Italian conjugation explanation
Present perfect vs. imperfect
<p>The <strong>present perfect</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">passato prossimo</span>) and the <strong>imperfect</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">imperfetto</span>) tenses are both used to describe actions in the past. However, their usage is quite different. Let's have a closer look at these two tenses. </p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Passato prossimo</div>
The <span style="font-style: italic;">passato prossimo</span> is used when referring to an action <strong>completed in the past</strong> (an action that had a definite beginning and a definite end). The action can be:
<ul>
<li>
<div>a single event:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Lei gli <strong>ha dato</strong> la sua giacca. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She gave him his jacket.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>part of a chain of events:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Ha abbandonato</strong> la sua famiglia ed <strong>è andato</strong> all'estero. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He deserted his family and went abroad.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>an action repeated a specific number of times:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Mi sono svegliato</strong> tre volte durante la notte. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I awoke three times in the night.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>a past action with a specific time marker:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Ho parlato</strong> con lui al telefono ieri sera. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I talked to him on the telephone yesterday night.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Abbiamo parlato</strong> e <strong>parlato</strong> fino a quando il giorno si è rotto. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We talked and talked until the day broke.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Expressions that are usually used with the <span style="font-style: italic;">passato prossimo</span>:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">appena</span> (just)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">finalmente</span> (finally)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">ieri</span> (yesterday)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">improvvisamente</span> (suddenly)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">l’anno scorso</span> (last year)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">più volte</span> (several times)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">stamattina</span> (this morning)</li>
</ul>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Imperfetto</div>
<p>Using the <span style="font-style: italic;">imperfetto</span> tense implies that the past action <strong>did not have a definite beginning or a definite end</strong>. It can be used to describe:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div>a habitual or repeated action:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">A volte <strong>si comportava</strong> come se fosse il mio capo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Sometimes he acted as if he were my boss.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>two simultaneous actions:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Leggevamo</strong> un libro mentre <strong>mangiavamo</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We were reading a book while eating.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>a background action that sets the stage for other actions:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Una donna ci ha fatto visita mentre <strong>dormivi</strong>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">A woman visited us while you were sleeping.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>a condition or state:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Eri</strong> felice quando <strong>stavamo</strong> insieme. (<span style="font-style: italic;">You were happy when we were together.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>someone or something:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Le bevande <strong>erano</strong> gratis. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The drinks were free.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>time and age:</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><strong>Erano</strong> le due del pomeriggio. (<span style="font-style: italic;">It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Quando <strong>avevo</strong> 18 anni bevevo. (<span style="font-style: italic;">When I was 18 I drank.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Expressions that are usually used with the imperfect:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">a volte</span> (sometimes)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">di solito</span> (usually)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">di volta in volta</span> (from time to time)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">ogni giorno</span> (every day)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">ogni volta</span> (every time)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">raramente</span> (rarely)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">spesso</span> (often)</li>
</ul>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Forming the passato prossimo</div>
<p>The <span style="font-style: italic;">passato prossimo</span> is formed by combining the auxiliary verb (<span style="font-style: italic;">avere</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">essere</span> conjugated in the present) and the past participle of the verb (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">dare</span> → <span style="font-style: italic;">dato</span>, see details further below).</p>
<p>Most Italian verbs use <span style="font-style: italic;">avere</span> as an auxiliary verb. The verbs that use <span style="font-style: italic;">essere</span> are intransitive (=<strong>not taking a direct object</strong>) verbs that usually indicate <strong>motion or change of state</strong>. <strong>Reflexive verbs</strong> also require <span style="font-style: italic;">essere</span>. To learn more about how to choose to correct auxiliary verb, study the following explanations:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/italian_wrong_auxiliary_verb" target="_blank">Auxiliary verbs</a>
</li><li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/italian_wrong_auxiliary_verb_for_reflexive" target="_blank">Auxiliary verb for reflexive verbs</a>
</li><li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/italian_wrong_variable_auxiliary_verb" target="_blank">Variable auxiliary verbs</a>
</li></ul>
<p>When the auxiliary verb is <span style="font-style: italic;">essere</span>, the past participle has to agree in gender and number with the subject (<span style="font-style: italic;">-o</span> ending for masculine singular, <span style="font-style: italic;">-i</span> ending for masculine plural, <span style="font-style: italic;">-a</span> ending for feminine singular and <span style="font-style: italic;">-e</span> ending for feminine plural). When the auxiliary verb is <span style="font-style: italic;">avere</span>, the agreement is usually not necessary, but there are a few exceptions. To learn more about the agreement of the past participle, study the following explanations:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/avere_agreement" target="_blank">Agreement with avere</a>
</li><li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/avere_no_agreement" target="_blank">No agreement with avere</a>
</li><li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/missing_agreement_for_essere_form" target="_blank">Agreement with essere</a>
</li><li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/italian_ne_agreement" target="_blank">Agreement with ne</a>
</li></ul>
<p>Regular past participles are formed as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>-ARE verbs:</strong> dare → d<strong>ato</strong> </li>
<li><strong>-ERE verbs:</strong> volere → vol<strong>uto</strong> </li>
<li><strong>-IRE verbs:</strong> finire → fin<strong>ito</strong> </li>
</ul>
<p>There are many verbs with irregular past participle, as well. For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>essere → stato</li>
<li>fare → fatto</li>
<li>venire → venuto</li>
<li>prendere → preso</li>
<li>dire → detto</li>
<li>vedere → visto</li>
</ul>
<p>For a complete list of past participles, check out our
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuide/2904" target="_blank">past participle guide</a>
.</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Imperfetto conjugations</div>
<p>Regular conjugation in the <span style="font-style: italic;">imperfetto</span> tense for <strong><span style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">-are</span> verbs</strong> using the verb <span style="font-style: italic;">dare</span> (to give):</p>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperfetto</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>davo
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span>davi
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span>dava
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span>davamo
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span>davate
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span>davano
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Regular conjugation in the <span style="font-style: italic;">imperfetto</span> tense for <strong><span style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">-ere</span> verbs</strong> using the verb <span style="font-style: italic;">avere</span> (to have):</p>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperfetto</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>avevo
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span>avevi
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span>aveva
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span>avevamo
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span>avevate
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span>avevano
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Regular conjugation in the <span style="font-style: italic;">imperfetto</span> tense for <strong><span style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">-ire</span> verbs</strong> using the verb <span style="font-style: italic;">finire</span> (to finish):</p>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperfetto</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>finivo
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span>finivi
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span>finiva
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span>finivamo
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span>finivate
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span>finivano
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>For all imperfect conjugations, check out our
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuide/2896" target="_blank">tense guide</a>
.</p>