Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook

The forms of the present tense

4 Italian verbs are divided into three main groups, the conjugations. The
conjugation a verb belongs to is determined by the ending of its infinitive:

The forms of the present depend on which conjugation the verb belongs to.
The present is formed by changing the ending of the infinitive, as follows:

5 Regular verbs in -are are conjugated as follows:

• As we saw in Unit 4, the subject pronoun is normally omitted in the conju-
  gation of Italian verbs.

Mio cugino abita a Roma da tre

anni.

Conosco Giulia da tre anni.

Non vedo Dario da mesi.

My cousin’s lived/been living in Rome for

three years.

I have known Giulia for three years.

I haven’t seen Dario for months.

First conjugation

-are

Second conjugation

-ere

Third conjugation

-ire

Person

1st

2nd

3rd

1st

2nd

3rd

Singular

(io)

(tu)

(lui/lei)

Plural

(noi)

(voi)

(loro)

Infinitive in -are

-o

-i

-a

-iamo

-ate

-ano

Infinitive in -ere

-o

-i

-e

-iamo

-ete

-ono

Infinitive in -ire

(-isc)-o

(-isc)-i

(-isc)-e

-iamo

-ite

(-isc)-ono

Endings

-o

-i

-a

-iamo

-ate

-ano

Parlare

(io) parlo

(tu) parli

(lui/lei) parla

(noi) parliamo

(voi) parlate

(loro) parlano

To speak/talk

I speak

you speak

he/she/it speaks

we speak

you speak

they speak

Andrea e Carla lavorano in Italia.

Parlo italiano.*

Parlate molto!*

Abitiamo a Genova.*

Andrea and Carla work in Italy.

I speak Italian.

You talk a lot!

We live in Genoa.