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Revision as of 17:09, 29 March 2023

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Italian Grammar - Past and Future Tenses > Imperfect Tense

The Imperfect tense is one of the past tenses in Italian language.

Formation

The Imperfect tense is formed by adding specific endings to the stem of the verbs. The endings are -avo, -avi, -ava, -avamo, -avate, -avano for the first conjugation, -evo, -evi, -eva, -evamo, -evate, -evano for the second conjugation, and -ivo, -ivi, -iva, -ivamo, -ivate, -ivano for the third conjugation.

Here's how to form the Imperfect tense for regular verbs (to talk, to eat and to live):

Italian Pronunciation English
Io parlavo ['par'lavo] I was talking
Tu parlavi ['par'lavi] You were talking
Egli/ella parlava [par'laːva] He/she was talking
Noi parlavamo [parla'vamo] We were talking
Voi parlavate [parla'vate] You (plural) were talking
Essi/esse parlavano [parla'vano] They were talking

Here's how to form the Imperfect tense for irregular verbs:

Italian Pronunciation English
Io ero ['ɛro] I was
Tu (lui/lei) eri ['ɛri] You/he/she was
Noi eravamo [erava'mo] We were
Voi (loro) eravate [erava'te] You/they were
Io facevo [fa'tʃevo] I was doing
Tu facevi [fa'tʃevi] You were doing
Egli/ella faceva [fa'tʃɛːva] He/she was doing
Noi facevamo [fa'ʃɛvamo] We were doing
Voi facevate [fa'ʃevate] You (plural) were doing
Essi/esse facevano [fa'ʃɛvano] They were doing

Usage

The Imperfect tense is used in these cases:

  • To describe past habits and repeated actions: Quando ero giovane, andavo spesso al cinema (When I was young, I used to go to the cinema often).
  • To describe ongoing past actions: Alle 2 del pomeriggio, io lavoravo ancora (At 2 pm, I was still working).
  • To describe the situation or the setting: Era una sera estiva (It was a summer evening).

Examples

  • Quando ero bambino, andavo spesso al mare (When I was a child, I used to go to the sea often).
  • Studiavo sempre per l'esame di matematica (I was always studying for the math exam).
  • Mangiavamo gli spaghetti ai frutti di mare ogni volta che andavamo al ristorante (We used to have seafood spaghetti every time we went to a restaurant).

Exercises

Translate the following sentences into Italian (using the Imperfect tense):

  1. We used to play soccer every Saturday.
  2. When I was a student, I used to study in the library.
  3. She used to live in Paris for ten years.
  4. The children were playing in the park.

Sources

Table of Contents - Italian Course - 0 to A1

Introduction to Italian Language


Daily Life Expressions


Italian Culture and Tradition


Past and Future Tenses


Social and Work Life


Italian Literature and Cinema


Subjunctive and Imperative Moods


Science and Technology


Italian Politics and Society


Compound Tenses


Arts and Design


Italian Language and Dialects

Other Lessons

Videos

Imperfect Tense in Italian: L'imperfetto - YouTube

How to form and use the Italian “Imperfetto” (Italian Imperfect Tense ...

Learn Italian Ep.21 - The Imperfect Tense | Grammar Basics 4 ...

The imperfect tense in Italian: learn it with a game! - YouTube

Italian Grammar: L'imperfetto vs. Passato Prossimo - YouTube


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