Building a verb form
For a regular verb, remove -are and add the ending: parlare → parl-. The present tense describes a current action, a habit or a general fact. Depending on context, parlo can mean I speak or I am speaking.
A1 · Italian verbs
The present tense of -are verbs
Il presente dei verbi in -are
The parlare pattern
io parlo; tu parli; lui/lei parla; noi parliamo; voi parlate; loro parlano.
Endings: -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano. Abitare and lavorare follow the same basic pattern.
Endings: -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano. Abitare and lavorare follow the same basic pattern.
Abito a Roma.
Show translation
I live in Rome.
Lavoriamo in Italia.
Show translation
We work in Italy.
Spelling matters too
Verbs ending in -care/-gare add h before i: cercare → cerchi, cerchiamo; pagare → paghi, paghiamo. This preserves the hard k or g sound. Not all -are verbs are regular: andare and fare are studied separately.
Parlate italiano?
Show translation
Do you speak Italian?
Cerco un libro.
Show translation
I am looking for a book.
Remember
Parlo, parli, parla, parliamo, parlate, parlano. With -care/-gare, preserve the hard sound by adding h before i. Learn word stress from the examples and recordings.
Result
This is practice, not an exam. You can repeat the exercises.