appena arrivato Franco, prendiamo un caffè.
As soon as Franco has arrived, we'll have a coffee.
Sconfitto l'esercito borbonico a Calatafimi, Garibaldi avanzò verso Palermo.
After defeating the Bourbon army at Calatafimi, Garibaldi advanced towards Palermo.
The past participle can also take an unstressed pronoun (direct or indirect) as its object, in which case the pronoun is attached to the end of the participle (see also 3.4.7).
Vistala arrivare, ho chiamato Sara dal balcone.
As I saw her arriving, I called Sara from the balcony.
Consegnatigli i documenti, sono tornato in ufficio.
After delivering the documents to him, I came back to the office.