Italian verbs demystified: Essential grammar for fluent conversations

Italian verbs are the heartbeat of the language, essential for expressing thoughts clearly. Whether you’re ordering a delicious gelato, chatting with locals or sharing your travel adventures, verbs give your sentences meaning and structure. 

But with Italian’s unique charm comes a bit of complexity. Not only do Italian verbs change based on tense, mood and subject, but verbs can also be irregular and reflexive. To help you navigate all of this, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Italian verbs, from the three core conjugation types (-are, -ere and -ire) to different moods like the indicative, subjunctive, conditional and imperative.

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Understanding the Italian verb conjugation

Understanding Italian verb conjugation is an essential part of learning the language. By first focusing on the rules for regular verbs and then gradually introducing irregular and reflexive variations, you’ll start to see how the puzzle pieces fit together. 

Regular vs. irregular verbs

Regular verbs follow clear patterns based on their endings (-are, -ere or -ire). This makes it easier to predict which form they will take, depending on who’s doing the action and when it’s happening. 

Conjugating a regular verb involves replacing the infinitive ending with a specific suffix that aligns with the pronoun. In the present tense, for example, verbs ending in -are change into -o, -i, –a, -iamo, -ate and -ano depending on the subject. Verbs ending in –ere take -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ete and -ono, while verbs ending in –ire take -o, -i, -e, -iamo, –ite and -ono.

	parlare	to speak	credere	to believe	dormire	to sleep
io	parlo	I speak	credo	I believe	dormo	I sleep
tu	parli	you speak	credi	you believe	dormi	you sleep
lui/lei	parla	he/she speaks	crede	he/she believes	dorme	he/she sleeps
noi	parliamo	we speak	crediamo	we believe	dormiamo	we sleep
voi	parlate	you speak	credete	you believe	dormite	you sleep
loro	parlano	they speak	credono	they believe	dormono	they sleep

Every tense and mood uses its own endings to replace the suffix -are, -ere or -ire. This means that a properly conjugated verb contains enough information to communicate not only who performed an action, but also when and under what circumstances. 

Irregular verbs don’t stick to these rules, which means their forms can be unpredictable and must be memorized individually. While these verbs might seem tricky at first, focusing on the regular verbs and their patterns can give you a strong foundation to build on.

Reflexive verbs in Italian

Reflexive verbs in Italian are used when the subject performs an action on themselves. You can recognize reflexive verbs because the reflexive pronoun si comes at the end of the verb in its infinitive form. For example, lavarsi means “to wash oneself.”

The rule for the conjugation of reflexive verbs is as follows:

(subject pronoun) + reflexive pronoun (in agreement with the subject) + verb conjugated (according to mood/tense)

For example, in the present tense you might say io mi lavo (I wash myself), tu ti lavi (you wash yourself) and so on. Reflexive verbs follow the same patterns as regular verbs, so once you’re familiar with conjugation rules, they’re straightforward to use.

Common Italian verb tenses

Indicative mood

The indicativo is used to express facts, actions and events that are certain or real. Its tenses are:

• Presente, or Italian present tense, which describes current actions or general truths.
• Imperfetto, which refers to past actions that were ongoing or habitual.
• Passato prossimo, which talks about completed actions in the past.
• Futuro semplice, which refers to actions that will happen in the future.
• Trapassato prossimo, which indicates an action completed before another past action.
• Futuro anteriore, which describes actions that will be completed before a future moment.

Subjunctive mood 

The congiuntivo expresses doubt, uncertainty, wishes and emotions. Its use often depends on specific expressions or verbs.

• Presente is used for current or future uncertain actions or states.
• Imperfetto refers to uncertain actions in the past.
• Passato (perfect) describes past actions relevant to expressions of doubt or emotion.
• Trapassato (pluperfect) is used for actions that were uncertain and occurred before another past action.

Conditional mood 

The condizionale is used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests and wishes. It has two tenses:

• Presente, which describes what would happen under certain conditions.
• Passato, which refers to what would have happened in the past if conditions had been met.

Imperative mood 

The imperativo is used for giving commands, making requests and offering suggestions. It exists only in the present tense and is directed at the second-person singular (i.e. “you”) or the first-person plural (i.e. “we”). Negative commands use non with the infinitive for informal singular forms.

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Most useful Italian verbs for beginners

Here’s our starter pack of 37 essential Italian verbs you’ll want to memorize as you begin your journey through the Italian language.

English	Italian	Verb type
to be	essere	irregular
to have	avere	irregular
to do/to make	fare	irregular
to go	andare	irregular
to say	dire	irregular
to know (information)	sapere	irregular
to know (someone)	conoscere	regular
to want	volere	irregular
to be able to	potere	irregular
to must	dovere	irregular
to see	vedere	regular
to give	dare	irregular
to take	prendere	regular
to eat	mangiare	regular
to drink	bere	irregular
to speak	parlare	regular
to sleep	dormire	regular
to live	vivere	regular
to understand	capire	regular
to finish	finire	regular
to read	leggere	regular
to write	scrivere	regular
to arrive	arrivare	regular
to leave (somewhere)	partire	regular
to open	aprire	regular
to close	chiudere	regular
to wash oneself	lavarsi	reflexive
to get up	alzarsi	reflexive
to enjoy oneself	divertirsi	reflexive
to remember	ricordarsi	reflexive
to sit	sedersi	reflexive
to get dressed	vestirsi	reflexive
to wake up	svegliarsi	reflexive
to stay/to remain	rimanere	irregular
to come	venire	irregular
to return	tornare	regular
to like	piacere	irregular

How to practice Italian verbs effectively

• Start with regular verbs. Focus on mastering the patterns of -are, -ere and -ire verbs first. These provide a solid foundation for recognizing conjugation structures.
• Learn frequent verbs first. Prioritize verbs like essere, avere, fare and andare, as these appear more often in conversation.
• Practice: Dedicate time to conjugating verbs in different tenses. Use flashcards or apps like Quizlet to drill verb forms.
• Immerse yourself. Incorporate Italian into your daily life by watching Italian shows, listening to songs or reading simple texts. Pay attention to how verbs are used in context. You can also consider taking an Italian course at Lingoda, where native-level teachers encourage you to use the language from Day One.
• Use mnemonics and associations. Create memory aids or connect verbs to actions in your daily routine. For instance, associate mangiare with eating your meals.
• Practice reflexive verbs with routines. Tie reflexive verbs like svegliarsi or lavarsi to your morning and evening activities for natural practice.

FAQs

Which verbs should I learn first in Italian? 

Start with high-frequency verbs like essere (to be), avere (to have), fare (to do/to make) and andare (to go).

What are the three types of Italian verbs?

When classified according to behavior, verbs can be regular, irregular or reflexive. But if classified by structure, verbs can be grouped according to their infinitive endings -are, -ere and -ire.

What are some common irregular Italian verbs?

Some common irregular verbs include essere (to be), avere (to have), fare (to do/to make), andare (to go), dire (to say) and venire (to come). Note that many irregular verbs are also among the most frequently used in Italian.

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Italian verbs: Practice makes better 

Italian verbs are essential for effective communication, and learning them involves understanding their types, conjugation patterns and usage. We’ve seen how regular verbs follow predictable patterns, while irregular verbs require memorization and reflexive verbs add another wrinkle, indicating actions performed on oneself. We’ve also had a glimpse at the conjugations and moods that enrich the linguistic palette of the Italian language, making it expressive, precise and elegant!

If you feel ready for more, Lingoda can help you learn Italian with ease. We offer flexible Italian classes with native-level teachers. Join a class today and master la bella lingua!

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