Present tense in Italian (presente indicativo)
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The present tense in Italian belongs to the indicative mood and it is called presente indicativo.
The presente indicativo refers to an action that takes place in the present.
In English you have to use personal pronouns to express the subject. In Italian, the subject of a sentence is often indicated by the ending of the verb so there is no need to use personal pronouns.
e.g. (Io) vado a Bologna (I go to Bologna)
(Gianni) suona il pianoforte (Gianni plays the piano)
In Italian the presente indicativo is also used to indicate the present progressive tense (present continuous).
e.g. Giulia canta una canzone (Giulia is singing a song)
Riccardo manda un messaggio ad un amico (Riccardo is texting a friend)
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There are other situations in which it is possible to use the presente indicativo:
Example | Translation | |
---|---|---|
Presente abituale |
|
|
Presente atemporale |
|
|
Presente pro futuro |
|
|
Presente storico |
|
|
*In Italian the verb "to be born" can be used in the present tense because of the historical present, but in English it is impossible to express the same concept using the present tense. In this case it is necessary to say Giotto was born in 1267.
There are some words that can help you to indicate that you have to use the presente indicativo.
Example:
The most common marker words are:
Example | Translation |
---|---|
Sempre | Always |
Spesso | Often |
Ogni giorno/mese/anno | Every day/month/year |
Due volte alla settimana | Twice a week |
Tra tre ore/giorni | In three hours/days |
Adesso/Ora | Now |
In questo momento | In this moment/Right now |
Di solito | Usually |
Qualche volta | Sometimes |
The presente indicativo is formed as follows:
Regular verbs form the presente indicativo by adding the following endings to the root of the verb.
Verbs of the first conjugation add the following endings: -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano.
Example amare (to love):
Root | Ending | Example | Translation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Io | am | o | Io amo il calcio | I love football |
Tu | am | i | Tu ami il calcio | You love football |
Egli/Ella | am | a | Egli ama il calcio | He loves football |
Noi | am | iamo | Noi amiamo il calcio | We love football |
Voi | am | ate | Voi amate il calcio | You love football |
Essi/Esse | am | ano | Essi amano il calcio | They love fotball |
Verbs of the second conjugation add the following endings: -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ete, -ono.
Example correre (to run):
Root | Ending | Example | Translation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Io | corr | o | Io corro intorno al parco | I run around the park |
Tu | corr | i | Tu corri intono al parco | You run around the park |
Egli/Ella | corr | e | Egli corre intorno al parco | He runs around the park |
Noi | corr | iamo | Noi corriamo intorno al parco | We run around the park |
Voi | corr | ete | Voi correte intorno al parco | You run around the park |
Essi/Esse | corr | ono | Essi corrono intorno al parco | They run around the park |
Verbs of the third conjugation add the following endings: -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ite, -ono.
Example partire (to leave):
Root | Ending | Example | Translation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Io | part | o | Io parto per la Grecia | I leave to (go to) Greece |
Tu | part | i | Tu parti per la Grecia | You leave to (go to) Greece |
Egli/Ella | part | e | Egli parte per la Grecia | He leaves to (go to) Greece |
Noi | part | iamo | Noi partiamo per la Grecia | We leave to (go to) Greece |
Voi | part | ite | Voi partite per la Grecia | You leave to (go to) Greece |
Essi/Esse | part | ono | Essi partono per la Grecia | They leave to (go to) Greece |
The majority of Italian verbs are irregular.
There are no grammatical rules to follow in order to conjugate such verbs.
Irregular verbs have to be studied by heart.
Here you can find a list of the main irregular verbs based on the conjugation they belong to.
The main irregular verbs in the presente indicativo are:
Here is the conjugation for the irregular verbs andare, fare and dare:
Andare (To go) | Fare (To do/make) | Dare (To give) | |
---|---|---|---|
Io | vado | faccio | do |
Tu | vai | fai | dai |
Egli/Ella | va | fa | dà |
Noi | andiamo | facciamo | diamo |
Voi | andate | fate | date |
Essi/Esse | vanno | fanno | danno |
Here is the conjugation for the irregular verbs bere, dovere, potere, sapere, vedere, volere:
Bere (To drink) | Dovere (Must/have to) | Potere (Can) | Sapere (To know) | Vedere (To see) | Volere (To want) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Io | bevo | devo | posso | so | vedo | voglio |
Tu | bevi | devi | puoi | sai | vedi | vuoi |
Egli/Ella | beve | deve | può | sa | vede | vuole |
Noi | beviamo | dobbiamo | possiamo | sappiamo | vediamo | vogliamo |
Voi | bevete | dovete | potete | sapete | vedete | volete |
Essi/Esse | bevono | devono | possono | sanno | vedono | vogliono |
Here is the conjugation for the irregular verbs finire, venire, uscire, dire:
Finire (To finish) | Venire (To come) | Uscire (To exit) | Dire (To say) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Io | finisco | vengo | esco | dico |
Tu | finisci | vieni | esci | dici |
Egli/Ella | finisce | viene | esce | dice |
Noi | finiamo | veniamo | usciamo | diciamo |
Voi | finite | venite | uscite | dite |
Essi/Esse | finiscono | vengono | escono | dicono |
Please, keep in mind that the auxiliary verbs (essere and avere) are irregular verbs!
Auxiliary verbs are irregular verbs so their conjugation has to be studied by heart.
Here is the conjugation for essere and avere
Essere (to be) | Avere (to have) | |
---|---|---|
Io | sono | ho |
Tu | sei | hai |
Egli/Ella | è | ha |
Noi | siamo | abbiamo |
Voi | siete | avete |
Essi/Esse | sono | hanno |
Example:
Now it is time you try to do our exercises on the presente indicativo!
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
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Daniela is the best teacher ever! I would recommend her to literally anyone that wants to learn Italian. She is kind, sweet, patient, has a great sense of humor and does her job very well and detailed. I have been taking lessons with her for over 2 years now and my Italian improved so much! She always sends you all the materials you need and anything you ask for, like reading materials, grammar exercises etc. Daniela is extremely positive and always comes very prepared and in a great mood. She even makes the hard and more difficult things to learn a fun process. What I liked a lot, is that she doesn’t only teach you the theory but takes her time to have many conversations with you, about all kinds of topics, so that you really get the confidence for fluent talking. She does her job with a lot of passion and dedication and there is literally no question about the Italian language that she cannot answer. I don’t think there is a teacher out there, that will give you so much of her knowledge, joy and time for such a convenient price. Highly recommend!!!
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Hi, my name is Alessia, I teach Italian to foreigners.
I got a degree in "DAMS" (Disciplines of Arts, Music, and Entertainment), a degree in "Italian Literature, language, and Culture - Cultural Promotion Curriculum", the CEDILS certification from the Ca' Foscari University of Venice for the teaching of 'Italian to foreigners and I am a CELI examiner of the CEDIS Lazio network. I have collaborated on various educational projects, language learning apps, and educational and recreational videos for children.
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Hi there, my name is Roberta. I am an Italian native speaker, and a professional language teacher with a DITALS II certification from Siena University. I live in Italy in a lovely little town called Monate near a small lake of the same name, just 40 minutes by car from Milan.
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I have been working as an Italian teacher since 2016, offering both traditional and e-learning/online classes. I am specialized at teaching young people and adults who want to study Italian for a variety of different reasons: work, education, residency or simply for a love of Italy and its culture.
Finally, as a result of my volunteer position as a documents advisor for immigrants, I can help students to prepare for the B1 level Italian language exam, which is necessary to apply for Italian citizenship.
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Roberta, is a fantastic teacher! She really helped to improve my confidence in using the formal Italian and in preparing for interviews in Italy. She tailored all our lessons to exactly my needs, and we also had a laugh in the process. Thanks again for all your help Roberta!
Roberta L.Thank you very much Emma, they are very happy to have helped you!
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Elena is a well skilled teacher with patience and a great personality. She understands our needs well and the lessons are tailored to give us a good learning experience. The lessons are always a good combination of speaking, reading and grammar. Elena is very punctual and flexible when we need to change our schedule. We can highly recommend choosing Elena as your teacher.
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
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Fabulous teacher. Very clear, very encouraging and very helpful. Also very flexible and accommodating. Cannot recommend Daniela highly enough.
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Ana is a genuinely nice person and her kindness and gentleness comes through in the lessons. I thoroughly enjoy Ana’s teaching , it’s informative and tailored exactly to what I want to achieve. I wholeheartedly recommend Ana as your Spanish tutor.
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Native teacher with 30 years of teaching experience. Bachelor of Education (Sydney Australia). Dynamic and interactive lessons where the student is an active participant. The lessons can be tailored to your personal and professional needs. I prepare students for international exams.
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July is really the best teacher you can get. She prepares extremely well-structured lessons and is very kind. I totally recommend her to anyone that wants to learn English.
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Buongiorno gente!
Are you ready to learn italian with me?
My name is Mojra and I'm a qualified mother tongue tutor. Whether you need to prepare yourself for a job interview, you're planning to relocate to Italy or to spend your next holiday there, I look forward to assisting you to achieve your goals!
I am here to help you improve you grammar, sentence structure and to teach you helpful phrases in a fun and relaxed way.
I graduated from university majoring in Linguistic Mediation and in Modern Languages and then I specialized in the teaching of Italian as a second language, attending a one-year post-graduate course devoted to this and receiving excellent grades (FILIS: Formatori Interculturali di Lingua Italiana per Stranieri). I also teach in the Italian public schools.
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IMPORTANT: Please contact me before booking your lesson with me and let me know your Italian level as well as the reasons why you want to learn Italian.
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Moijra is very good teacher, patient and supportive She has the know how to transfer to her beginner students the needed knowledge
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I am an Italian native speaker with a Master's degree in Languages for International Relations. I have experience in tutoring students from all ages.
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MariaRosa has been very patient, pleasant and encouraging. She is very conscientious and prepares well. She has developed a learning plan based on my requests. I enjoy the lessons and find them very useful
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Hello! My name is Federico Pasquale, I was born in La Plata, Argentina but now I live in Formia, Italy. I have an English-Spanish translation degree, a degree in teaching and a CELTA Certificate. I've been working as an English teacher for 14 years in different countries and I've recently started to teach Spanish, my native language. I offer classes in different levels and also conversation classes. If you want to improve your skills in one of these languages, get in touch with me. See you in the lesson!
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Federico is a certified teacher with lots of experience who is well-structured and passionate about teaching English.
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Responds to needs and also suggests alternatives. Perfect all around. I can only recommend it to everyone.
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Hi, I'm Dajana, I'm 31 years old and I come from Naples.
I am graduated in Foreign Languages and Litteratures and I have a II Level Master degree in Teaching Italian as Second Language.
I have teached italian to foreign people, above all adults at any age, in several NGOs and social cooperatives in the last 4 years.
How will I teach you italian? By playing!
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Dajana adapts to the profile of its students and their constraints, while ensuring follow-up between each lesson. The lessons also work very well in groups. I am very satisfied. Dajana adapts to its students and their constraints. She's also keen on ensuring a follow up between lessons. It also works very well in groups. I am fully satisfied
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Hello Everybody
My name is Luisa and I teach Italian for foreign students, English, French and German for Italian students
Since 1994, I have dedicated myself to translating and teaching thanks to my travels, abroad studies, foreign reading and writing. I provide fun and customized lessons based on the student's goals. I also triy to minimize English speaking during the lessons. I give homework exercises, and my lessons are intermixed with grammar, conversation, customs and traditions. My goal is to make certain that each student finds learning Italian exciting.
I am available for any explanations also via e mail
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Luisa is very patient and personable. I tend to want to understand the rules that underlie the conversation and she takes the time to explain them to me (as well as all the deviations from the rules of which there are a few in Italian). Working with her got me through living in Italy for 3+ months and I look forward to continuing our lessons well into the future.
Luisa A.Dear Juliet thank you, thank you so much !!!!! you improve because you're a good student !!!!
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Hi, welcome to my profile!
My name is Alessia and I currently live in Italy. I spent a few years in the United States where I deepened my knowledge of English and American dialects. I am currently specializing in Spanish and German. Over the years, I have given private lessons in Italian, English, Spanish, and Japanese, with Japanese being the most requested at the moment. Regarding Japanese, I had the opportunity to teach the language at an American college with a native Japanese teacher, applying the method that they use to learn their own language. I will help you in a simple way; conversation is really important for learning a language, and a good method is even more fundamental. No days spent on textbooks are needed; consistency and fun during lessons are the most important parts of learning. You will see results right away! I am patient, flexible, and will adapt in every way to your personal needs. I look forward to seeing you on my profile for a trial lesson and discovering an easy and fun method to learn a language as soon as possible.
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I Have had a few weeks of Italian lessons with Alessia and I have found them very useful. In our first lesson we spoke about what I wanted (hoped) to learn and she has prepared resources based on this conversation and my ability level for every lesson since then. Her lessons are a nice mix of conversation, reading, written and spoken exercises. We use a text book (supplied by Alessia) as well as additional material when suitable. I recommend Alessia as a tutor.
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I am so excited to be your new teacher. I have been teaching for 8 years as a Foundation Phase Teacher.
I would love to help you develop your English speaking abilities, by using TPR (Total Physical Response), props, we can even play some games and sing some songs together. If you would like, I could even read you a story.
I look forward to meeting you in our new classroom!
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Louise is a very kind teacher with materials based on what you want to learn. I totally recommend her.
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