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This is the start of a very long journey through the italian verbs. For a lot of italian people
too it is quite difficult to deal with all the forms of verbs, so don't worry if you run into some difficulty.
In the next paragraphs I'll give you an overview of the main features of Italian verbs.
These forms are really easy in Italian. Look at the example below:
Laura va al cinema. Laura goes to the cinema.
This is a simple statement. If you want to make the interrogative of this form, just put the question mark at the
end of the sentence, and give the right intonation with the voice:
Laura va al cinema? Does Laura go to the cinema?
If you want to get the negative form, just put the word "non" (a negation adverb) before the verb "va":
Laura non va al cinema. Laura doesn't go to the cinema.
Obviously, the negative interrogative is obtained by putting the question mark after a negative statement:
Laura non va al cinema? Doesn't Laura go to the cinema?
That's all folks. Please let Laura go to the cinema now!
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Italian verbs are divided into three categories called conjugations, depending on the
three letters the infinitive ends with:
| 1st Conjugation:"-are" verbs | 2nd Conjugation:"-ere" verbs | 3rd Conjugation:"-ire" verbs |
| parlare to speak | correre to run | sentire to feel, to hear |
| mangiare to eat | leggere to read | aprire to open |
| andare to go | bere to drink | dormire to sleep |
Italian verbs have different modes, used for expressing slighty different meanings. The way verbs
conjugate is showed following the modes of the verb.
The first mode you should study is Indicative. This is
mode the speaker uses for talking about definite facts, or for stating thoughts they agree with or they're sure about.
You will use these tense in about 65% of your statements.
Then you should study the Subjunctive.
This mode is used when the speaker expresses a personal opinion, a doubt or a
possibility. It is chiefly used in secondary clauses.
In main clauses it is used for giving orders in a polite way too.
Conditional is used to talk about conditional statements, to make requests or give advices in a polite way.
Imperative is used for giving orders, but it is usually replaced by the Subjunctive.
The Participle is used to form the compound tenses of verbs and as an adjective or a noun.
The Gerund is mainly used in the progressive forms of the verbs, or to replace different kind of clauses.
The Infinitive is used both as a noun and as a verb in particular kind of clauses.
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We have to auxiliary verb in Italian: essere(to be) and avere (to have, to own). I will put in the auxiliary section two other verbs: volere(want), dovere(must, to have to, should when used in the conditional) and potere(can, may).
Essere is used to form the passive of all verbs, and to form the compound tenses of the intransitive verbs. When used on its own, it means "to be", "to exist", "to stay".
Avere is used to form the compound tenses of all the transitive verbs and some intransitive.
Remember that a lotof verbs can be used with both "essere" and "avere".
So you should look it up in the dictionary.
In the useful verbs list
section, I'll indicate the correct auxiliary for every verb I'll list.
"Avere" is also used togheter with a noun in a lot of expression which are formed by "to be" and an
adjective in english. Here a brief list of the most useful of them:
| Italian | English | Italian | English |
| avere freddo | to feel cold | avere caldo | to feel hot |
| avere fame | to be hungry | avere sete | to be thirsty |
| avere paura di | to be afraid of | avere sonno | to be sleepy |
It means "can, may", and it's used to talk about permissions and ability. It is always followed by
the infinitive:
Laura può andare al cinema con Paolo? Can Laura go to the cinema with Paolo?
But note the difference in meaning:
io posso farlo, I can do this;
io so (verb:"sapere") farlo, I'm able to do this;
In the first sentence the speaker says that he feels up to do something; in the latter he is stating
the mere possess of an ability.
This means want, and is always followed by the infinitive too:
Voglio andare al cinema. I want to go to the cinema.
In the conditional, it is used to express a polite request:
Vorresti qualcosa da bere? Would you like something to drink?
It means "must" or "have to". As the other two verbs it is followed by the infinitive:
Devo alzarmi presto domani. I have to get up early tomorrow.
Used in the conditional form, it is the most usual way of giving polite advices:
Dovresti studiare di più You should study more.
The three verbs I listed above are, obviously, of little or no use if used alone. They express
how you perform an action, not an action itself. This is particularly true in compound tenses.
Because they express no action, it wouldn't make sense that they had their own auxiliary. So they use
the auxiliary of the verb which follows them:
Sono andato a scuola; I have gone to school
Sono dovuto andare a scuola I had to go to school
You will get more information about this in the compound tenses'pages.
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