How to conjugate Italian verbs like a pro

Learning Italian can be exciting until you need to learn how to conjugate verbs. Many people shy away from this aspect, and the truth is told, it can be pretty daunting. Conjugating verbs is the high water of Italia. Well, that is not entirely true. In this article, we will be debunking some of the negative myths about Italian verbs.  But first, let us talk about why you need to learn how to conjugate verbs in Italian. 

Why you should conjugate verbs in Italian 

 As a language student, learning how to be fluent in the language you are studying is the goal. To do this( especially in Italian), learning to conjugate verbs is a must. It is also essential to keep in mind that you might not get it right the first time. But don’t lose hope. 

Conjugating verbs is complicated for a lot of people, even native Italians. It would help if you were patient to get it right. Notwithstanding, the best way to work on your conjugation is by speaking Italian regularly. There are plenty of online tools and apps to learn Italian that can help you improve your conjugation skills. 

italki is an online learning tool that provides top-notch resources for Italian language students worldwide.  It is a safe space for Italian students, enthusiasts, and professionals. 

This tech hub thrives on the ability to provide its students with qualified teachers and online Italian tutors. Its wide range of available resources is an added advantage. For growth and comfort, italki has made available an active online community where students get to interact and grow with each other. 

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Pros of using italki 

• italki is an online Italian learning tool that provides its students with a wide range of qualified language teachers to learn from. 
• italki is not only safe but also very affordable. Considering your budget, you can get connected to an Italian tutor once you get connected. 
• You have unrestricted access to quality sample lectures.
• The active community provided by italki offers students a mitral ground where mistakes are allowed, and growth is inevitable. 
• As a student on italki, you have creative control over your Italian journey. You can point out to your Italian teacher the areas you believe need more attention. 

Conjugating verbs in Italian 

Italian verb conjugation can seem daunting at first, but once you understand the basic rules, it is not so difficult. There are three main tenses in Italian: present, past, and future. 

Each tense has its own set of conjugations that you need to learn. In addition, there are also two other essential tenses – the conditional and the subjunctive – which we will discuss in more detail later on.

The good news is that there is a pattern to all of this. Once you know how to conjugate one verb in a particular tense, you can apply the same rules to any other verb. If you still have doubts, don’t fret. We’ve got you covered. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!

Present Tense

The present tense describes actions happening right now, or that happen regularly. To conjugate a verb in the present tense in Italian, you need to know the verb’s stem (this is the part of the verb that doesn’t change, no matter who is doing the action). 

For regular -are verbs, the stem is simply the verb’s infinitive form (e.g., parl-). For regular -ere verbs, the stem ends in -isc- (e.g., capisc-). And for regular -ire verbs, the stem ends in -isc- (e.g., finisc-).

Once you know the stem of the verb, you can conjugate it in the present tense as follows:

To conjugate regular -are verbs in the present tense:

• Io parlo (I speak)
• Tu parli (You speak) 
• Lui/Lei parla (He/She speaks) 
• Noi parliamo (We speak) 
• Voi parlate (You plural speak) 
• Loro parlano (They speak)

To conjugate regular -ere verbs in the present tense:

• Io capisco (I understand) 
• Tu capisci (You understand) 
• Lui/Lei capisce (He/She understands) 
• Noi capiamo (We understand) 
• Voi capite (You plural understand) 
• Loro capiscono (They understand)

To conjugate regular -ire verbs in the present tense:

•  Io finisco (I finish) 
• Tu finisci (You finish) 
•  Lui/Lei finisce (He/She finishes) 
• Noi finiamo (We finish)  
•  Voi finite (You plural finish)   
•  Loro finiscono (They finish)

Present Tense Conjugation Examples

Here are some examples of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs conjugated in the present tense:

-are verbs: 

Parlo italiano. (I speak Italian.) 

Parlate spagnolo? (Do you plural speak Spanish?) 

-ere verbs: 

Cerco un libro. (I’m looking for a book.) 

Cercano la chiave. (They’re looking for the key.) 

 -ire verbs: 

Apri la porta! (Open the door!) 

Aprono le finestre. (They’re opening the windows.) 

As you can see from the examples above, the conjugation of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs in the present tense is pretty straightforward. Just remember to use the correct stem for each verb!

Now let’s move on to the next tense…

Past Tense

The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened. To conjugate a verb in the past tense in Italian, just like the present tense, you need to know the verb’s stem. 

For regular -are verbs, the stem is simply the verb’s infinitive form (e.g., parl-). For regular -ere verbs, the stem ends in -isc- (e.g., capisc-). And for regular -ire verbs, the stem ends in -isc- (e.g., finisc-).

Once you know the stem of the verb, you can conjugate it in the past tense as follows:

To conjugate regular -are verbs in the past tense:

• Io parlavo (I spoke) 
• Tu parlavi (You spoke) 
• Lui/Lei parlava (He/She spoke) 
• Noi parlavamo (We spoke) 
• Voi parlavate (You plural spoke) 
• Loro parlavano (They spoke)

To conjugate regular -ere verbs in the past tense:

• Io capivo (I understood) 
• Tu capivi (You understood) 
• Lui/Lei capiva (He/She understood) 
• Noi capivamo (We understood) 
• Voi capivate (You plural understood)  
• Loro capivano (They understood) 

 To conjugate regular -ire verbs in the past tense:

• Io finivo (I finished)   
•  Tu finivi (You finished)  
•  Lui/Lei finiva (He/She finished)  
•  Noi finivamo (We finished)    
•  Voi finivate (You plural finished)     
•  Loro finivano (They finished) 

Past Tense Conjugation Examples

Here are some examples of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs conjugated in the past tense:

-are verbs: 

Abbiamo parlato con Maria. (We spoke with Maria.) 

Avete comprato il pane? (Did you plural buy bread?) 

-ere verbs: 

Ho letto un libro. (I read a book.) 

Hanno trovato la chiave. (They found the key.)  

 -ire verbs: 

Ho aperto la porta. (I opened the door.) 

Hanno chiuso le finestre. (They closed the windows.)

The next tense we have to juggle is the; 

Future Tense

The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen. Conjugating Italian verbs in the future tense work the same as the other tenses. You need to know the stem. 

 For regular -are verbs, the stem is simply the verb’s infinitive form (e.g., parl-). For regular -ere verbs, the stem ends in -isc- (e.g., capisc-). And for regular -ire verbs, the stem ends in -isc- (e.g., finisc-).

Once you know the stem of the verb, you can conjugate it in the future tense as follows:

To conjugate regular -are verbs in the future tense:

• Io parlerò (I will speak) 
• Tu parlerai (You will speak) 
• Lui/Lei parlerà (He/She will speak) 
• Noi parleremo (We will speak) 
• Voi parlerete (You plural will speak) 

 Loro parleranno (They will speak)

To conjugate regular -ere verbs in the future tense:

• Io capirò (I will understand) 
• Tu capirai (You will understand) 
• Lui/Lei capirà (He/She will understand) 
• Noi capiremo (We will understand) 
• Voi capirete (You plural will understand)  

 Loro capiranno(They will understand)   

To conjugate regular -ire verbs in the future tense:

•  Io finirò   (I will finish)   
•  Tu finirai  (You will finish)  
• Lui/Lei finirà  (He/She will finish)  
•  Noi finiremo    (We will finish)    
• Voi finirete   (You plural will finish)     
•  Loro finiranno  (They will finish) 

Future Tense Conjugation Examples

Here are some examples of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs conjugated in the future tense:

-are verbs: 

Domani parleremo con Maria. (Tomorrow, we will speak with Maria.) 

Comprerete il pane? (Will you plural buy bread?) 

-ere verbs: 

Lunedì leggerò un libro. (On Monday, I will read a book.) 

Troveranno la chiave? (Will they find the key?)  

ire verbs: 

Apriremo la porta. (We will open the door.) 

Chiuderanno le finestre? (Will they close the windows?) 

Conclusion 

Conjugation can be daunting, but in reality, it is all about how frequently you speak and the tools you use to learn Italian online. We cannot overemphasize this point. 

In that light, italki is a go-to site for Italian verb conjugation. It is affordable, safe, resourceful, and reliable. Get connected to italki today and conjugate those verbs like a Pro.