INTRODUCTION
Webster’s New World 575+ Italian Verbs is an invaluable tool that well help you master Italian verbs and acquire an in-depth command of the Italian language. This book provides a quick and easy reference to 575 of the most frequently used Italian verbs. The verbs are fully conjugated, with straightforward examples that illustrate their everyday, colloquial, and idiomatic usage. The examples display a variety of different moods and tenses and are translated into English. Webster’s New World 575+ Italian Verbs is divided in three distinct sections: Verb Usage Review, which fosters an in-depth understanding of the Italian verb system, its regular and irregular conjugations, and the usages of the moods and tenses; verb charts, with 575 fully conjugated verbs and numerous example sentences translated into English; and four appendices with 1,500 fully cross-referenced Italian verbs, an irregular verbs index, a verb-preposition list, as well as an essential index
of English and Italian verbs.
Verb Usage Review
This section provides a comprehensive review of Italian verbs. It helps you understand the Italian verb system and how it differs from the English verb system. It also offers suggestions that will help you memorize the regular and irregular conjugations, as well as the use of the correct mood and tense.
The “Subject Pronouns” section introduces the Italian subject pronouns and their corresponding English subject pronouns. Being able to use the correct pronoun and/or its corresponding verb form, in any context, is essential. Unlike in English, Italian verb endings almost always vary from subject to subject. Each verb chart is divided into two columns:
Singular |
Plural |
io (I) |
noi (we) |
tu (you) |
voi (you) |
lui (he), lei (she), Lei (you, formal) |
loro (they) |
The “Basics on Verbs” section helps you identify the basic structure of an Italian verb, root, and verb ending, as well as recognize the main groups into which Italian verbs are classified.
The “Italian Moods and Tenses” section explains what Italian moods and tenses are. To help you quickly identify which mood and tense to use when translating from English, it shows how the seven Italian moods and their simple and compound tenses relate to those in English. The “Compound Tenses” section supplies the necessary tools to form a compound tense: how the past participle is formed, and how to choose the appropriate auxiliary verb.
The “Indicative Mood” section explains when to use its four simple and four corresponding compound tenses. Examples of the usage of these tenses are provided.
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The formation of each tense is thoroughly discussed, illustrating the regular conjugation, the spelling changes (if any), and the irregularities. When it is possible, a pattern of irregularity is provided, in order to help you understand the irregular forms.
The “Conditional Mood” section explains how to form and when to use the present (or simple) conditional and its correspondent compound tense, the perfect conditional.
The “Subjunctive Mood” section explains when to use (and when not to use) the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood conveys the opinions and attitude of the speaker. It expresses uncertainty, doubt, possibility, or personal feelings rather than fact. The verbs that prompt the use of subjunctive are listed in a quick and easy reference. Then the various forms of the subjunctive, its present and its corresponding compound tense, the present perfect, and the imperfect and its corresponding compound tense are presented.
The “Imperative Mood” section is on the formation and use of the formal and informal forms of the imperative, the mood used to express commands, exhortations, and suggestions.
The “Nonpersonal Forms” section discusses the formation and uses of infinitives and gerunds. The focus is on the construction stare + gerund.
Reflexive verbs are more common in Italian than in English, and the “Reflexive Form” section is dedicated to understanding how to conjugate reflexive verbs and how Italian reflexive verbs are translated into English.
The Verb Usage Review ends with the “Impersonal Verbs” section, covering verbs that require special constructions, such as piacere (to like), and the uses of certain verbs for which the meaning is changed based on the particular tense that is used: dovere, potere, volere, and the conditional sentences.
Verb Charts
The verb charts section has 575 fully conjugated verbs listed in alphabetical order, by their infinitive. Each chart identifies the infinitive and its English meaning(s), the auxiliary verb it uses to form compound tenses, the past participle, the gerund, and the imperative forms. Then each verb is shown in its simple and compound tenses. Each chart is followed by three or more example sentences in Italian, translated into English showing the meaning of the specific verb and the usage of the tenses. Some verbs include a note. For example, if the verb has a reflexive counterpart, the note before the examples explains the reflexive use of the verb and the reflexive pronouns are shown. The note also indicates if the verb requires a particular preposition or any other particular issue related to the use of the verb.
See the following chart for an example of the different parts of the verb charts and what they mean.
Introduction / 3
andare to go
Auxiliary verb: essere Past participle: andato Gerund: andando
Imperative: (tu) va’/vai (non andare); (Lei) vada; (noi) andiamo; (voi) andate; (Loro) vadano
Knowing the appropriate auxiliary verb—either avere or essere—is essential when forming the compound tenses of the verb.
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Simple Tenses |
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Compound Tenses |
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Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
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Present |
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Present Perfect |
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vado |
andiamo |
sono andato/a |
siamo andati/e |
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vai |
andate |
sei andato/a |
siete andati/e |
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va |
vanno |
è andato/a |
sono andati/e |
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Imperfect |
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Past Perfect |
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Indicative |
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andavo |
andavamo |
ero andato/a |
eravamo andati/e |
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Past Definite |
andavate |
Past Anterior |
eravate andati/e |
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andavi |
eri andato/a |
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andava |
andavano |
era andato/a |
erano andati/e |
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andai |
andammo |
fui andato/a |
fummo andati/e |
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andasti |
andaste |
fosti andato/a |
foste andati/e |
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andò |
andarono |
fu andato/a |
furono andati/e |
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Future |
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Future Perfect |
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andrò |
andremo |
sarò andato/a |
saremo andati/e |
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andrai |
andrete |
sarai andato/a |
sarete andati/e |
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andrà |
andranno |
sarà andato/a |
saranno andati/e |
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Present |
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Present Perfect |
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Subjunctive |
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vada |
andiamo |
sia andato/a |
siamo andati/e |
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vada |
andiate |
sia andato/a |
siate andati/e |
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vada |
vadano |
sia andato/a |
siano andati/e |
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Imperfect |
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Past Perfect |
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andassi |
andassimo |
fossi andato/a |
fossimo andati/e |
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andassi |
andaste |
fossi andato/a |
foste andati/e |
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andasse |
andassero |
fosse andato/a |
fossero andati/e |
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Conditional |
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andrebbe |
andrebbero |
sarebbe andato/a |
sarebbero andati/e |
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Present Conditional |
Perfect Conditional |
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andrei |
andremmo |
sarei andato/a |
saremmo andati/e |
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andresti |
andreste |
saresti andato/a |
sareste andati/e |
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Note: If andare is followed by another verb (“to go dancing”), the sequence andare + a + infinitive is used. Andare is conjugated, and the second verb is used in the infinitive (see the fourth example below). A means of transportation used with andare is preceded by the preposition in; when andare is followed by the name of a country, the preposition in is used; when it is followed by the name of a city, a is used (see the third example below). When it is followed by the name of a person, da is used (see the fifth example below).
EXAMPLES
Dove vai stasera? |
Where are you going tonight? |
Lo scorso fine settimana siamo andati al mare. |
Last weekend we went to the beach. |
Vado a Roma in macchina. |
I go to Rome by car. |
Andiamo a ballare il giovedì. |
We go dancing on Thursdays. |
Domani andrà dal dottore. |
Tomorrow he is going to the doctor. |
Ti va un caffè? |
Would you like a coffee? |
The past participle is used with either avere or essere to form compound tenses. It may also be used to form the passive voice and as an adjective or noun.
The gerund is used to form the progressive tenses with the verb stare. The gerund is one of the Italian verb forms corresponding to the English –ing form.
The imperative is used for giving commands and
orders. It can be expressed formally and informally. The negative imperative of the tu form of a reflexive verb has two forms. The pronoun can precede
the verb or can follow it. The verb chart shows the second option but both are possible. (See the
“Reflexive Verbs” section of the Verb Usage Review for a detailed explanation.)
The indicative mood is the most commonly used in everyday conversation to express or indicate facts in the past, in the present, and in the future.
The use of present perfect is preferred to the use of the past definite. The past definite is mainly used in literature.
The past anterior is very rarely used currently.
The imperfect tense is not a tense in English but it has English equivalents.
The subjunctive is mainly used in subordinate clauses and it is prompted by the use of certain verbs of emotion, volition, or doubt.
For some verbs, a note is included on reflexive usage, preposition requirements, and so on.
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Appendix of Additional Verbs
The Appendix of Additional verbs contains over 1,500 Italian verbs with a quick reference to a fully conjugated verb in the verb charts with an equivalent conjugation.
Appendix of Irregular Verbs
Forms
The Appendix of Irregular Verb Forms helps you to identify the infinitive of irregular verb forms that are different in appereance from the infinitive and may, therefore, be difficult to recognize.
Appendix of Verbs Used with Prepositions
This appendix provides a quick-reference list of verbs that require certain prepositions. It indicates which prepositions are required when using the selected verbs.
English-Italian Verb Index
This index lists, in alphabetical order, English verbs followed by their Italian translation. A reference to the fully conjugated verb or a verb that has an equivalent conjugation is also given.