«Io parlo, tu hai parlato, lui parlava»: what the verb is
The map-sheet of the verb system: three conjugations, person and number, transitive and intransitive, the two auxiliaries and an overview of moods and tenses.
First page · what it is and how it changes
The engine of the sentence
: The verb is the engine of the sentence: it says what someone does (mangiare, correre) or what they are like (essere, sembrare). It's the only word that changes by itself to show WHO is acting (person), HOW MANY there are (number) and WHEN (tense). Italian verbs end in −are, −ere or −ire: these are the three conjugations. The form with the ending removed is called the stem; the changing tail is called the ending.
| −are (parlare) | −ere (prendere) | −ire (dormire) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| io | parlo | prendo | dormo |
| tu | parli | prendi | dormi |
| lui/lei | parla | prende | dorme |
| noi | parliamo | prendiamo | dormiamo |
| voi | parlate | prendete | dormite |
| loro | parlano | prendono | dormono |
Regola d'oro
A conjugated verb = stem + ending. Remove −are/−ere/−ire from the infinitive (parl−, prend−, dorm−) and attach the personal tail. It's the ending that tells you who is acting: that's why «parlo» stands on its own, without «io». The −are/−ere/−ire form with no person is the infinitive: it's the verb's "name", the one you look up in the dictionary.
| persona | numero | chi è | esempio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1ª | singolare | io (chi parla) | io mangio |
| 2ª | singolare | tu (con chi parlo) | tu mangi |
| 3ª | singolare | lui / lei (di chi parlo) | lei mangia |
| 1ª | plurale | noi | noi mangiamo |
| 2ª | plurale | voi | voi mangiate |
| 3ª | plurale | loro | loro mangiano |
Il pronome quasi non serve
The ending already tells you who is acting, so the pronoun (io, tu, lui…) is usually dropped: you say «Studio a Roma», not «Io studio a Roma». You add it only for contrast or emphasis: «Pago io, tu la prossima volta». It's the same mechanism as in Polish (mówię, robisz).
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