Italian verbs
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Verbs (verbi) are the core of each possible sentence in speech, as they express whatever action is being carried out and whatever is being talked about in the phrase.
The Italian language is very rich in term of varieties of verbs, embedded with a large number of many different moods and tenses.
Mastering them mught be quite a challenging experience - nevertheless, it is definitely worth the effort.
Lesson outline
HideHow do verbs in Italian work?
For any English speaker willing to get familiar with the verbs in the Italian language, it is paramount to learn two very important aspects:
- in contrast with English, there is a different verb declension for each person, therefore making it possible for up to six different verbal forms occurring in a single tense;
- consequently, it is not obligatory to write the personal pronoun before each verb.
If you are confused, please have a look at the following table for a more practical explanation:
| EN | IT | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | I run | corro |
| 2nd sing. | you run | corri |
| 3rd sing. | he runs | corre |
| 1st plur. | we run | corriamo |
| 2nd plur. | you run | correte |
| 3rd plur. | they run | corrono |
As you may notice, whereas all declensed form of "run" are equal to the infinitive form of the verb (except for the 3rd person singular), in Italian it is different for each person.
Therefore, even if it is not wrong to say io corro, tu corri, lui corre (and so on), it is possible to omit the pronoun since the verb itself implies who is performing the action!
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Characteristics of the Italian verbs
It is fundamental to be able to recognize the two main elements of an Italian verb - that is, the radice (lit. "root") and desinenza ("ending").
In the above mentioned verb corriamo ("we run"), the radice is corr- and the desinenza is -iamo. Now, for a bit of explanation:
- as radice we consider the portion of verb which stems directly from the infinite form and stays unchanged in every tense. It is thus the fixed part of the verb;
- as desinenza we consider the ending of the verb, which changes according to both the tense and the person. Therefore it is the variable part of the verb.
So essentially, learning how to conjugate verbs in Italian is a matter of learning how desinenze work with each different kind of tenses.
Italian moods and tenses
All the Italian verb conjugations may be subdivided in several different categories.
The main category is called modo ("mood"), expressing the way the action described by the verb is carried out.
Each modo has one or more tempo ("tense") which expresses the timeframe of the verb (be it present, past or future).
There are over twenty different tenses in the Italian language, shared among several different moods. In the next few lessons, you shall have a look to each one of them singularly.
Italian verb conjugation
One last paragraph to introduce the verb conjugation in Italian.
There are three different ways to conjugate verbs in Italian, with each verb belonging to one class according to the desinenza of their present infinitive form.
Therefore:
- conjugation, verbs ending in -are: cantare, parlare, trovare;
- conjugation, verbs ending in -ere: chiedere, ridere, scrivere;
- conjugation, verbs ending in -ire: dormire, pulire, servire.
Each one of these classes of verbs conjugates in its own way.
Have a look at some examples of conjugations (present tense) for each one of those classes:
| parlare (I) | ridere (II) | dormire (III) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| io | parlo | rido | dormo |
| tu | parli | ridi | dormi |
| lui | parla | ride | dorme |
| noi | parliamo | ridiamo | dormiamo |
| voi | parlate | ridete | dormite |
| loro | parlano | ridono | dormono |
All the desinenze marked in bold show the differences induced by each class of conjugation.
As you progress through more complex tenses, you will find out that these differences grow much bigger along the way.
Before you start learning the Italian verbs thoroughly, we suggest you try out the first (audio) exercise on the Italian verb conjugations!
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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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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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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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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.
If you'd like to learn Italian fluently, I'd love to be your teacher, then why not book a trial class with me now? In this lesson, we will design a lesson plan especially for you discussing how you will reach your specific goals.
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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