Italian conjugation


Italian verbs have a high degree of inflection, the majority of which follows one of three common patterns of conjugation. Italian conjugation is affected by mood, person, tense, number, aspect and occasionally gender.
The three classes of verbs are distinguished by the endings of the infinitive form of the verb:
Additionally, Italian has a number of irregular verbs that do not fit into any conjugation class, including ' "to be", ' "to have", ' "to go", ' "to stay, to stand", ' "to give", ' "to do, to make", and [|many others].
The suffixes that form the infinitive are always stressed, except for -ere, which is stressed in some verbs and unstressed in others. A few verbs have a misleading, contracted infinitive, but use their uncontracted stem in most conjugations.
' comes from Latin ', which can be seen in many of its forms. Similarly, ' comes from ', ' comes from ' and ' comes from .
Together with the traditional patterns of conjugation, new classes and patterns have been suggested, in order to include common verbs such as avviare, which exhibit a quite different form and stress pattern.

The present

Present (''Il presente'')

The present is used for:
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
amo
credo
dormo
finisco
sono
ho
vado
sto
do
faccio
'
ami
credi
dormi
finisci
sei
hai
vai
stai
dai
fai
' / ' / '
ama
crede
dorme
finisce
è
ha
va
sta

fa
'
amiamo
crediamo
dormiamo
finiamo
siamo
abbiamo
andiamo
stiamo
diamo
facciamo
'
amate
credete
dormite
finite
siete
avete
andate
state
date
fate
' / '
amano
credono
dormono
finiscono
sono
hanno
vanno
stanno
danno
fanno

Subject pronouns are not obligatory in Italian, and they are normally only used when they are stressed. The conjugation of the verb is normally used to show the subject.
The pronoun ' is used in the singular towards children, family members and close friends, whereas ' is used in the same manner in the plural. The pronouns ' and ' are used towards older people, strangers and very important or respectable people. Note that ' and ' can also mean "she" and "they", respectively.
  • Lei va "you are going"
  • tu vai "you are going"
  • vai "you are going"
  • va "you are going"
The irregular verb
' has the same form in the first person singular and third person plural.
The forms ' and ' are the standard Italian first person singular forms of the verbs ' and ', but ' and ' are used in the Tuscan dialect.
The infix -isc- varies in pronunciation between and, depending on the following vowel. Similar alternations are found in other verbs:

Present perfect (''Il passato prossimo'')

The present perfect is used for single actions or events, or change in state, contrasting with the imperfect which is used for habits, or repeated actions, not happening at a specific time.

The past participle

The past participle is used to form the compound pasts. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern, but there are many verbs with an irregular past participle.
All transitive verbs and most intransitive verbs form the present perfect by combining the auxiliary verb avere "to have" in the present tense with the past participle of the transitive verb.
amare
ioho amato
tuhai amato
lui / lei / Leiha amato
noiabbiamo amato
voiavete amato
loro / Lorohanno amato

Except with an immediately preceding third person pronominal direct object, the participle always ends in -o.
A small number of intransitive verbs, namely essere itself and verbs indicating motion use the auxiliary verb essere instead of avere. The past participle in this agrees with gender and number of the subject.
arrivare
iosono arrivato/-a
tusei arrivato/-a
lui / lei / Leiè arrivato/-a
noisiamo arrivati/-e
voisiete arrivati/-e
loro / Lorosono arrivati/-e

When using essere, the past participle agrees in gender and number with preceding third person direct object clitic pronouns, following the same pattern of nouns and adjectives:
Reflexive verbs always use essere, and their past participle agrees with the subject or with third person object pronouns, if these precede the verb.
The Imperfect fuses past tense with imperfective aspect and is used for:
The difference between imperfective and perfective aspects can be illustrated clearly with the verb sapere 'to know'. The Italian imperfect expresses being in possession of knowledge in the past, while the perfective expresses the moment of acquiring the knowledge.
Imperfective: Sapevo la verità. 'I knew the truth.' Perfective: Ho saputo la verità. 'I found out the truth.'
The Imperfect is, in most cases, formed by taking the stem along with the thematic vowel and adding v + the ending of the -are verbs in the present tense. There are no irregular conjugations in the Imperfect except for essere, which uses the stem er- and v appears only in 1st and 2nd person plurals. Verbs with retracted infinitive forms use their full stems, e.g. dicevo, facevo, bevevo, ponevo.
amarecrederedormirefinireessereavereandarestaredarefare
ioamavo
credevo
dormivo
finivo
ero
avevo
andavo
stavo
davo
facevo
tuamavi
credevi
dormivi
finivi
eri
avevi
andavi
stavi
davi
facevi
lui / lei / Leiamava
credeva
dormiva
finiva
era
aveva
andava
stava
dava
faceva
noiamavamo
credevamo
dormivamo
finivamo
eravamo
avevamo
andavamo
stavamo
davamo
facevamo
voiamavate
credevate
dormivate
finivate
eravate
avevate
andavate
stavate
davate
facevate
loro / Loroamavano
credevano
dormivano
finivano
erano
avevano
andavano
stavano
davano
facevano

The Absolute Past has a function distinct from the Present Perfect. It is used for events which are distant from the present and no longer directly affect it, whereas the Present Perfect is used for more recent events which may have a direct impact on the present. The Absolute Past may at all times be replaced with the Present Perfect. In many areas of Southern Italy, it is still used commonly in spoken language, whereas in Northern-Central Italy and Sardinia it is restricted to written language.
Like the past participle, regular verbs are very predictable, but many verbs are irregular.
amarecrederedormirefinireessereavereandarestaredarefare
ioamai
credei or credetti
dormii
finii
fui
ebbi
andai
stetti
diedi or detti
feci
tuamasti
credesti
dormisti
finisti
fosti
avesti
andasti
stesti
desti
facesti
lui / lei / Leiamò
credé or credette
dormì
finì
fu
ebbe
andò
stette
diede or dette
fece
noiamammo
credemmo
dormimmo
finimmo
fummo
avemmo
andammo
stemmo
demmo
facemmo
voiamaste
credeste
dormiste
finiste
foste
aveste
andaste
steste
deste
faceste
loro / Loroamarono
crederono or credettero
dormirono
finirono
furono
ebbero
andarono
stettero
diedero or dettero
fecero

Past perfect (''Il trapassato prossimo'')

Used for activities done prior to another activity.
The Past Perfect is formed the same as the Present Perfect, but with the auxiliary verb in the Imperfect.
In literary language, an Absolute Perfect exists which uses the Absolute Past of the auxiliaries, and which is used for activities done prior to another activity which is described with the Absolutive Past. This form is known as trapassato remoto.

Future (''Il futuro semplice'')

The future tense is used for events that will happen in the future. It is formed by adding the forms of avere to the Infinitive. Sometimes the Infinitive undergoes some changes:
To these, the respective suffixes , -ai, , -emo, -ete, -anno are added. Historically speaking, these are derived from the present forms of the verb avere.
amarecrederedormirefinireessereavereandarestaredarefare
ioamerò
crederò
dormirò
finirò
sarò
avrò
andrò
starò
darò
farò
tuamerai
crederai
dormirai
finirai
sarai
avrai
andrai
starai
darai
farai
lui / lei / Leiamerà
crederà
dormirà
finirà
sarà
avrà
andrà
starà
darà
farà
noiameremo
crederemo
dormiremo
finiremo
saremo
avremo
andremo
staremo
daremo
faremo
voiamerete
crederete
dormirete
finirete
sarete
avrete
andrete
starete
darete
farete
loro / Loroameranno
crederanno
dormiranno
finiranno
saranno
avranno
andranno
staranno
daranno
faranno

Future perfect (''Il futuro anteriore'')

Used for events that will have happened when or before something else happens in the future.
The Future Perfect is formed the same as the Present Perfect, but with the auxiliary verb in the Future.

Conditional (''Il condizionale presente'')

Used for:
The Conditional is formed by taking the root of the Future and adding the Absolutive Past forms of avere.
amarecrederedormire
ioamerei
crederei
dormirei
tuameresti
crederesti
dormiresti
lui / lei / Leiamerebbe
crederebbe
dormirebbe
noiameremmo
crederemmo
dormiremmo
voiamereste
credereste
dormireste
loro / Loroamerebbero
crederebbero
dormirebbero

Past conditional (''Il condizionale passato'')

Used:
The Conditional Perfect is formed the same as the Present Perfect, but with the auxiliary verb in the Conditional.

Present subjunctive (''Il congiuntivo presente'')

Used for subordinate clauses of the present to express opinion, possibility, desire, or doubt.
The Subjunctive is formed:
The Subjunctive is almost always preceded by the conjunctive word che.
amarecrederedormirefinireessereavereandarestaredarefare
ioche ami
che creda
che dorma
che finisca
che sia
che abbia
che vada
che stia
che dia
che faccia
tuche ami
che creda
che dorma
che finisca
che sia
che abbia
che vada
che stia
che dia
che faccia
lui / lei / Leiche ami
che creda
che dorma
che finisca
che sia
che abbia
che vada
che stia
che dia
che faccia
noiche amiamo
che crediamo
che dormiamo
che finiamo
che siamo
che abbiamo
che andiamo
che stiamo
che diamo
che facciamo
voiche amiate
che crediate
che dormiate
che finiate
che siate
che abbiate
che andiate
che stiate
che diate
che facciate
loro / Loroche amino
che credano
che dormano
che finiscano
che siano
che abbiano
che vadano
che stiano
che diano
che facciano

Imperfect subjunctive (''Il congiuntivo imperfetto'')

Used for the subordinate clauses of the Imperfect Indicative or the Conditional.
The Imperfect Subjunctive is formed:
amarecrederedormirefinireessereavereandarestaredarefare
ioche amassi
che credessi
che dormissi
che finissi
che fossi
che avessi
che andassi
che stessi
che dessi
che facessi
tuche amassi
che credessi
che dormissi
che finissi
che fossi
che avessi
che andassi
che stessi
che dessi
che facessi
lui / lei / Leiche amasse
che credesse
che dormisse
che finisse
che fosse
che avesse
che andasse
che stesse
che desse
che facesse
noiche amassimo
che credessimo
che dormissimo
che finissimo
che fossimo
che avessimo
che andassimo
che stessimo
che dessimo
che facessimo
voiche amaste
che credeste
che dormiste
che finiste
che foste
che aveste
che andaste
che steste
che deste
che faceste
loro / Loroche amassero
che credessero
che dormissero
che finissero
che fossero
che avessero
che andassero
che stessero
che dessero
che facessero
----che finissero
------

Past subjunctive (''Il congiuntivo passato'')

Used for subordinate clauses of the imperfect indicative or the conditional.
The Subjunctive Perfect is formed the same as the Present Perfect, but with the auxiliary verb in the Subjunctive Present.
The Subjunctive Pluperfect is formed the same as the Present Perfect, but with the auxiliary verb in the Subjunctive Imperfect.

Imperative (''L’imperativo'')

The imperative is used for giving commands.
The second-person singular Imperative is formed:
The polite form of the singular is identical to the Present Subjunctive. Objective personal pronouns are placed before the verb, unlike other forms of the imperative which have these after the verb.
The first-person plural is identical to the Present Indicative, but allows for pronominal suffixes.
The second-person plural is usually identical to the Present Indicative, but in a few irregular cases to the Present Subjunctive.
The polite plural is identical to the Present Subjunctive. As with the polite singular, objective personal pronouns come before the verb as opposed to after it.
amarecrederedormirefinireessereavereandarestaredarefare
ama!
credi!
dormi!
finisci!
sii!
abbi!
va’! or vai!
sta’! or stai!
da’! or dai!
fa’! or fai!
ami!
creda!
dorma!
finisca!
sia!
abbia!
vada!
stia!
dia!
faccia!
amiamo!
crediamo!
dormiamo!
finiamo!
siamo!
abbiamo!
andiamo!
stiamo!
diamo!
facciamo!
amate!
credete!
dormite!
finite!
siate!
abbiate!
andate!
state!
date!
fate!
amino!
credano!
dormano!
finiscano!
siano!
abbiano!
vadano!
stiano!
diano!
facciano!

The second person singular uses the infinitive instead of its usual form in the negative, while other forms remain unchanged.
amarecrederedormire
non amarenon crederenon dormire
non aminon credanon dorma
non amiamonon crediamonon dormiamo
non amatenon credetenon dormite
non aminonon credanonon dormano

Italian verbs have three additional forms, known as nominal forms, because they can be used as nouns or adjectives, rather than as verbs.
Like the imperative, all nominal verb forms have their objective personal pronouns suffixed rather than placed before them.
The following list includes some example conjugations for the main irregular verbs: the verbs derived from others and the ones which end in the same way are formed according to the same conjugation.
It does not include essere, avere, andare, stare, dare and fare, that have already been conjugated throughout the article.
pr. = present;
ps.p. = past perfect;
ps.r. = past absolute;
f. = future;
sg.pr. = present subjunctive;
sg.impf. = imperfect subjunctive;
imp. = imperative;
pt.pr. = present participle