Verbs are 'action words'! The verb is the element that conveys information on what the subject does or is and what actions he/she/it accomplishes or undergoes.

The past conditional has the same function of the present conditional but it refers to the past. It suggests, proposes, expresses a desire, a doubt, a gentle request or it expresses an action that could have occured "on condition that...".
The past conditional is often used when reporting a rumor, or in an indirect discourse after verbs of "feeling, knowing, saying..." in the past.
The past conditional is also used to express the future in the past.

"Avrei voluto... Si sarebbe insinuato che... Disse che l'indomani avrebbe finito il lavoro." (I would have liked... One would have suggested that... He said the following day he would have finished the work).

The "condizionale passato" is a "compound tense" (like the "passato prossimo") because it is formed with one of the auxiliary verbs ("essere" or "avere") plus the past participle of a verb. Whether it requires "essere" or "avere", depends on the verb.

If the verb is a transitive verb, it requires the auxiliary "avere". If the verb is intransitive (like most verbs that express movement or state of being) or if the verb is reflexive, it requires the auxiliary "essere".

Transitive verbs may be followed by an object to complete their meaning "leggo la lettera" (I read the letter) I read what? I read the letter.

The past conditional of transitive verbs is formed with the present conditional of "AVERE" + the past participle of the verb.

Intransitive verbs don't need an object to complete their meaning.

The past conditional of most intransitive verbs is formed with the present conditional of "ESSERE" + the past participle of the verb (if you are not sure whether a verb requires "essere" or "avere" check the dictionary.) With "essere", the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb.

Remember:

• "dormire"(to sleep), "rispondere" (to answer), "viaggiare" (to travel), "vivere" (to live) though intransitive require the auxiliary "avere" ("ho dormito, ho risposto, ho viaggiato, ho vissuto...")
• verbs that express movement, like "venire" (to come), "andare" (to go), "uscire" (to go out)... require the auxiliary "essere"
• verbs that express state of being, like "essere" (to be), "stare" (to stay), "rimanere" (to remain), "nascere" (to be born)... require the auxiliary "essere"
• reflexive verbs require the verb "essere"
• the verb "piacere" requires the auxiliary "essere"
• for the position of the pronouns with compound tenses, please refer to the pronouns section

The imperative is used to order, command or exhort. It does not present the first and third singular persons ("io, lui, lei"): "Scrivi quella lettera!" (Write that letter!) With the polite forms "Lei" and "Loro" it is used mostly as an exhortation: "Signora, scriva quella lettera!" (Madame, write that letter!)

The imperative of regular verbs is formed by replacing the ending of the infinitive with the endings of the imperative.

Remember:

• The polite form "Loro" is rarely used.
• In the negative form, the second singular person uses "non + infinitive": "(Tu) non parlare!" The other persons (Lei, noi, voi, Loro) maintain a regular negative form: "(Lei) non legga!", "(Noi) non leggiamo!", "(Voi) non leggete!"
• With the first person plural and the second persons, the pronouns follow the imperative and are attached to it: "(Noi) compriamole un regalo!", "Tu, leggimi la lettera!", "Voi, cantatemi una canzone!"
• In a formal approach, with "Lei" or "Loro", the pronoun remains in front of the verb: "Signora, mi mandi due righe!"

Some verbs may be irregular in the imperative but not in the present (or viceversa).

To help you memorizing some of them, we created four categories:

This category presents a change in the stem

This category presents a contraction and a change of stem

This category presents a contraction

IMPORTANT : whenever a pronoun is attached to the familiar singular form (tu) of the imperative of "dare, dire, fare, stare" the initial consonant is doubled (e.g. "di'+mi = dimmi; di'+ci = dicci; fa'+le = falle; fa'+ci = facci...").

The pronominal particles "ne" and "ci" follow the same rule ("da'+ne = danne, sta'+ci = stacci...") The only pronoun that does not double is "gli" (e.g. "da'+gli = dagli").

The category of verbs whose infinitive end with "c+are" or "g+are" ("hard sound" as Karl, Carlo), adds an "h" in front of "i" (to maintain the "hard sound effect")

Remember:

• The polite form "Loro" is rarely used.
• In the negative form, the second singular person uses "non + infinitive": "(Tu) non parlare!" The other persons (Lei, noi, voi, Loro) maintain a regular negative form: "(Lei) non legga!", "(Noi) non leggiamo!", "(Voi) non leggete!"
• With the first person plural and the second persons, the pronouns follow the imperative and are attached to it: "(Noi) compriamole un regalo!", "Tu, leggimi la lettera!", "Voi, cantatemi una canzone!"
• In a formal approach, with "Lei" or "Loro", the pronoun remains in front of the verb: "Signora, mi mandi due righe!"

The present infinitive is the form of the verb presented in dictionaries and it expresses the meaning of a verb (e.g.: "ballare" =to dance) .

The "infinitive" has a present form (infinito presente) and a past form (infinito passato). The characteristic of the infinitive, as well as the "gerundio", is that it doesn't change form: "Mi piace mangiare" (I like to eat). "Dopo avere mangiato lavo i denti" (After eating I brush my teeth).

The infinitive may end in "are", "ere" or "ire", the three classes of Italian verbs: first class: verbs ending with "are" (e.g.: "ballare" = to dance); second class: verbs ending with "ere" (e.g.: "ridere" = to laugh); third class: verbs ending with "ire" (e.g.: "dormire" = to sleep.)

Remember: "avere, essere, dire, bere, fare" have an irregular infinitive.

Remember , the present infinitive can be used also:

• as a noun; "mangiare bene è importante" (it is important to eat well)
• to express an order or an instruction instead of the imperative; "versare il latte e cuocere per due minuti" (pour the milk and cook for two minutes)
• to express a negative command; "non fare così!" (don't do that!)
• following another verb in a dependent clause; "desidero scrivere una lettera" (I'd like to write a letter.) The present infinitive in this case indicates that the action of the dependent clause happens at the same time or subsequently to the action of the main clause
• With the infinitive, (dropping its last vowel), the pronouns follow the verb ("lavarmi, scrivergli, parlarci...")

The "infinito passato" of transitive verbs is formed with the "infinito" of "AVERE" + the past participle of the verb.

The "infinito passato" of INtransitive verbs is formed with the "infinito" of "ESSERE" + the past participle of the verb.

Remember, the past infinitive can be used:

• following another verb in a dependent clause; "mi sarebbe piaciuto avere scritto una lettera" (I would have liked to write a letter.) The past infinitive in this case indicates that the action of the dependent clause happens prior to the action of the main clause

In a sentence, the "gerundio" expresses the time, cause or condition of an action that happens at the same time or prior to the action expressed by the main verb. The subject of the "gerundio" must be the same as the one expressed by the other verb; "io, andando a scuola, ho incontrato il mio amico" (while I was going to school I met my friend).

The "gerundio presente" of regular verbs is formed by replacing the ending of the infinitive with the endings of the "gerundio presente." The "gerundio presente" expresses an action that happens at the same time of the action expressed by the main verb.

The "gerundio passato" expresses an action that happens prior to the action expressed by the main verb.

The "gerundio passato" of transitive verbs is formed with the "gerundio" of "AVERE" + the past participle of the verb.

The "gerundio passato" of INtransitive verbs is formed with the "gerundio" of "ESSERE" + the past participle of the verb.

Remember:

• "avere, essere, dire, bere, fare" are irregular and have the following form of "gerundio presente": "avendo, essendo, dicendo, bevendo, facendo"
• With the "gerundio" the pronouns follow the verb ("lavandomi, parlandomi...")

Il "passato remoto" (remote-past tense) is rarely used in conversation (except for some regions). It expresses an action completed in the past, that no longer has reference in the present: "Leonardo da Vinci nacque nel 1452" (Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452). Mostly, it is a past tense widely used in writing for historical or literary narrations.

The "passato remoto" (remote past) of regular verbs is formed by replacing the ending of the infinitive with the endings of the "passato remoto".

Some verbs may be irregular in the "passato remoto" but not in the present conjugation (or viceversa.)

In order to help you memorize some of them, we created six categories:

In the first person singular and third persons, this category changes the last consonant of the stem into "s" before adding the endings of the "passato remoto"

In the first person singular and third persons, this category doubles the last consonant of the stem before adding the endings of the "passato remoto"

In the first person singular and third persons, this category changes the consonant "nd" of the stem into "s" before adding the endings of the "passato remoto"

In the first person singular and third persons, this category changes the last consonant or consonants of the stem into "ss" before adding the endings of the "passato remoto"

In the first person singular and third persons, this category changes stem and adds a "q" before adding the endings of the "passato remoto"

In the first person singular and third persons, this category changes stem before adding the endings of the "passato remoto"

This verb changes stem in the "passato remoto"

The "trapassato remoto" expresses an action that happened prior to the one expressed by another past tense: "Garibaldi, dopo che ebbe radunato gli uomini, partì per la Sicilia" (After Garibaldi had grouped the men, they all left for Sicily).

The "trapassato remoto" is a "compound tense" (like the "passato prossimo") because it is formed with one of the auxiliary verbs ("essere" or "avere") plus the past participle of a verb. Whether it requires "essere" or "avere", depends on the verb.

If the verb is a transitive verb, it requires the auxiliary "avere". If the verb is intransitive (like most verbs that express movement or stateof being) or if the verb is reflexive, it requires the auxiliary "essere".

Transitive verbs may be followed by an object to complete their meaning "leggo la lettera" (I read the letter) I read what? I read the letter. The "trapassato remoto" of transitive verbs is formed with the "passato remoto" of "AVERE" + the past participle of the verb.

Intransitive verbs don't need an object to complete their meaning.

The "trapassato remoto" of most intransitive verbs is formed with the "passato remoto" of "ESSERE" + the past participle of the verb (if you are not sure whether a verb requires "essere" or "avere" check the dictionary.) With "essere", the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb.

Remember:

• "dormire"(to sleep), "rispondere" (to answer), "viaggiare" (to travel), "vivere" (to live) though intransitive require the auxiliary "avere" ("ho dormito, ho risposto, ho viaggiato, ho vissuto...")
• verbs that express movement, like "venire" (to come), "andare" (to go), "uscire" (to go out)... require the auxiliary "essere"
• verbs that express state of being, like "essere" (to be), "stare" (to stay), "rimanere" (to remain), "nascere" (to be born)... require the auxiliary "essere"
• reflexive verbs require the verb "essere"
• the verb "piacere" requires the auxiliary "essere"
• for the position of the pronouns with compound tenses, please refer to the pronouns section

For a verb conjugator click here

To continue with the verbs page click here