Mastering Italian Irregular Verbs and Their Conjugations
Italian irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the regular conjugation patterns of the -are, -ere and -ire families. Many of the most useful verbs in the language are irregular, including essere (to be), avere (to have), andare (to go) and fare (to do), so you will meet them from your very first lessons.
What are Irregular Verbs
In linguistics, a verb is considered irregular if it does not follow the typical conjugation patterns of its language. This means that its forms cannot be predicted by applying the standard rules that apply to regular verbs.
If you are learning Italian and find irregular verbs tricky do not worry: it is because they do not follow the standard conjugation patterns of Italian verb conjugations.
For this reason, Italian irregular verbs must be learned by heart, and interesting enough, there is a scientific explanation behind it.
There are two main types of long-term memory that comes into play when learning a language: procedural memory and declarative memory.
- Procedural memory allows to automatically use language without having to think about every step. It makes using grammar correctly, pronouncing words right, and using phrases naturally much smoother.
- Declarative memory allows you to remember specific information about the language, such as remembering words and what they mean, that is, the language vocabulary.
When it comes to learning irregular words, you will be using the declarative part of your memory, because you have to learn that a certain word has a certain form no matter what.
Characteristics of Irregular Verbs
Irregularities can occur in one or more tenses of the verb. Therefore, some verbs are irregular in certain tenses and not all are irregular in the same tense. The reason is because they retain forms from Latin, where Italian evolved from.
Learn more about the history of the Italian language and its evolution.
Here, I will explore the conjugations of some of the most common irregular verbs in Italian: essere, avere, andare, fare, venire, dire, stare, potere, volere, and dovere.
It is not a coincidence that almost all of these verbs are auxiliary verbs. In fact, let me tell you an interesting linguistic fact I love sharing with my students: all irregular verbs in all languages are very commonly used verbs.
Now that you have some linguistic knowledge you can guess why: they are so commonly used that it makes it easier to remember them! Fascinating, right?
Most Common Italian Irregular Verbs
“Essere” – To Be
Essere is highly irregular across multiple tenses, including the present, future, past perfect, subjunctive present and imperfect, and conditional tenses.
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | sono | sei | è | siamo | siete | sono |
| Future | sarò | sarai | sarà | saremo | sarete | saranno |
| Present Perfect (passato prossimo) | sono stato | sei stato | è stato | siamo stati | siete stati | sono stati |
| Subjunctive Present | sia | sia | sia | siamo | siate | siano |
| Subjunctive Imperfect | fossi | fossi | fosse | fossimo | foste | fossero |
| Conditional | sarei | saresti | sarebbe | saremmo | sareste | sarebbero |
“Avere” – To Have
Avere is irregular in the present, future, past perfect, subjunctive present, and conditional tenses.
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | ho | hai | ha | abbiamo | avete | hanno |
| Future | avrò | avrai | avrà | avremo | avrete | avranno |
| Present Perfect (passato prossimo) | ho avuto | hai avuto | ha avuto | abbiamo avuto | avete avuto | hanno avuto |
| Subjunctive Present | abbia | abbia | abbia | abbiamo | abbiate | abbiano |
| Conditional | avrei | avresti | avrebbe | avremmo | avreste | avrebbero |
“Andare” – To Go
Andare is irregular in the present, future, present subjunctive and conditional tenses. Its imperfect and imperfect subjunctive are regular (andavo, andassi).
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | vado | vai | va | andiamo | andate | vanno |
| Future | andrò | andrai | andrà | andremo | andrete | andranno |
| Subjunctive Present | vada | vada | vada | andiamo | andiate | vadano |
| Conditional | andrei | andresti | andrebbe | andremmo | andreste | andrebbero |
“Fare” – To Do/Make
Fare is irregular in the present, future, subjunctive present and imperfect, and conditional tenses.
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | faccio | fai | fa | facciamo | fate | fanno |
| Future | farò | farai | farà | faremo | farete | faranno |
| Subjunctive Present | faccia | faccia | faccia | facciamo | facciate | facciano |
| Subjunctive Imperfect | facessi | facessi | facesse | facessimo | faceste | facessero |
| Conditional | farei | faresti | farebbe | faremmo | fareste | farebbero |
“Venire” – To Come
Venire is irregular in the present, future, present subjunctive and conditional tenses. Its imperfect and imperfect subjunctive are regular (venivo, venissi).
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | vengo | vieni | viene | veniamo | venite | vengono |
| Future | verrò | verrai | verrà | verremo | verrete | verranno |
| Subjunctive Present | venga | venga | venga | veniamo | veniate | vengano |
| Conditional | verrei | verresti | verrebbe | verremmo | verreste | verrebbero |
“Dire” – To Say/Tell
Dire is irregular in the present, future, subjunctive present and imperfect, and conditional tenses.
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | dico | dici | dice | diciamo | dite | dicono |
| Future | dirò | dirai | dirà | diremo | direte | diranno |
| Subjunctive Present | dica | dica | dica | diciamo | diciate | dicano |
| Subjunctive Imperfect | dicessi | dicessi | dicesse | dicessimo | diceste | dicessero |
| Conditional | direi | diresti | direbbe | diremmo | direste | direbbero |
“Stare” – To Stay/Be
Stare is irregular in the present, future, subjunctive present and imperfect, and conditional tenses.
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | sto | stai | sta | stiamo | state | stanno |
| Future | starò | starai | starà | staremo | starete | staranno |
| Subjunctive Present | stia | stia | stia | stiamo | stiate | stiano |
| Subjunctive Imperfect | stessi | stessi | stesse | stessimo | steste | stessero |
| Conditional | starei | staresti | starebbe | staremmo | stareste | starebbero |
“Potere” – Can/To Be Able To
Potere is irregular in the present, future, present subjunctive and conditional tenses. Its imperfect and imperfect subjunctive are regular (potevo, potessi).
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | posso | puoi | può | possiamo | potete | possono |
| Future | potrò | potrai | potrà | potremo | potrete | potranno |
| Subjunctive Present | possa | possa | possa | possiamo | possiate | possano |
| Conditional | potrei | potresti | potrebbe | potremmo | potreste | potrebbero |
“Volere” – To Want
Volere is irregular in the present, future, present subjunctive and conditional tenses. Its imperfect and imperfect subjunctive are regular (volevo, volessi).
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | voglio | vuoi | vuole | vogliamo | volete | vogliono |
| Future | vorrò | vorrai | vorrà | vorremo | vorrete | vorranno |
| Subjunctive Present | voglia | voglia | voglia | vogliamo | vogliate | vogliano |
| Conditional | vorrei | vorresti | vorrebbe | vorremmo | vorreste | vorrebbero |
“Dovere” – Must/To Have To
Dovere is irregular in the present, future, present subjunctive and conditional tenses. Its imperfect and imperfect subjunctive are regular (dovevo, dovessi).
| Tense | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | devo | devi | deve | dobbiamo | dovete | devono |
| Future | dovrò | dovrai | dovrà | dovremo | dovrete | dovranno |
| Subjunctive Present | debba | debba | debba | dobbiamo | dobbiate | debbano |
| Conditional | dovrei | dovresti | dovrebbe | dovremmo | dovreste | dovrebbero |
More Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
These eight verbs are also irregular in the present tense and you will use them often:
| Verb | Io | Tu | Lui/Lei | Noi | Voi | Loro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bere (to drink) | bevo | bevi | beve | beviamo | bevete | bevono |
| dare (to give) | do | dai | dà | diamo | date | danno |
| sapere (to know) | so | sai | sa | sappiamo | sapete | sanno |
| uscire (to go out) | esco | esci | esce | usciamo | uscite | escono |
| tenere (to hold) | tengo | tieni | tiene | teniamo | tenete | tengono |
| rimanere (to stay) | rimango | rimani | rimane | rimaniamo | rimanete | rimangono |
| salire (to go up) | salgo | sali | sale | saliamo | salite | salgono |
| scegliere (to choose) | scelgo | scegli | sceglie | scegliamo | scegliete | scelgono |
The lesson on the irregular present tense goes through these verbs with example sentences.
Patterns in Italian Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs are not completely random. These patterns will save you time:
- Noi and voi are often regular. For many irregular verbs, the noi and voi forms in the present look regular: andiamo, andate; veniamo, venite; usciamo, uscite. The main exceptions are essere (siamo, siete), avere (abbiamo), fare (facciamo) and dire (diciamo).
- The letter g. Several verbs add a g to the io and loro forms: vengo, tengo, rimango, salgo, scelgo.
- The io form is the key. The present subjunctive and the formal imperative are built from it: vengo becomes venga, faccio becomes faccia, dico becomes dica and vado becomes vada.
- Not every tense is irregular. Most verbs that are irregular in the present have a regular imperfect, like andavo or venivo. Only a few verbs have an irregular imperfect: essere (ero), fare (facevo), dire (dicevo) and bere (bevevo). See the lesson on the irregular imperfetto.
Irregular Past Participles
Many irregular verbs also have an irregular past participle, which you need for the passato prossimo. Most of them belong to -ere verbs, while -are verbs are almost always regular. Here are twelve you will use all the time:
| Verb | Past participle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| fare | fatto | Ho fatto la spesa. (I did the shopping.) |
| dire | detto | Ha detto la verità. (He told the truth.) |
| leggere | letto | Ho letto un libro. (I read a book.) |
| scrivere | scritto | Hanno scritto una lettera. (They wrote a letter.) |
| vedere | visto | Ho visto un film. (I saw a movie.) |
| prendere | preso | Ho preso il treno. (I took the train.) |
| mettere | messo | Ho messo le chiavi sul tavolo. (I put the keys on the table.) |
| aprire | aperto | Ho aperto la finestra. (I opened the window.) |
| chiudere | chiuso | Ha chiuso il negozio. (He closed the shop.) |
| rimanere | rimasto | È rimasta a casa. (She stayed at home.) |
| nascere | nato | Sono nata a Napoli. (I was born in Naples.) |
| vivere | vissuto | Ho vissuto a Milano per due anni. (I lived in Milan for two years.) |
For a longer list, read the lesson on the irregular passato prossimo.
Irregular Italian Verbs: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common irregular verbs in Italian?
The most common are essere, avere, andare, fare, dire, venire, stare, potere, volere and dovere, all described above.
Are irregular verbs irregular in every tense?
No. A verb can be irregular in one tense and regular in another. Andare, for example, is irregular in the present but regular in the imperfect.
How can I learn irregular verbs faster?
Start with the ten verbs in this page, learn them in groups that share a pattern, and memorize the io form first because other forms depend on it. Then practice them in short sentences, not in isolated lists.
Irregularities Won’t Stop you
Mastering the conjugations of irregular verbs in Italian is a key step towards fluency. Regular practice with these verbs in different tenses will help you become more comfortable and confident in using them.
Keep practicing Italian verb tenses and do not hesitate to seek for help when it becomes to tricky!
Buona fortuna! (Good luck!)
