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 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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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!
See you online!
M. B.
Daniela is a very competent and experienced Italian teacher. She prepares the lessons very carefully and focuses on all relevant aspects such as conversation, grammar and vocabulary. Above all, she has a very friendly personality that makes you feel at ease immediately. I can highly recommend her as an Italian teacher.
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Hello German learner! I am a dedicated teacher for DaF (German as a foreign language) studying and working in Germany. I have already gained teaching experience with different age groups and nationalities while teaching German in various language schools.
Currently, I'm doing my second studies in German, English, and Teaching at the University of Bonn. (I already got my Master's Degree in German and Literature). Besides, I teach in a local language school as well as tutor students online on Colanguage.
In my free time, I learn French and Dutch and hope to become a true polyglot one day :)
So as you can see, I'm all into languages and love my profession as a teacher!
I can help you learn general German, develop your communicational skills as well as prepare you for language tests (Goethe Zertifikat, Telc, etc).
Just book a trial lesson with me and we'll find out which course is right for you.
See you soon
Anush
PS. IMPORTANT! Currently, I only work with adults aged 18 and over - so NO courses for children, sorry.
L. S.
Hranush is a teacher with a lot of experience in teaching German. She has many materials and is well-structured!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Anush H.
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!
See you online!
A. .
Daniela is super nice! Super professional and lessons delivered in a informal and enjoyable way! Thanks Daniela :)
Daniela V.
Hello everyone! I have been teaching Italian to foreigners in Bologna for 10 years, collaborating with local associations. I graduated in History, but later I specialized in teaching Italian by obtaining the Ditals, and in 2019 a master's degree at the Ca 'Foscari University of Venice in "Advanced planning of teaching Italian language and culture to foreigners". I love my job very much and I do it with dedication and passion. I have experience with students of all levels of Italian, from beginners to advanced, and in preparing for language tests. I adapt my teaching methods to the characteristics and training needs of my students, so as to favor a more effective, engaging and motivating learning. The materials I use are authentic, original texts and videos adapted for educational purposes. I love to use computer technologies for the preparation of interactive exercises, especially for the exercise of grammar. If you want to learn Italian in an engaging and motivating way, contact me! I'm waiting for you for a trial lesson!
D. .
Cristiana is a delightful person and a very effective teacher. As a beginner, my almost nonexistent Italian skills and understanding requires a patient teacher who is willing to take the time to ensure I understand concepts, usage etc. before moving on. I highly recommend her as a tutor.
Cristiana A.
Hi! My name is Tiphaine, I'm french, I'm 37 years old and I live in Seville.
I grew up in the outside of Paris, I travelled all over the world and I live in Spain for 10 years now.
I'm a musician, a dancer and I love to cook and hike.
I'm a french teacher, and it's my passion! I speak 3 languages, and thanks to my learning I was able to live amazing experiences in many countries.
That's why I became a teacher, to be able to share with you my love for french language and culture and to guide you in your progress.
For me, each language is a way of seeing and interpreting the world, as glasses of different colors.
Understanding the way a language works is understanding how its people see things; it's such a exciting process, I can't wait to share it with you!
I have more than 8 years experience, in schools, companies and universities.
I work with people from all ages, beginners to advanced. I know most of french manuals.
I can prepare you to DELF and DALF exams. I also have a specialization in french for specific goals and french business.
I can offer you thematic courses, to improve your pronunciation, increase your vocabulary, prepare you for traveling or for a new job.
All my classes are in french, I adapt my vocabulary and speech speed according to your level.
I also adapt my method to your needs, personality, to take the best advantage of my classes and your french learning.
I use diversified ressources, from quizz to podcasts, videos, songs and games.
Whatever are your motivations, if you want to learn french in a pleasurable and rewarding way, book a class with me!
M. B.
Tiphaine is a very competent and experienced French teacher. She prepares the lessons very carefully and focuses on all relevant aspects such as conversation, grammar and vocabulary. Above all, she has a very friendly personality that makes you feel at ease immediately. I can highly recommend her as a French teacher.
Tiphaine R.