Regular Verbs in Italian: the 3 Families

Key Takeaways

Regular verbs in Italian are categorized into three families based on their infinitive endings: -are, -ere, and -ire.
The -are verbs are the most common, with consistent conjugation patterns across all tenses.
Examples of regular verbs include parlare (to speak) and mangiare (to eat) in the -are family.
-ere verbs, like scrivere (to write), have a slightly different conjugation pattern but still follow regular rules.
The -ire family includes both regular verbs and those that add -isc- in some forms, like finire (to finish).
Practice is essential for mastering these conjugation patterns, making them feel natural in conversation.

Stefano's Insights

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Ah, i verbi regolari italiani! Sono come un bel piatto di pasta: seguono sempre la stessa ricetta. Abbiamo tre famiglie: -are, -ere, e -ire. Facili, no? Quando ero studente, mi ricordo che il mio professore diceva sempre: 'Se impari i verbi regolari, gli irregolari saranno una passeggiata!' E aveva ragione. In fondo, il segreto è la pratica: 'La pratica rende perfetti.' Quindi, prendete un bel caffè, sedetevi e iniziate a coniugare. I verbi regolari vi aspettano, e, fidatevi, non mordono!

Ah, regular Italian verbs! They're like a good pasta dish: they always follow the same recipe. We have three families: -are, -ere, and -ire. Easy, right? When I was a student, I remember my teacher always said, 'If you learn the regular verbs, the irregular ones will be a breeze!' And he was right. In the end, the secret is practice: 'Practice makes perfect.' So, grab a nice coffee, sit down, and start conjugating. The regular verbs await you, and trust me, they don't bite!

Quick facts

What are the three Italian verb families?

Italian verbs fall into three families: -are, -ere, and -ire, each with its own conjugation pattern.

How do the present indicative endings differ for -are, -ere, and -ire verbs?

In the present indicative, -are verbs end in -o, -i, -a; -ere verbs in -o, -i, -e; and -ire verbs in -o/isco, -i/isci, -e/isce.

What is the purpose of the imperfetto tense in Italian?

The imperfetto describes repeated past actions or continuous states, similar to "used to" or "was/were ...ing" in English.

How do you conjugate regular -are verbs in the imperfetto?

Regular -are verbs in the imperfetto use endings like -avo, -avi, -ava (e.g., parlavo, parlavi, parlava).

What are the passato remoto endings for -ere verbs?

For -ere verbs in passato remoto, common endings include -ei/-etti, -esti, -é/-ette, and so on.

How do you form the simple future for -ire verbs?

To form the simple future for -ire verbs, use endings like -irò, -irai, -irà, as in sentirò (I will hear).

Why are essere and avere considered irregular verbs?

Essere and avere are irregular because their endings do not follow a consistent pattern across tenses.

What does "La pratica rende perfetti" mean?

"La pratica rende perfetti" translates to "Practice makes perfect," emphasizing the importance of regular practice to master Italian verbs.

How do you conjugate noi (we) in the presente for -ire verbs?

In the presente tense for -ire verbs, noi (we) conjugates as -iamo, like in partiamo (we leave).

What is a common use of regular verbs for beginners?

Beginners often use regular verbs like mangiare (to eat) and partire (to leave) to practice consistent conjugation patterns and build confidence.

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Main Article

Regular Verbs in Italian

Italian regular verbs keep the same stem in every tense and take a fixed set of endings. They are divided into three verb conjugations, named after their infinitive endings: -are (parlare), -ere (scrivere) and -ire (dormire).

Regular verbs, in any language, follow consistent and predictable conjugation patterns.

How the verb will be conjugated across the various subjects depends on these endings specifically, and their regularity is given by the fact that, unlike irregular verbs, their verbal roots do not change throughout the paradigm.

Regular verbs can be conjugated in all verb tenses while maintaining the same basic structure. This means that once you master the rules for one verb in each family, you’ll be able to conjugate hundreds of others following the same pattern.

As follows, I will provide you with a detailed explanation of each verb conjugation and some examples.

How to Conjugate a Regular Verb in Italian

The method is the same for every regular verb, in every tense:

Take the infinitive, for example parlare.
Drop the ending -are, -ere or -ire. What is left is the stem: parl-.
Add the ending that matches the subject and the tense: io parlo, tu parli, noi parliamo.

These are the endings of the present tense, side by side:

Subject	-are (parlare)	-ere (scrivere)	-ire (dormire)	-ire with -isc- (finire)
Io	-o	-o	-o	-isco
Tu	-i	-i	-i	-isci
Lui/Lei	-a	-e	-e	-isce
Noi	-iamo	-iamo	-iamo	-iamo
Voi	-ate	-ete	-ite	-ite
Loro	-ano	-ono	-ono	-iscono

The -ire column with -isc- is explained in the third family below.

The Three Verbs Conjugations

Verbs Ending in -are

The -are verbs are the largest and most common family in the Italian language. If you’re just starting to learn Italian, this is the perfect place to begin.

An example of first-conjugation regular verb is parlare (to speak):

Subject	Present	Present Perfect	Imperfect	Future Simple	Condizionale	Congiuntivo Presente	Congiuntivo Imperfetto
Io	parlo	ho parlato	parlavo	parlerò	parlerei	parli	parlassi
Tu	parli	hai parlato	parlavi	parlerai	parleresti	parli	parlassi
Lui/Lei	parla	ha parlato	parlava	parlerà	parlerebbe	parli	parlasse
Noi	parliamo	abbiamo parlato	parlavamo	parleremo	parleremmo	parliamo	parlassimo
Voi	parlate	avete parlato	parlavate	parlerete	parlereste	parliate	parlaste
Loro	parlano	hanno parlato	parlavano	parleranno	parlerebbero	parlino	parlassero

As you can see, its root – the stem that remains if you get rid of the infinitive -are ending – is consistently always the same throughout all the verb tenses.

Another example is mangiare (to eat):

Subject	Indicative Present	Present Perfect	Imperfect	Future Simple	Condizionale	Congiuntivo Presente	Congiuntivo Imperfetto
Io	mangio	ho mangiato	mangiavo	mangerò	mangerei	mangi	mangiassi
Tu	mangi	hai mangiato	mangiavi	mangerai	mangeresti	mangi	mangiassi
Lui/Lei	mangia	ha mangiato	mangiava	mangerà	mangerebbe	mangi	mangiasse
Noi	mangiamo	abbiamo mangiato	mangiavamo	mangeremo	mangeremmo	mangiamo	mangiassimo
Voi	mangiate	avete mangiato	mangiavate	mangerete	mangereste	mangiate	mangiaste
Loro	mangiano	hanno mangiato	mangiavano	mangeranno	mangerebbero	mangino	mangiassero

Italian also turns new English verbs into -are verbs: chattare (to chat), postare (to post), cliccare (to click). Common regular -are verbs:

parlare (to speak)
lavorare (to work)
comprare (to buy)
ascoltare (to listen)
abitare (to live somewhere)
cantare (to sing)
cucinare (to cook)
studiare (to study)

Spelling Changes in Regular -are Verbs

A few -are verbs change their spelling so that the sound of the stem stays the same. They are still regular:

Verbs in -care and -gare add an h before an ending that starts with -e or -i: cercare (to look for) becomes tu cerchi and noi cerchiamo; pagare (to pay) becomes tu paghi and pagherò. This keeps the hard c and g sound.
Verbs in -ciare and -giare drop the i before an ending that starts with -e or -i: baciare (to kiss) becomes tu baci and bacerò; mangiare becomes tu mangi and mangeremo, as in the table above.

Verbs Ending in -ere

The -ere verbs are a bit less common than their -are counterparts, but they still make up a large part of Italian vocabulary. These verbs follow a similar, but slightly different, conjugation pattern.

An example of regular -ere verb is scrivere (to write):

Subject	Indicative Present	Present Perfect	Imperfect	Future Simple	Condizionale	Congiuntivo Presente	Congiuntivo Imperfetto
Io	scrivo	ho scritto	scrivevo	scriverò	scriverei	scriva	scrivessi
Tu	scrivi	hai scritto	scrivevi	scriverai	scriveresti	scriva	scrivessi
Lui/Lei	scrive	ha scritto	scriveva	scriverà	scriverebbe	scriva	scrivesse
Noi	scriviamo	abbiamo scritto	scrivevamo	scriveremo	scriveremmo	scriviamo	scrivessimo
Voi	scrivete	avete scritto	scrivevate	scriverete	scrivereste	scriviate	scriveste
Loro	scrivono	hanno scritto	scrivevano	scriveranno	scriverebbero	scrivano	scrivessero

You might have noticed that the past participle used in the present perfect is irregular. It is the only irregularity, which is quite common in -ere verbs, just like leggere (to read):

Subject	Indicative Present	Present Perfect	Imperfect	Future Simple	Condizionale	Congiuntivo Presente	Congiuntivo Imperfetto
Io	leggo	ho letto	leggevo	leggerò	leggerei	legga	leggessi
Tu	leggi	hai letto	leggevi	leggerai	leggeresti	legga	leggessi
Lui/Lei	legge	ha letto	leggeva	leggerà	leggerebbe	legga	leggesse
Noi	leggiamo	abbiamo letto	leggevamo	leggeremo	leggeremmo	leggiamo	leggessimo
Voi	leggete	avete letto	leggevate	leggerete	leggereste	leggiate	leggeste
Loro	leggono	hanno letto	leggevano	leggeranno	leggerebbero	leggano	leggessero

Common regular -ere verbs:

vendere (to sell)
credere (to believe)
prendere (to take)
chiudere (to close)
ripetere (to repeat)
vivere (to live)
ricevere (to receive)
chiedere (to ask)

Many of them have an irregular past participle even though the rest of the conjugation is regular: scrivere becomes scritto, chiudere becomes chiuso, prendere becomes preso, chiedere becomes chiesto and vivere becomes vissuto.

Verbs Ending in -ire

The third family of regular verbs ends in -ire. In traditional grammar books, these verbs are classified into two groups: regular ones and those that include an additional -isc- in some conjugations.

However, as a linguist, I have a different approach to this. Regularity is given by a statistical prominence of a pattern. Within the third conjugation, 70% of the verbs do include the additional -isc-, meaning that this is the regular form.

The rest does not. Below, I will show you both types, like dormire (to sleep):

Subject	Indicative Present	Present Perfect	Imperfect	Future Simple	Condizionale	Congiuntivo Presente	Congiuntivo Imperfetto
Io	dormo	ho dormito	dormivo	dormirò	dormirei	dorma	dormissi
Tu	dormi	hai dormito	dormivi	dormirai	dormiresti	dorma	dormissi
Lui/Lei	dorme	ha dormito	dormiva	dormirà	dormirebbe	dorma	dormisse
Noi	dormiamo	abbiamo dormito	dormivamo	dormiremo	dormiremmo	dormiamo	dormissimo
Voi	dormite	avete dormito	dormivate	dormirete	dormireste	dormiate	dormiste
Loro	dormono	hanno dormito	dormivano	dormiranno	dormirebbero	dormano	dormissero

Just like with the other families, you can see that the verb stem remains unchanged, while the endings shift based on the subject.

Finire (to finish) is an example of –isc- verbs:

Subject	Indicative Present	Present Perfect	Imperfect	Future Simple	Condizionale	Congiuntivo Presente	Congiuntivo Imperfetto
Io	finisco	ho finito	finivo	finirò	finirei	finisca	finissi
Tu	finisci	hai finito	finivi	finirai	finiresti	finisca	finissi
Lui/Lei	finisce	ha finito	finiva	finirà	finirebbe	finisca	finisse
Noi	finiamo	abbiamo finito	finivamo	finiremo	finiremmo	finiamo	finissimo
Voi	finite	avete finito	finivate	finirete	finireste	finiate	finiste
Loro	finiscono	hanno finito	finivano	finiranno	finirebbero	finiscano	finissero

Which -ire Verbs Take -isc-?

There is no rule that tells you from the infinitive. You learn it with the verb, and a good dictionary shows the io form to help you: finire (io finisco), dormire (io dormo).

These are common -ire verbs without -isc-:

dormire (to sleep)
aprire (to open)
partire (to leave)
sentire (to hear, to feel)
seguire (to follow)
offrire (to offer)

And these are common -ire verbs with -isc-:

finire (to finish)
capire (to understand)
preferire (to prefer)
pulire (to clean)
costruire (to build)
spedire (to send)

Regular or Irregular? Check Before You Conjugate

Belonging to the -are, -ere or -ire family does not make a verb regular. Some of the most frequent Italian verbs are irregular: essere (to be), avere (to have), andare (to go), fare (to do, to make), dare (to give), stare (to stay), dire (to say), venire (to come) and uscire (to go out). Their stems or endings change, so you have to learn them one by one. You will find them in the lesson on irregular Italian verbs.

Common Mistakes With Regular Verbs

Forgetting -isc- where it belongs, or adding it where it does not: not io fino but io finisco; not io dormisco but io dormo.
Losing the h in -care and -gare verbs: not tu cerci but tu cerchi.
Doubling the i in -ciare and -giare verbs: not tu mangii but tu mangi.
Mixing the endings of the families: not voi scrivate but voi scrivete.

Practice Italian Regular Verbs

To truly learn regular Italian verbs, practice is key. The more you practice conjugating these verbs, the more natural it will become. Use them in sentences, practice with a language partner, and write out conjugation tables until the patterns feel automatic.

They are an essential part of learning Italian. Once you grasp the patterns for the three major verb families, you’ll have a powerful tool to express yourself in a wide range of situations.

Keep practicing, and soon enough, conjugating regular verbs will feel like second nature!

Key Terms and Concepts

Regular Verbs in Italian

Verbs that follow consistent conjugation patterns based on their infinitive endings: -are, -ere, and -ire.

First Conjugation Verbs

Verbs ending in -are such as parlare and mangiare. They maintain a consistent stem across all tenses.

Second Conjugation Verbs

Verbs ending in -ere, like scrivere and leggere. They may have an irregular past participle.

Third Conjugation Verbs

Verbs ending in -ire, like dormire and finire. Some include an -isc- in certain forms.

-isc- Verbs

A subtype of third conjugation verbs that insert -isc- in certain present tense forms, like finire (to finish).

Test your knowledge in 10 quick questions

Words

conjugareto conjugate

presentepresent

imperfettoimperfect

passato remotoremote past

futuro semplicesimple future

prima coniugazionefirst conjugation

seconda coniugazionesecond conjugation

terza coniugazionethird conjugation

regolareregular

verboverb

Phrases

verbo regolareregular verb

conjugazioneconjugation

presente indicativopresent indicative

tempo imperfettoimperfect tense

passato remotoremote past

futuro semplicesimple future

-are-are (verb ending)

-ere-ere (verb ending)

-ire-ire (verb ending)

flessioneinflection

Sentences

Lavoro ogni giorno dalle otto alle cinque.

I work every day from eight to five.

Mangi la pizza ogni sabato?

Do you eat pizza every Saturday?

Studieremo per l'esame domani.

We will study for the exam tomorrow.

Giocava a calcio quando era più giovane.

He used to play soccer when he was younger.

Ieri abbiamo visitato il museo.

Yesterday we visited the museum.

Match the Phrases

Memory game

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Answers

FAQs

How do regular verbs work?

By following a consistent format and a regular pattern in tenses such as present indicative, imperfect indicative, remote past, and simple future.

What are the three verb families?

-are, -ere, -ire.

How can I use regular verbs in Italian in a sentence?

You can use regular verbs in Italian in a sentence by conjugating the verb according to the subject pronoun and the tense needed. For example, "Io mangio una pizza" (I eat a pizza) is a sentence using the regular verb mangiare (to eat) in the present tense with the subject pronoun io (I).