Italian conjugation explanation
Spelling change: -gare → -gh-
<p>The spelling of some verb forms changes in order <strong>to preserve the pronunciation</strong> of the infinitive. In verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic">-gare</strong>, the <span style="font-style: italic">g</span> is pronounced <span style="font-style: italic">/g/</span>. When <span style="font-style: italic">g</span> is followed by <span style="font-style: italic">e</span> or <span style="font-style: italic">i</span>, the pronunciation changes to <span style="font-style: italic">/dʒ/</span> (like 'j' in <span style="font-style: italic">joke</span>). So, to preserve the <span style="font-style: italic">/g/</span> sound, we have to replace the <span style="font-style: italic">g</span> with <span style="font-style: italic">gh</span>.</p>
<p>Common verbs affected by this spelling change are: <span style="font-style: italic"><strong>pagare, collegare, impiegare, spiegare, fregare, pregare, negare</strong></span>, etc.</p>
<p>In the following conjugation tables, the affected verb forms of <span style="font-style: italic">pagare</span> are highlighted:</p>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/36/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
io
</span>pago
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span>paga
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghiamo<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span>pagate
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span>pagano
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/40/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Futuro semplice</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
io
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagherò<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagherai<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagherà<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagheremo<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagherete<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagheranno<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/41/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente congiuntivo</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
che io
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
che tu
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
che lui
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
che noi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghiamo<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
che voi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghiate<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
che loro
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghino<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/43/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Condizionale</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
io
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagherei<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagheresti<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagherebbe<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagheremmo<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghereste<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">pagherebbero<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/44/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(tu)
</span>paga
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(Lei)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(noi)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghiamo<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(voi)
</span>pagate
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(Loro)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghino<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>