What does a verb express?
A verb expresses an action or state: parlare (to speak), dormire (to sleep), essere (to be). In this course, learn to choose the right form for the person and tense.
A1 · Italian verbs
Verbs: infinitives, persons and conjugations
Il verbo: infinito, persone e coniugazioni
The dictionary form
The infinitive usually ends in -are, -ere or -ire: parlare, prendere, dormire. These are the three main conjugation groups. Irregular verbs have forms that must be learned separately.
parlare italiano
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to speak Italian
prendere un caffè
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to have a coffee
Who performs the action?
Io means I; tu you (singular informal); lui/lei he/she; noi we; voi you (plural); loro they. The verb changes: io parlo, noi parliamo. The subject pronoun can often be omitted if the person is clear. Formal Lei addresses one person and takes a third-person singular verb.
Io parlo italiano.
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I speak Italian.
Noi parliamo italiano.
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We speak Italian.
Remember
Learn the infinitive and its group. Verb forms depend on person and tense. We will start with presente, the present tense.
Result
This is practice, not an exam. You can repeat the exercises.