Italian verbs are conjugated into moods and tenses. As in most other romance languages such as French and Spanish, this means that there are different moods, and for each mood there are different tenses – which add up to a whole lot of tenses in the end.

Luckily, there is a quite rigid structure for how this works, which means that you can follow a few rules to understand how it all works. Also, many of the tenses that exist are actually not used that much in real life, and so the number of tenses and rules you need to learn is actually not that high.

In this article, we will go through the moods and tenses of Italian verbs, to give you the overview you need to study Italian effectively.

 

Before you read any further, you might want to take a look at our list of the top 100 Italian verbs. with explanations, conjugations, and example sentences for each verb. Many of the top 100 verbs are used throughout this article to show how Italian verbs are conjugated.

 

 

Indicativo

Present, past and futures tenses

The Italian language has three main groups of verb tenses in the indicative mood, namely: present tense, past tense and future tense. The latter two can be divided into more tenses.

Present Tense

The present tense, or the presente indicativo, is used to talk about events which occur in the present. In conversational Italian, the present tense is often used to talk about events in the future, in place of the future tense.

• Io leggo un libro (I read a book)

When to use Presente Indicativo

Past Tenses

Past tense are used to describe events that took place in the past. Italian past tenses are passato prossimo, imperfetto, trapassato prossimo, passato remoto, trapassato remoto. They may refer to a very distant past or a recent one. Some of these (passato prossimo and imperfetto) are more commonly used, compared to others (passato remoto and trapassato remoto) which are only used in written Italian.The imperfect tense, for example, doesn’t exist in English, but it’s a very important Italian tense to learn, as it’s used to describe ongoing events in the past, something that ‘used to’ happen, or something that ‘was happening’ whilst something else happened.

When using the Italian past tenses, we often use marker words such as:

• ieri (yesterday)
• lo scorso anno (the last year)
• in passato (in the past)
• alcune settimane fa (a few weeks ago) and so on.

Future Tenses

Future tenses refer to events that will take place in the future. We often use marker words such as domani (tomorrow), la prossima settimana (next week), in futuro (in the future) and so on.

Subjunctive Mood

When speaking with Italian friends, you may want to express a doubt, a thought, a wish or anything uncertain. In Italian this is possible thanks to a tense which doesn’t have an equivalent in English: it’s called subjunctive or congiuntivo.

This may look very difficult to use, but you shouldn’t be discouraged by that. Even just learning a few very common uses of the subjunctive and conditional mood will set you apart from most other Italian language learners and make you sound significantly more Italian within seconds.

The subjunctive mood is used in both independent and dependent clauses.

 

Subjunctive Mood and Consecutio Temporum

The Consecutio Temporum plays a crucial role in preserving the grammatical correctness of Italian sentences. Additionally, we are using Subjunctive tenses to express the sense of contemporaneity or anteriority between the main clause and the dependent clause.

Conditional Mood

The conditional mood is the equivalent of the English expressions would, could, should. It is generally used when expressing hypothetical facts or situations, often together with the word se (if). It is also very common when ordering food or asking for a coffee in an Italian bar, because it makes you sound way more polite when saying “I would like..” rather than simply “I want..”.

 

Non-finite moods

In this chapter, we are going to study the last three Moods of Italian Verbs: Infinitive (Infinito), Imperative (Imperativo) and Gerund (Gerundio). These moods are often known as “non-finite” or impersonal since they don’t refer to a specific person (io, tu, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro).

Infinito

The infinitive is the basic form of the verb (to go, to do, to see etc.), which is used, for example, after other verbs like can, must, should. To put it in simple terms, infinitive means that the verb is not conjugated according to a person (I, you, he/she etc.).

• L’obiettivo è cucinare una buona pizza (The aim is to cook a tasty pizza)
• Non so cosa pensare (I do not know what to think)
• Credo di capire (I believe I can understand)

The peculiarity of this mood is that it’s not conjugated. It describes the action conveyed by the verb in general terms and shows the conjugation the verb belongs to.

As we have previously mentioned, Italian verbs have three main conjugations:

• First conjugation (amare, lodare, sognare)
• Second conjugation (temere, bere, volere)
• Third conjugation (servire, partire, sentire)

The Past Infinitive and its auxiliary verbs

The Past Infinitive requires one auxiliary verb, which can be avere (to have) or essere (to be). Usually, the auxiliary avere is used for the active sentences and for transitive verbs, while essere is preferred for the passive sentences and for impersonal verbs.

Imperative

Just like in English, the imperative mood in Italian is used to give orders, advice or to urge someone. It is also used to give permission, offer something, give instructions etc. In its negative form, it also express a prohibition or anything that’s forbidden.

• Dammi quella penna! (Give me that pen!)
• Non mangiare quella pizza! (Do not eat that pizza!)

Because of the purpose and the essence of the imperative (giving advice or orders), this mood doesn’t exist for the first person singular (io), the third person singular (lui, lei) and the third person plural (loro).

• Vai via! (Go away!)
• Andiamo via! (Let’s go away!)

Polite forms of the Imperative

In Italian, using the imperative is not always rude. In fact, it is possible to use certain expressions in order to sound more polite, while communicating with others.

• Per favore, dammi quella penna (Please, give me that pen)
• Apri la porta, per piacere (Open the door, please)

Gerund

Italian Gerund has the same meaning as the -ing form in English. It is often used in subordinate clauses when the subject is already stated in the main clause. Furthermore, It is used to form hypothetical sentences, temporal subordinate clauses, and causal clauses.

Italian Present Progressive

The Italian Present Progressive describes something that’s happening right now, for example when you’re in the middle of doing something (I am eating/watching TV/playing football etc.).

The Italian Present Progressive is formed by using the Italian Gerund, together with the auxiliary verb stare.

• Marco sta studiando (Marco is studying) – stare (essere) + gerundio
• Sto preparando una pizza adesso (Now I am making pizza) – stare (essere) + gerundio

NOTE: In English, the Present Progressive can indicate a future event. However, this does not apply in Italian.

• Cosa stai facendo ora? (What are you doing now?) – contemporary action
• Stasera torno a casa (I’m coming home tonight) – future action

What is the subjunctive?

The subjunctive tense (congiuntivo) is a tense that doesn’t have an equivalent in English, therefore it can be a tricky one to learn. On the other hand, if you start using the Italian subjunctive, you will immediately sound more advanced and accurate. So let’s take a look at this important tense of the Italian grammar, what it’s used for and how to conjugate it!

If the indicative (presente, futuro, passato prossimo, imperfetto etc.) is used to talk about events that have happened, are happening or will happen, the Italian subjunctive is what you would use to talk about a doubt, a thought, a wish or anything uncertain.

The subjunctive is used in subordinated sentences (dependent clauses), almost always introduced by the word che.

Let’s clarify this with some practical examples:

The subjunctive in Italian is used with verbs like credere (to believe), pensare (to think), volere (to want), sperare (to hope) and so on, to express wishes, thoughts and beliefs.

• Vogliamo che veniate con noi.  We want you to come with us.
• Desideri che ti aiuti? Would you like me to help you?
• Spero che tutto vada bene. I hope that everything goes well.

How to form the present subjunctive

As you can see, the conjugation of the present subjunctive is slightly different from the simple present. To form it, you just have to drop the -are (1^st conjugation), -ere (2^nd conjugation) and -ire (3^rd conjugation) of the infinitive, and add the following endings:

NOTE: the subjunctive is also used in the imperative when using the formal speech. For example:

• Entri, Signora! Come in Madam!
• Sia buono, la prego! Be kind, please!

Present subjunctive of irregular verbs

The chart above shows the conjugations for the Italian regular verbs, whereas some irregular verbs follow a slightly different pattern, for example:

Infinitive or subjunctive?

Sometimes there is an option to avoid using the subjunctive. This happens with verbs following the preposition di (pensare di, credere di etc.). Only if the subjects in both sentences (main sentence and subordinated sentence) are the same. In other words, when the subject is thinking / hoping / feeling something about themselves. In this case you can use the infinitive instead:

• Penso di poter arrivare in tempo. I think I can arrive on time.
• Penso che tu possa arrivare in tempo. I think you can arrive on time.
• Voglio essere ricco. I want to be rich.
• Voglio che tu sia ricca. I want you to be rich.

Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)

When the verb in the dependent clause is in the past tense and the action is happening at the same time as the one in the main clause, you need to use the imperfect subjunctive. Here’s how to form it:

Past subjunctive (congiuntivo passato)

We are using the past subjunctive to talk about something which happens before the event expressed in the main clause. Using the tense in the main clause is in the present tense. It’s the equivalent of passato prossimo, but referring to thoughts, wishes, beliefs etc.

Present subjunctive of the auxiliary (essere or avere) + the past participle of the verb.

• Penso che Paolo sia arrivato tardo. I think that Paolo arrived late.
• Non sappiamo se Maria abbia prenotato la camera. We don’t know if Maria has booked the room.

Past perfect subjunctive (congiuntivo trapassato)

We are using the past perfect of the subjunctive to talk about something which happens before the event expressed in the main clause. The tense we are using in the main clause is the past tense. It’s the equivalent of trapassato prossimo, but referring to thoughts, wishes, beliefs etc. Forming the imperfect subjunctive of the auxiliary (essere or avere) + the past participle of the verb.

• Pensavo che Paolo fosse andato al supermercato. I thought that Paolo had gone to the supermarket.
• Non sapevo che tu fossi stata tre volte a Parigi. I didn’t know you had been to Paris three times.

The hypothetical period (periodo ipotetico) consists of two sentences (main clause and dependant clause) which express a type of ‘hypothesis/consequence’ situation. In English, an example of hypothetical period is:

If I had more money (dependant clause), I would buy a new car (main clause).

If I get there on time (dependant clause), I’ll book a table (main clause).

In the hypothetical period in Italian, the dependant clause is introduced by SE (if), whereas the main clause is the one which could exist on its own, and expresses the consequence of an hypothesis. When forming periodo ipotetico in Italian, the order of the two sentences is not essential. You can start either with the dependant clause, or with the main clause, depending on the one you wish to emphasize.

In order to use this structure properly, it’s highly beneficial to know the following verb tenses: indicative mood (present and future tense); imperative; present and past conditional; imperfect and past perfect subjunctive.

 

Three types of hypothetical period

Type 1: Periodo Ipotetico Della Realtà

The first type of hypothetical period is used to express a possible hypothesis. In this case, the verbs are normally in the simple present or future. Take a look at the following example:

 

As you can see, in Italian it is possible to use two future tenses in the same sentence, whereas in English you would only use the future in the main clause.

Sometimes, the consequence (main clause) features a verb in the imperative:

 

Type 2: Periodo Ipotetico Della Possibilità

The second type of hypothetical period is used to express something that might happen, or something that’s possible, but not probable. In this case, the tenses involved are congiuntivo imperfetto (imperfect subjunctive) and condizionale presente (present conditional).

 

Type 3: Periodo Ipotetico Della Irrealtà

The third type of hypothetical period is used to describe something which can’t happen, because the condition refers to the past. In other words, it’s something which is no longer possible, and this is way we call it ‘unreal’ (irrealtà). The tenses involved are congiuntivo trapassato (past perfect subjunctive) and condizionale passato (past conditional).

 

ALTERNATIVES TO THE USE OF ‘SE’ IN THE DEPENDANT CLAUSE

You have now learnt that the dependant clause (condition) is often introduced by the word SE (if). Sometimes, other alternatives are possible:

• Avoiding the ‘se’, and starting directly with the verb:

Avessi più soldi, ti comprerei una casa.

If I had more money, I’d buy you a house.

• Using the gerund:

Ascoltando più attentamente, potremmo capire la lezione.

By listening more carefully, we could understand the lesson.

• Using the past participle:

Eseguita bene, potrebbe essere una canzone fantastica.

If it was well executed, it could be a great song.

The most common conjugations of Italian third-conjugation (-ire) verbs

As you may already know, linguistics recognise three different Italian verb conjugations, based on the ending of a verb in its infinitive form. They are categorised as follow:

• First-conjugation verbs (or -are verbs): amare (to love)
• Second-conjugation verbs (or -ere verbs): vedere (to see)
• Third-conjugation verbs (or -ire verbs): sentire (to hear)

In this lesson, we are going to focus on third-conjugation verbs, which consist of all the Italian verbs ending in -ire in their infinitive form. However, do not forget to check out our articles about first-conjugation and second-conjugation verbs!

Third-conjugation Verbs

Other -ire conjugation verbs

• Capire (to understand)
• Dormire (to sleep)
• Gestire (to manage)
• Perire (to perish)
• Soffrire (to suffer)
• Gioire (to rejoice)

Characteristics of third-conjugation Verbs

1. The suffix -isc

Many -ire verbs add the suffix -isc to the first, second and third person singular and to the third person plural, in their indicative and subjunctive present tenses.

Some verbs have both forms (with and without the suffix -isc), but usually only one of them is commonly used in the spoken language:

Other verbs have both forms, but they take on different meanings:

• Io riparto (I leave again)
• Io ripartisco (I divide)

2. Present participle ending in -ente or -iente

Generally, the present participle (participio presente) of the -ire verbs end in -ente.

• Morire (to die, infinite) -> morente (present participle)
• Pulire (to clean, infinite) -> pulente
  

However, some other verbs may have a participio presente ending in –iente. A few of them can also have both endings!

• Esordire (to commence) -> esordiente
• Dormire (to sleep) -> dormente/dormiente

In the case of some participles, the letter t that precedes the declination -iente becomes a z:

• Sentire (to hear, to feel) -> senziente

What is a modal verb?

In this article you’ll learn how to use 4 very important Italian verbs called verbi servili (modal verbs).

Just like in English, Italian modal verbs are used to indicate an obligation (must), a possibility / capability (can), or a wish (want). In other words, they ‘serve’ another verb, to express an intention, a possibility or a need. They’re normally used together with another verb in the infinitive tense.

For example:

• I want to go out. Voglio uscire.
• We must buy a car. Dobbiamo comprare una macchina.
• Puoi passarmi il sale? Can you pass me the salt?

The structure of a sentence with a modal verb is:
(subject) + modal verb + verb in the infinitive

All Italian modal verbs are irregular, meaning their conjugations don’t follow the usual pattern.

Meaning and use of the modal verbs in Italian

Dovere
The verb dovere indicates an obligation.
Example:
You must not talk like that. Non devi parlare così.

Potere
Potere is used to ask for permission or to express a possibility.
Examples:
Can I go out tonight? Posso uscire stasera?
We can go on holiday, because we have the money. Possiamo andare in vacanza, perché abbiamo i soldi.

Sapere
Sapere means being able/capable of doing something, and it’s used to talk about skills.
Examples:
I can play the piano. So suonare il piano.
They can ski well. Sanno sciare bene.

Volere
Volere indicates a wish or an intention.
Examples:
I want to improve my Italian. Voglio migliorare il mio italiano.
Do you want a piece of cake? Vuoi un pezzo di torta?

SAPERE vs POTERE

Because the verb ‘can’ translates both sapere and potere, it can be difficult to know which one to use.
If you’re not sure, just remember to use sapere ONLY when you’re talking about a skill (knowing how to do something). Let’s clarify this with some examples:

• Paolo sa nuotare. Paolo can swim. (skill / capability)
• Paolo non può nuotare perché non ha il costume. Paolo can’t swim because he hasn’t got a swimsuit.
  (Paolo knows how to swim, but he can’t cos he hasn’t got a swimsuit)
• Non so guidare. I can’t drive. (skill / capability)
• Non posso guidare perché mi fa male la gamba. I can’t drive, because my leg aches. (I know how to drive, but I can’t because my leg is hurting).

MODAL VERBS IN THE PRESENT PERFECT

Whenever you need to use the modal verbs to talk about events in the past using passato prossimo (present perfect), it’s important to know which auxiliary to use, Essere or Avere.

First of all take a look at the past participles of the modal verbs in Italian:

• POTERE → POTUTO
• VOLERE → VOLUTO
• SAPERE → SAPUTO
• DOVERE → DOVUTO

The choice of the auxiliary depends on the main verb used in the sentence: if the main verb requires to use avere, like most verbs that have a direct object (verbi transitivi), you’ll need to use avere as your auxiliary.

• Ieri ho dovuto studiare matematica. Yesterday I had to study Maths.

If the main verb is a verb that requires essere to form the passato prossimo (movement verbs, change of state verbs, reflexive verbs), then essere will be the auxiliary to use.

• Stamattina sono dovuto andare in biblioteca. This morning I had to go to the library.

So the structure would be:
(subject) + essere/avere + part participle of the modal verb + verb in the infinitive

What is the Present Conditional and when should you use it in Italian?

The condizionale presente is one of the most frequently used tenses in conversation, together with presente, passato prossimo and imperfetto. It is the equivalent of the construction would + verb, and it has two tenses only: the present and the past. In this article, you’ll learn how to conjugate and use the present conditional (condizionale presente).

Generally speaking, it’s a tense which is used in independent clauses to express, in the present or in the future:

• a wish or an intention
  Vorrei ordinare un bicchere d’acqua. I would like to order a glass of water.
• a personal opinion
  Secondo me, le persone dovrebbero guidare più piano. In my opinion, people should drive slower.
• an invitation
  Vorresti venire al cinema con me? Would you like to come to the cinema with me?
• a polite request
  Potrei avere un bicchiere d’acqua? Could I have a glass of water?

How to form the present conditional in Italian

In English, you make the present conditional tense by putting would before the verb. In Italian, it’s the ending that changes.

The condizionale in Italian is formed by dropping the -e of the infinitive and by adding the following endings:

Condizionale presente of irregular verbs

Regular verbs all follow the pattern above, whereas irregular verbs, in particular essere (to be), avere (to have), and the modal verbs (dovere, potere, volere) follow a slightly different pattern, for example:

Some exceptions

Verbs ending in -care/gare take an h in the present conditional:

Verbs ending in -ciare/-giare drop the i in the present conditional

Present conditional with the hypothetical period

The condizionale presente uses to form the so called hypotetical period of the second type (periodo ipotetico della possibilità), to refer to something that might happen, or that is improbable, but possible. In the hypothetical period, the dependant clause is formed with congiuntivo imperfetto, whereas the main clause is formed with the condizionale presente.

Se fossi in te, non andrei a quella festa. If I were you (dependant clause), I wouldn’t go to that party (main clause).

 

More examples using the Italian present conditional

• Mi piacerebbe comprare un’auto nuova. I would like to buy a new car.
• Mi aiuteresti a portare questa valigia? Would you help me carry this suitcase?
• Se fossi ricco, andrei in vacanza ogni mese. If I was rich, I would go on holiday every month.
• Dovresti fare più attenzione. You should be more careful.

The present simple (presente indicativo) is used to talk about events which are taking place in the present.

Learning the present simple allows you to talk to people in most day to day situations and conversations: when you’re doing your shopping, talking to friends, buying tickets, checking in at the airport etc.

This is why it’s so important to learn how to conjugate the most common Italian verbs in the present tense. The conjugations follow a similar pattern, with some exceptions (irregular verbs), therefore once you become familiar with the present tense of the most important regular verbs, you’ll find it much easier to learn how to conjugate new verbs.

Examples of Italian present tense

Let’s take a look at a few more examples on when to use the present simple in Italian:

1) In place of the future

Just like in English, in spoken language the present tense is often used in place of the future, especially to talk about something which is imminent or will happen in the near future.

Domani vado alla spiaggia. tomorrow I’m going to the beach.

2) In place of the present continuous

Unlike in English, the present simple in Italian can be used as present continuous, to talk about something which is happening right now.

Ora mangio. Now I’m eating.

3) To say ‘for how long’

In Italian the present tense can be used with reference to the past, to say for how long something has been going on.

Studio italiano da 2 anni. I’ve been studying Italian for 2 years.

4) Present + infinitive

You can use many adjectives like beautiful, easy, possible, necessary etc. to describe the quality of an something. In this case the structure of the sentence is: present simple of the verb to be + adjective + verb in the infinitive.

È bello andare in vacanza. It’s nice to go on holiday.

È necessario studiare di più. It’s necessary to study more.

How to conjugate Italian verbs in the present simple

The following chart shows the present simple conjugations for the Italian regular verbs:

Present simple of avere (to have) and essere (to be).

The irregular verbs in Italian follow a slightly different pattern, for example:

Some exceptions

Some irregular verbs ending in -ire, like capire (to understand), finire (to finish), preferire (to prefer), pulire (to clean) follow the pattern below.

Verbs ending in -care and -gare – such as giocare – change in the 2^nd person singular and in the 1^st person plural.

 

Some examples of sentences featuring the present simple in Italian

• Oggi devo studiare. Today I must study.

• Giochiamo spesso a tennis. We often play tennis.

• Vuoi una fetta di torta? Would you like a slice of cake?

• Finisco di lavorare alle 8.  I finish work at 8.

• Abbiamo una casa molto grande. We have a very big house.

 

When you want to talk about events in the past, there are 2 main tenses you should learn: the Perfect Tense (passato prossimo) and the Imperfect (imperfetto). The perfect tense in Italian is used to talk about single completed events in the past. It is used to say what you’ve done at some point in the past or what you’ve done so far.

Imperfetto is used to talk about habitual ongoing events in the past (I used to…) or descriptions of past situations (physical characteristics, weather conditions, states of mind etc.). The Italian perfect tense is a very important and useful tense, since you need it anytime you want to talk about what you did on the weekend, on your last holiday, last week, last year or even something you’ve just done.

To better explain this, take a look at some sentences where you should use passato prossimo:

• Ieri sono andato al mare. Yesterday I went to the sea.
• Questa mattina ho mangiato una mela. This morning I ate an apple.
• Finora abbiamo visitato tre città. So far, we’ve visited three cities.
• Tre anni fa mi sono sposato. Three years ago I got married.
• Ho visto quel film molte volte. I’ve watched that film many times.

The Italian passato prossimo is formed by:

SUBJECT    +   AUXILIARY ESSERE or AVERE   +   PAST PARTICIPLE

IO        +          HO        +         MANGIATO    (I ate/have eaten)

IO        +         SONO          +          ANDATO      (I went/have gone)

The past participle is formed by dropping the infinitive ending -are, -ere-, -ire and adding the ending -ato, -uto or -ito.

Which auxiliary?

 The majority of verbs uses the auxiliary “avere”, just like in English:

Paola ha dormito a lungo. Paola has slept for a long time.
Mario ha visitato un museo. Mario has visited a museum.
Io e Marco abbiamo pranzato fuori. Marco and I have had lunch out.
I ragazzi hanno mangiato una pizza. The boys have eaten a pizza.

Verbs which use avere as the auxiliary in the passato prossimo past tense normally require no changes in the past participle. However, if the verb is preceded by a direct object pronoun (lo, la, li), the past participle must agree with it.

Ho conosciuto le ragazze. I met the girls.
Le ho conosciute. I met them.

However, sometimes you need to use essere, with:

• verbs of movement (andare, venire, arrivare..)
• changing of state verbs (essere, stare, diventare…)
• reflexive verbs (alzarsi, vestirsi…)

Paola è andata al cinema. Paola has gone to the cinema.
Mario è andato al cinema. Mario has gone to the cinema.
Io e Maria siamo andate al cinema. Maria and I have gone to the cinema.
I ragazzi sono andati a casa. The boys have stayed at home.

(Note that with “essere” the ending of the past participle changes to reflect the gender and singluar/plural of the subject)

Verbs with irregular past particles:

Many common verbs have irregular past participles, here’s some of the most important ones:

• bere (to drink) – bevuto
• decidere (to decide) – deciso
• leggere (to read) – letto
• vedere (to see) – visto
• mettere (to put) – messo
• scrivere (to write) – scritto
• rispondere (to answer) – risposto
• prendere (to take) – preso
• chiedere (to ask) – chiesto
• fare (to do) – fatto
• rimanere (to remain) – rimasto
• morire (to die) – morto
• correre (to run) – corso
• scegliere (to choose) – scelto
• aprire (to open) – aperto
• chiudere (to close) – chiuso

TIP!

When you want to say since when or how long you’ve been doing something, remember to use the present tense!

• Studio italiano da 2 anni. I’ve been studying Italian for 2 years.
  
• La conosco da molto tempo. I’ve known her for a long time.