Language/Italian/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Irregular-Verbs
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Italian verbs can be classified into three categories: regular, semi-regular and irregular verbs. In the previous lesson, we learned about regular verbs and how to conjugate them in the present tense. In this lesson, we will focus on irregular verbs and how to use them in the present tense.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not follow the usual conjugation patterns of regular verbs. They often have unique forms for different persons or numbers. Some of the most common irregular verbs in Italian are:
- Essere (to be)
- Avere (to have)
- Fare (to do/make)
- Dare (to give)
- Dire (to say)
- Stare (to stay)
- Sapere (to know)
Present Tense of Irregular Verbs
The present tense of irregular verbs is formed by taking the stem of the verb and adding the appropriate endings for each person. The present tense endings for irregular verbs are:
| Person | Ending |
|---|---|
| io (I) | o |
| tu (you) | i |
| lui/lei (he/she) | e |
| noi (we) | iamo |
| voi (you all) | ete |
| loro (they) | ono |
Here are some examples of irregular verbs conjugated in the present tense:
- Essere (to be):
| Italian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| io sono | /soːno/ | I am |
| tu sei | /sei/ | You are (singular) |
| lui/lei è | /ɛ/ | He/She is |
| noi siamo | /siamo/ | We are |
| voi siete | /ˈsjɛte/ | You all are |
| loro sono | /sono/ | They are |
- Avere (to have):
| Italian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| io ho | /o/ | I have |
| tu hai | /ai/ | You have (singular) |
| lui/lei ha | /a/ | He/She has |
| noi abbiamo | /abˈbjaːmo/ | We have |
| voi avete | /aˈvete/ | You all have |
| loro hanno | /ˈanno/ | They have |
- Fare (to do/make):
| Italian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| io faccio | /ˈfattʃo/ | I do/make |
| tu fai | /fai/ | You do/make (singular) |
| lui/lei fa | /fa/ | He/She does/makes |
| noi facciamo | /fatˈtʃjaːmo/ | We do/make |
| voi fate | /ˈfaːte/ | You all do/make |
| loro fanno | /ˈfanno/ | They do/make |
Usage
Irregular verbs are used in the present tense to express ongoing actions in the present. They are also used to describe what someone or something is like, their characteristics or states. Examples:
- Sono italiano. (I am Italian.)
- Marco ha 25 anni. (Marco is 25 years old.)
- Faccio la spesa ogni sabato. (I do the groceries every Saturday.)
- Maria sa parlare francese. (Maria knows how to speak French.)
Practice
Conjugate the following irregular verbs in the present tense:
- Dire (to say)
- Stare (to stay)
- Dare (to give)
- Sapere (to know)
- Dico, dici, dice, diciamo, dite, dicono
- Sto, stai, sta, stiamo, state, stanno
- Do, dai, dà, diamo, date, danno
- So, sai, sa, sappiamo, sapete, sanno
Sources