How to Conjugate Italian Verbs
Master Italian verb conjugations in 3 simple steps
Learning Italian? Then you need to know how to conjugate verbs — it's how you show who is doing what! It might look tricky at first, but once you understand the pattern, it's easy — and the same rules apply to hundreds of verbs.
Step 1: What is a Verb?
A verb is an action word — it tells you what someone or something is doing. In English, verbs like "to speak," "to eat," and "to sleep" are in their infinitive form (the base form before conjugation).
In Italian, infinitive verbs end in -are, -ere, or -ire:
- parlare = to speak
- mangiare = to eat
- dormire = to sleep
Step 2: Identify the Verb Family
Italian verbs are grouped into three families based on their infinitive endings. Each family follows its own conjugation pattern:
-ARE Verbs (First Conjugation)
The largest and most regular group. Examples: parlare (to speak), amare (to love), cantare (to sing)
-ERE Verbs (Second Conjugation)
Examples: vedere (to see), leggere (to read), scrivere (to write)
-IRE Verbs (Third Conjugation)
Examples: dormire (to sleep), partire (to leave), finire (to finish)
Note: Some -ire verbs add -isc- in certain forms (like finire → finisco)
Step 3: Remove the Ending and Add New Endings
To conjugate a verb, remove the infinitive ending (-are, -ere, or -ire) to find the stem, then add the appropriate ending for the subject (who is doing the action).
Present Tense (Presente) Endings:
| Subject | -ARE | -ERE | -IRE |
|---|---|---|---|
| io (I) | -o | -o | -o |
| tu (you) | -i | -i | -i |
| lui/lei (he/she) | -a | -e | -e |
| noi (we) | -iamo | -iamo | -iamo |
| voi (you all) | -ate | -ete | -ite |
| loro (they) | -ano | -ono | -ono |
Example: Conjugating "parlare" (to speak)
- Remove -are → stem is parl-
- Add the present tense endings:
- io parlo (I speak)
- tu parli (you speak)
- lui/lei parla (he/she speaks)
- noi parliamo (we speak)
- voi parlate (you all speak)
- loro parlano (they speak)
Practice Makes Perfect!
Now that you understand the basics, the best way to master Italian verb conjugations is through practice. Use our conjugation tool to look up any verb and see all its forms, or test yourself with our interactive quiz!
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