Vi sarebbero deifanciulli ub- There would be some obe- Mdienti, dient children. Che vi sia silenzio. That there may be silence. Che vi siano offerti dei regali. That there may be some presents offered. Che vi fosse una cattedra That there might be a chair alV Universith, in the University. Chi vi fossero dei fiori sulla That there might be some tavola. Vi i stato uno che ha detto. There has been one who said.
R era stata una battaglia. There had been a battle. Vi erano state delle riunioni. There had been some meet- ings. Lo studio della storia h sempre stato conr The study of the history is has always been con- siderato come la base delV educazione: The Proper English Translation. The study of history has always been considered as the basis of education; a man who is ignorant of the events which have preceded his birth, is only a child so said an ancient philosopher. Who can in fact foretell future events, without having studied them in the annals of the past? How wonderful it is to follow the course of the vicissi- tudes which have transferred the sceptre of the world to peoples so different in manners, in worship, and in language, from the ancient populations of Asia, to the modern nations of Europe of the present day I History is the picture of great deeds ; this vast drama, which has had for its heroes and its victims entire popu- lations, presents to the observer subjects of profoimd meditation.
Com'fe stato considerate lo studio della Storia? Egli fe stato considerato come la base dell'educazione. Che cosa h colui, che ignora gli eventi, che hanno pre- ceduto la sua nascita? E solamente un fanciuUo, I. Che cosa fe meraviglioso nella storia? Queste vicissitudini a chi hanno trasmesso lo scettra del mondo?
Coigugations of Begular Verbs. There are three regular conjugations in Italian, dis- tinguished by the termination of the infinitive. The first in are ; aBparldre. The second in ere; as vendere. The tnird in ire ; as servire. Aver parldtOy to Aver venduto, to Aver servito, to have spoken. Max MUller well observes, in his Lectures on the Science of Language with the present of the auxiliary verb to have. In the same way, the conditional is but the infinitive with the perfect of habere ; as servir-ei, servire habui, tentirei, sentvre habui, literally, I had to feel, — I should feel.
Preterperfect of the Subjunctive. Pluperfect of the Subjimctive. If I had served. No first person singular. How to learn the verbs. How to learn easily the Italian Verbs. In Italian, there are four tenses in all verbs, which have the same termination. The Imperfect of the Indicativa 3 Plur. Future of the Indicative. GonditiiHiaL 3 12 3 rehhe. Imperfect of the Subjimctive.
Some terminations are always the same in all the Italian verbs ; they are: The termination i of the second person singular of all tenses, except the imperative of the first conjugation, and the subjunctive present of the second and third, which end in a. The termination mo, derived from the Latin mus, which marks the first person plural of every tense. The termination te, which marks the second person plural of every tense. The termination no or ro, which is the sign of the third person plural.
The third person singular of the imperative, and the three persons singular of the subjunctive are always alike. Sui segnacasL On prepositions. The Parts of Speech. As the substantive does not admit of any change except in the plural, and that not always , so segnacasi, prepositions, are used to express the difference of case, which in Greek and Latin is indicated by changing the termination. Fratris, di, or del fratello, pf a brother.
Frdtri, a ox al fratello, to a brother. Fratrem,il fratello, ' brother. Fratre, da ov dal fratello, from a brother. The English genitive or possessive is expressed in ItaUan by di, of ; and, when in English, the possessive case is formed by an apostrophe or s 's , — as my brother's grammar ; this must be expressed in Italian by La grammatica di mio fratello, the grammar of my brother.
Di is used to mark affinity or connexion. The cathedral of Milan. Un compagno di scuola, A school companion. When a noun is used adjectively to qualify another, or to indicate the country, material, etc. Una casa di comniercio. IH is used in compound nouns, one of which qualifies "the other.
Di — The i may be omitted before a vowel, and an apostrophe ' substituted ; particularly before another t. The city of Alexandria. The prepositions to, at, are rendered in Italian by a. Come to my house. I must go home. IrUendo andare in America, I intend going to America. I can read and write. Soleva incontrare mia zia. I was accustomed to meet my Anns. Sui iegnacasu On prepositions. I have been to Athens.
Egitto dria in Egypt by the eul hattello a vapore, steamboat. Tema Prima sui Segnacasi di ed a. Exercise the First on the Prepositions di, of, a, to, etc. He has a silver watch and a gold chain. When I was young, I was accustomed to Quando Ind. The majestic city of Rome. La maestosa citth Roma. A vase of orange flowers. Non amo acciaio 3 le penne.
I have given many things to my son. They went to see Burns's monument. Andarono 5 vedere il 2 o. I have seen some ancient buildings at Athens. Tell to Anthony to bring the dinner. Dite 8 Antonio 5 portare il pranzo. We have been to the theatre to see a n e w di'ama. Go and accompany my sister to the concert Andate 8 accompagnare mia sorella al o.
I miei fratelli sono grano S mercanti. Small sums grow large by investing them Lepiccole somme divengono grandi colV investirle in savings banks. But itgnacatL On preposkionB. On the Preposition da, from, for, or. The student must bear In mind that this preposition never loses the vowel, even before another a, when marking, the Ablative case. In going to Eome, 1 went by Florence.
Da Aprilefino a Luglio. From April till July. When da is employed to connect two words, one ex- pressing the " use " or " destination " of the other, the second becomes the first in Italian. After a past participle, the English preposition "by " is rendered in Italian by da. My Prisons, Memoirs written by S. Da before any number means "about. They were about twenty.
I go to my brother's. Ahiterb da mio zio, I shall live at my uncle's. Da sometimes means " like," "as," "becoming. I speak to you as a friend. Questo non i da This is not becoming a gentiluomo, gentleman. Dressed as a sailor. Da can also express the place of one's birth ; as Guido da Siena. Guido a native of Siena. Quesfuomo h da Londra. This man is a native of London. Lo farb da me. I will do it by myself. It sometimes signifies " fit for " ; as Vita da cam.
A life fit for dogs. Da joined with the infinitive of a verb, implying necessity or conveniency, signifies " to be ; " as Quests non son cose da These are not things to be fare. Voi siete sommamente da You are highly to be stimare. Prepositions are generally repeated in Italian before each noun, pronoun, or verb which they govern, whether they are so in English or not.
Sono stato a Londra ed I have been to London and a Parigi. Ho udito questa novella I have heard this news from da lui e da altri. Parliamo spesso di mio We speak often of my fratelh e di mio zio. Tema Secondo sul Segnacaso da.
Exercise the Second on the Preposition da. I have slept since from this morning. I arrived from Florence yesterday. Arrival 9 Firenze ieri, III. The butler has brought these wine glasses. II dispensiere ha portato questi vino 10 bicchieri. My sister has bought the glasses and also some Mia sorella comprato i ed anche delle tea - cups.
My son was received by his uncle last Mio figlio Ind. Your friend Kves like a lord. Questa casa 12 piedi larga 12 piedi alia. My firiend is a native of Rome, but his wife is a U mio amico 15 Soma ma sua moglie native of Genoa. I lived at my grandfather's two years. I was welcomed like a duke. I cannot walk alone.
I did it by myself. Lo feci 16 me. The poor girl confessed that she had always JLa povera ragazza confessby cK ella aveva sempre done it by herself. Cib non 18 far si. I have written to her and to him. When I was in Turin there was a country 3 house Quando Ind. We intend to teach the Italian language not only theoretically, but practically, by guiding the student at the beginning of his lessons, step by step, in Italian con- versation ; therefore we now give the different modes of addressing.
In ItaHan, there are three different ways of addressing a person, viz. In the 2d person plural, voi you is employed when speaking in a familiar way, or addressing inferiors, and also in commercial language. In this mode of address there is always understood the expression Vostra Signoria, or Vossignoria, or la Signoria Vostra V. The same form of address is used in the third person plural feminine when one speaks to more than one person, with Elleno for the nominative, and Loro, Le, for the other cases. The whole of the speech is supposed to be addressed to the above titles, and not to the person ; and as these titles are all feminine, so all the pronouns are feminine also.
Conversazione Sulla Prima Lezione dei Segnacasi di, a, da. Conversation on the First Lesson, on the Prepositions. Qaali sono i segnacasi I Qual fe il segnacaso del Dat. I Quando si usa di? Che si fa davanti a vocale? Qual fe il segnacaso dell'Abl? E se il verbo prime indica Che segnacaso si usa dopo il motol participio passato, ecc.? Conversazione aui due Temi Precedenti, sui Segnacasi di, a, da. Conversation on the Two Preceding Exercises, on the Prepositions di, a, da.
Quale lingua volete, o vuole imparare? Che avete, o ha donato a vostro, o a suo figlio? Come fe chiamato il re d'ltalia? Che avete, o ha visto in Atene? Che dovete, o deve dire ad Antonio? Che siete stato a vedere al teatro. Con chi siete, o fe andata a passeggiare nel parco? Chi avete, o ha accompag- nato al teatro? Che sono i suoi fratelli? Come divengono le piccole somme?
Quanto tempo avete, o ha dormito? Quando siete, o fe arrivata da Firenze? Che cosa avete, o ha com- prato I Che ha portato il dispen- siere I Che ha comprato vostra, o sua sorella? Quando si cominci6 ad usare la polvere da can- none?
Quando fu ricevuto vostro, o suo figlio da suo zio I Come vive il vostro, o suo amico? Quanto 6 larga e quanto e alta questa casa I Di qual parte d'ltalia sono il vostro amico e sua moglie? Quanti eravate quando par- tiste dal paese? Quanto tempo abitaste da vostro nonno?
Potete passeggiare da voi t Come lo faceste I Che confesso la povera ra- gazza? A chi avete scritto? Che cosa vi era da affittarsi a Torino? Quando il Jilosofo medita atd destino di quelle When the philosopher meditates on the destiny of those nazioni le quali ci hanno preceduti nella cannera nations the which us have preceded in the career della gloria, delle arti e delt industriay nel of the glory of the arts and of the industry in the vederle cosi degradate die offrono appena P seeing them so degraded that they offer scarcely the ombra della loro grandezza passatUy allora esclamOi shadow of the their greatness past, then he exclaims con un dohre misto di spavento: Quale the end for the which we make such researches?
What sarh in died secoli il destino della nostra will be in ten centuries the destiny of the our posterith? Babylon the of which duration was of fourteen centuries. A Proper English Translation. When tlie philosopher meditates on the destiny of those nations which have preceded ue in the career of glory, of arts and of industry, seeing them so degraded that they offer scarcely the shadow of their past greatness, he ex- claims with grief and terror: What, in ten cen- turies, will be the destiny of our posterity?
Nimrod that hunter king founded the monarchy of Babylon, the duration of which was fourteen centuries. Dove ci hanno preceduti queste nazioni? Come esclama il filosofo? Dove si mostrano le prime nazioni? Chi fu il primo re? Quanti secoli dur6 questa monarchial Frasi Mnemoniche o Famigliari. Mnemonic or Familiar Phrases. Tacito ci ha lasciato una de- acrizione delU nazioni ger- maniche. Tacito venne in Inghilterra con Agricola. I fihsoji della Grecia erano celebri, LHndustra delle nazioni mo- deime i grandisaima.
Tacitus has left us a de- scription of the German nations. Tacitus came to England with Agricola. The philosophers of Greece were celebrated. The industry of modem na- tions is very great. On the definite article. Lezimte Seconda, — SulF articolo definito. Ley for the feminine plural. Lo and ily for the masculine singular. Gli and i, for the masculine plural. There is no neuter gender, in Italian ; but we say: Per lo piii, for the most ; per lo meno, at least ; instead of, per ilpiu, per il meno. The prepositions which are immediately connected with the declension of articles are the following: Df, in and con, when joined to the articles, are changed into dey ne and co.
The prepositions con and su are joined to il and i; but may be jomed or not to the other articles. Per is sometimes joined to il, as pel mezzo, through the middle. This combination is not much used in con- versation. Tra or fra is used indiscriminately, and generally separated from the article. Between the students ; or Fra — Modello delle declinazioni dei nomi. Model of the Declensions of Nouns. Nomi femminini colV articolo LA. Feminine Nouns with the Article LA. La penna, the pen. Le penne, the pens.
Delia penna, of the pen. Delle penne, of the pens. Alle penne, to the pens. Dalla penna, from the pen. Dalle penne, from the pens. Nella penna, in the pen. Nelk penne, in the pens. Colla penna, with the pen.. Colle penne, with the pens. Sulla penna, upon the pen. Per le penne, for the pens. Per la penna, for the pen. Salle penne, upon the pens. Tra la penna, between the p.
Fra le penne, between the p. Nomi mascolini colt articolo LO. Masculine Nouns with the Article LO. Lo studente, the student. Dello studente, of the s. Alio stitdente, to the s. Dalh studente, from the s. Nello siudente, in the s. Colh siudente, with the s. Sullo studente, on the s. Per lo studente, for the s. Fra lo studente, between the student. Gli studenti, the students. Degli studenti, of the s. Agli studenti, to the s. Gli studenti, the s. Dagli studenti, from the s. Negli studenti, in the s. Cogli studenti, with the s. Sugli studenti, on the s. Per gli studenti, for the s.
Nomi mascolini colV articolo IL. Masculine Nouns with the Article IL. Jl Principe, the Prince. Del Principe, of the Prince D. A I Principe, to the Prince. II PAncipe, the Prince. Dal Principe, from or by the Prmce. Nel Principe, in the Prince. Col Principe, with the Prince. Sal Principe, on the Prince. Per il Principe, for the P. Fra il Principe, between the Prince. I Principi, the Princes. Dei or de' Principi, of the P. Ai or cH Principi, to the P. Principi, on the P. JPVa i Principi, between the Princes. Model of the declensions of nouns. DeWarte, of the art.
Air arte, to the art. DaUarte, from the art. Neltartey in the art. CoWartBy with the art. SuWartey upon the art. Per Varte, for the art. DeUe artiy of the arta D. Alle artij to the arts. Le arti, the arts. Dalle artiy from the arts. Nelh arti, in the arts. Colle arti, with the arts. Sulle arti, upon the arts.
Per le arti, for the arts. Tra le arti, between the a. Nelt encore, in the error. SulTerrore, upon the error. Per Terrore, for the error. Tra terrore, between thee. Gli errori, the errors. Degli errori, of the errors. A gli errori, to the errors. Dagli errori, from the e. Negli errori, in the erroris. Cogli errori, with the errors. Per gli errori, for the errors. Tra gli errori, between the e. The elision, consequently, does not take place in the plural articles, to distinguish them from the 'singular.
We write and pronounce VaHe the art in the singular, and le arti the arts in the plural ; but we say le estremitdf in order to distinguish thd plural from the singular, Vestremitd, the extremity. Use of the Article. The Definite Article is used both in English and Italian before nouns taken in a determinate sense. The family of the soldier. Before feminine nouns beginning with a vowel, the vowel of the article is omitted and replaced by an apostrophe.
The soul is immortal. In the plural, the elision takes place only before another e, but not in words having the same termination in the singular and plural. Lo, plural gli, is used before masculine nouns or adjec- tives beginning with s, and followed by another con- sonant called by Italians a impura. Uto aaJC arttcolo Use of the definite definito: Loy plural gliy is used also before masculine nouns beginning with a vowel ; but the o is suppressed, and replaced by an apostrophe.
The diligent man is esteemed. Gli is curtailed only before the vowel L Ex. The infidels of Asia. Before the letter Zy il or lo may be used. The sugar is on the table, And I lived in Rome in the time of false and lying Gods. Before a noun, taken in a general sense, the article is used ia Italian. History is the pictm'e of great events. Before nouns, taken in an indefinite sense, the article is omitted. The definite article is used in Italian before names of continents, countries, islands, rivers, the seasons, etc. Germany has founded its empire. La Sicilia h uri isola molto fertile, Sicily is a very fertile island.
When no idea of extent is expressed, or when preceded by the prepositions in and rfi, no article is required. II vino di Borgogna h eccellente. Burgundy wine is excellent. In the following phrase, we use the article: Before the following islands, the article is not required: The definite article is prefixed to Italian surnames of celebrity, but is omitted before masculine Christian names.
Tasso died in Kome. The article is sometimes used before feminine Christian names. Carlottina is a musical prodigy. Nouns of title, rank, or profession take the article ; but not in the vocative, or when they are preceded by a Christian name. Queen Victoria ; or, Vittoria Regina d! Victoria Queen of England. Signore loses the e, when placed before a masculine noun, and takes always the article, except in the vocative.
In the plural, or in the feminine, Signora, the elision is not admissible. Bianchi is a distinguished music master. Sir, listen to me. When infinitives, adjectives, or adverbs, are used as substantives, they take the masculine article. The article must be repeated before nouns coming in succession, particularly if they are of diflPerent genders. On The Definite Article. The rose has a sweet perfume.
The study of the History is agreeable 24 studio m. War is a terrible calamity to all nations. The thermometer was invented by Galileo. Education is conducted liberally in Scotland. Italy is now united imder one King. The subject of my exercise is the article. Virtue adorns the miad. Agriculture is much neglected in Spain. Africa has been lately explored by Dr. God is the Master of the world. We speak of the trees which are in the Parliamo 20 alberi m.
We came from the town. Venimmo 20 citth f. The greatness and riches of the 22 grandezza f. Alexandra of Ariosto, Leonora of Tasso are as im- 36 Alessandra 35 — 36 — 35 im- mortal as Beatrice of Dante, and Laura mortali come 36 36 of Petrarch. Scio now belongs to the Sultan, but once 34 — ora 37 o, rna unavoUa belonged to the Genoese.
For the first time the Shah of Persia Per la prima volta 24 Scih m. Torino 37 Re 6 Vittorio c. Pisani has started for Palermo. Conversation on the Second Lesson on the Article. Quali articoli si usano innanzi ai nomi di genere maschilet Quali si usano innanzi ai nomi di genere femminino? Quando si tronca Tarticolo? Quali articoli si apostrofano? Che articolo si adopera innanzi Dei, plural di Dio, etc. Che ha la rosa? Com'fe lo studio della storia I A chi k terrible la guerra? We leave it now to a conscientious Teacher to go on with the other phrases in this lesson, and in aU the others.
Da chi era circondato Tim- perofoiidato da Nembrod? Che parte del globe gii esisteva? Dove si spandevano i dis- cendenti di Mesraim? Babilonia T 99 9f Frasi famigliari a mnemoniche. La fortezza che protegge VInghiUerra h il mare. The empire of Germany was founded by Prussia. Visitors from every country are met at the Pyramids of Egypt. The wall that protects Eng- land is the sea. The Hebrews are no longer a powerful nation. Many monuments of ancient art are still preserved in Italy.
When the Romans con- quered Greece, Greek art found a home in Italy. In the beginning of the 8th century, the Arabs took possession of Spain. The English Indefinite Article is translated in Italian by Un, before any masculine noun beginning either with a consonant or a vowel. UnOy before masculine nouns beginning with an s followed by a consonant s impure , or the letter z. Una, before a feminine noun beginning with a con- sonant. Un'eroina Italiaiia, An Italian heroine. In Italian, the indefinite article is not used before nouns denoting country, profession, rank, title, or state, unless such nouns are accompanied by an adjective.
I am a Roman. He is a physician. He is a duke. Mio zio era cardinale. My uncle was a cardinal. He was formerly a tailor. But we say, on account of the adjective: He is a celebrated author. Walter Scott fu un gran Walter Scott was a great romanziere. The indefinite article is not placed before the title of a work, unless it is preceded by an adjective.
An essay on philosophy. The indefinite article is not used in Italian before cento, hundred ; and milley thousand. Egli visse mille anni avanti He lived a thousand years Cristo. Mha prestato cento lire. He lent me a hundred pounds. Similarly, the words pochi e moltiadmi, answering to the English few and great many, are never preceded by the indefinite article ; as, Non ho che poche lire, 1 have only a few pounds ; voi invece ne avete moltissme, You on the contrary have a great many.
No indefinite article is required before a noun which qualifies another preceding it. Nor after the exclamations che and qvAxle. What a beauty 1 Qual cuore! What a heart I Before nouns of measure, weight, number and time, the Italians use the definite article instead of the in- definite, as the English do. Cinque franchi IL metro Five firancs a metre. Cinquanta centesimi IL chi- Fifty centimes a kilogramme.
Due lire LA dozdna. Two pounds lires a dozen Cinque volte IL mese. Five times a month. L Give me a knife to cut an apple. Datemi 40 coltello m. A pupil who studies sufficiently, can learn the 40 scolare che studia abbastanza, pud imparare. I have paid for these oranges two shillings a Ind.
I have Italian lessons three times a week. The Arno, a river which passes through Florence. Jaoopo Leopardi was a Count and a very great Ind. Manzoni was a tragedian, a lyric poet, and a Ind. If in a hundred years the world has seen so many 8ein 4: S cento anni il mondolnd. In Italian, the partitive article is formed by the genitive case, dely dello, della, etc. Qualche is used only with nouns in the smgular.
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Alcuno is declinable, and agi'ees with the nouns to which it refers. In negative sentences, the partitive sense is generally expressed by leaving out the article. Non avete nbjigli, nb nipotu You have neither sons nor grandsons. I' have some friends in London. We had some butter and some eggs. Here is some wine. My sister had some flowers. The grocer sells sugar and coffee. We have seen some dogs but no cats. Have you any pears? In my room there are some glasses. Nella mia stanza vi 48 bicchieri. Will you have some strawberries?
We have no cherries in our garden. Non abbiamo 51 ciliege nel nostra giardino. Conversazione suU Articolo Indefinito e Partitivo. Conversation on the Indefinite and Partitive Article. RegoU Grammaticali, Crrammatical Rules. Quel 6 Tarticolo indefinito? Come si forma Tarticolo par- Quando si usa imo? Come si usa qualche f ed al plurale? Conversazione sui due Temi Precedenti, un, uno, una, del, dello, alcuni, etc.
Conversation on the Two Preceding Exercises. Che volete, o che vuole? Dove avete, o ha degH Quanto tempo ci vuole per amici? Dopo pochi secoli un gran cambiamento vediamo After a few cetituries a great change we see operato: La Crrecia aveva gib. Roma non esisteva ancora, cradle: Rome did not exist yet.
A Proper English Translation, Europe was, in ancient times, covered with marshes and vast forests, and contained only a few wanderiog and savage tribes, who lived bv the chase, and sacrificed hmnan victims. After a few centuries we see a great change effected.
The commercial republics of Phoenicia began to estabhsh colonies ; the Mediterranean carried with pride the fleets and the riches of Tyre ; the ports of Arad were opened, and a few mariners, a few pilots, and a few merchants spread civiUsation into Spain, Italy, and Gaul. Greece had already received from Egypt the fables and the Gods with which she surrounds her cradle: Kome did not yet exist. Com'erano i porti d'AradI Comevivevano quelle tribiil Dove si sparse la civiltil Che cosa si 6 operate? Che cosa ha ricevuto la Che fondarono le repubbliche Grecia dall'Egitto?
Qual fe la pii grande delle Con chi anticamente i repubbliche moderne? Frasi Famigliari o Mnemoniche. Anticamente i Fenici facevano il commercio dello stagno coi Brettonu JLo stagno era in grandlah- bondanza nel sud dUnghiU terra. Vi sono moUe paludi vicino a Soma. I Romani regnarono in In- ghilterra circa cinque se- coli. II nome di Mediterraneo fu dato dai Romani, aignifi- cando il mare in mezzo delta terra. The greatest of modem re- publics is that of the United States of America.
In early times the Phoeni- cians traded with the Britons for tin. Tin was found in great abundance in the south of England. There are many marshes near Rome. The Romans reigned in England for about five centuries. Egypt is more ancient than Greece. The English have many colonies in America and India. The Romans imported the red purple from Tyre. The Plural is formed in Italian by changing the final vowel into t. The master, Imaestriy The masters.
Le madri, The ihothers. Le lezioniy The lessons. Le mani, The hands. Masculine and feminine nouns in i or ie do not change in the plural. Nouns ending in io drop in the plural the final o ; as occhio, eye ; occhi, eyes ; cocchio, coach ; cocchi, coaches. When tne accent 'falls on the i, the plural is in ii; as mormorio, murmur, plur. Nouns of two syllables ending in co and go take an h in the plural ; as giuoco, play, plur. Nouns of more than two syllables ending in co and go take an h in the plural, when such terminations are preceded by a consonant; as mnfresco, refreshment, plur.
Hnfreschi, refreshments; albergo, inn, hotel, plur. The following words are exceptions; for although the final syllables are preceded by a vowel, they take an h in the plural. SamhucOy elder-tree, StomacOy stomach. They make in the plural abachiy antichiy etc. The following words can be written in the plural with or without A. Such words may form the plural in analoghi or analogi, apologhi or apologiy etc.
Adjectives, in the formation of the plural, foUow the same rules as nouns. Sul Plwrale dd Noini. Italy has had many excellent poets. There are as many opinions, as many heads. Vi tante opinione, quante testa. The Greeks were the French of the antiquity. There are so many beggars in Eome. Today I skipped lunch. I have lived a life of hell. I lived in London for 10 years.
The children jumped down from the bed. Verbs like these are marked in dictionaries as v. Verbs using the auxiliary avere even when used intransitively Generally Italian transitive verbs use the auxiliary avere, while intransitive verbs use the auxiliary essere in the compound tenses. However, there are quite a few verbs that use the auxiliary avere even when used intransitively. Here are the most common: The different voices or relationships are: Il meccanico ripara la macchina. The mechanic repairs the car. Luisa is watched by Gianni. The car is repaired by the mechanic.
In the second example, the agent of the action is clearly the mechanic the one who repairs the car , but the grammatical subject of the passive verb is the car. Gianni si guarda allo specchio. Gianni looks at himself in the mirror. There are other verb forms that are not strictly speaking reflexive but are similar in form. The passive form The passive of Italian verbs is formed by the use of the past participle and the auxiliary essere, using the same tense as the corresponding active form.
The passive conjugation of verbs is shown in the verb tables in 2. The passive can also be formed using venire or andare as auxiliary instead of essere see Only transitive verbs can have a passive form see 2. Passive sentences sentences based on a passive verb are used when we want to focus on the action itself or the object of an action, rather than on the agent of an action.
For more examples on the use of the passive, see The reflexive and pronominal form Reflexive verb forms Reflexive verbs are active verb forms accompanied by a reflexive pronoun see 3. Look at these two examples: Franchi sta lavando la macchina. Mr Franchi is washing the car. Franchi si sta lavando.
Mr Franchi is washing himself. In the first example above, the direct object of the action of washing is the car. It is separate from the person who is doing it the subject of the action. In the second example, the subject and the object of the action are the same person Il Sig. This is the reflexive form, in which the reflexive pronoun refers to the person carrying out the action, but at the same time is also the object of it.
The position of the reflexive pronoun is the same as that of all other unstressed personal pronouns see 3. Please, have a seat make yourself comfortable. In genere i giovani italiani si vestono alla moda. In general young people in Italy dress fashionably. Dovete prepararvi ad uscire. You must prepare yourselves to go out. Get yourself ready to go out!
In the compound tenses, reflexive verbs are conjugated with the verb essere, even though the verbs are transitive cf. The past participle has to agree with the subject: Stamattina i bambini si sono alzati alle 6. This morning the children got themselves up at 6. Mi sono vestita con calma. I got dressed slowly.
Pronominal verb forms Pronominal verb forms are verb forms which use the reflexive pronoun. In Italian they are used much more frequently than in English because we can use them not only in a true reflexive pattern, but also in many other ways. In true reflexives see above , the subject and object of the verb are one and the same. The different uses of the pronominal verb form will become clear from the examples below. Note the use of the auxiliary essere in the compound tenses: Giulio si lava le mani. Giulio washes his hands.
Mi metto la giacca. I put on my jacket. Stamattina non mi sono fatto la barba. In the examples above, the actions are not truly reflexive, since the subjects and the objects of the actions are not exactly identical: In the last example, the participle can also agree with the object: Stamattina non mi sono fatta la barba.
The reflexive pronoun can also be omitted in which case the construction no longer takes essere in the compound tenses: Giulio lava le mani. Non ho fatto la barba. Mario e Nicoletta si sposano domani. Mario and Nicoletta are getting married tomorrow. Dove vi siete conosciuti tu e Maria? Where did you and Maria meet each other? Ci siamo incontrati in Spagna. We met each other in Spain.
Note how in the examples above the reflexive pronoun marks an event or action taking place within the subject; the two people are at the same time the subject and the object of a reciprocal action. The same actions can be expressed by the active form, in which case one person is the subject and the other is the object: Domani Mario sposa Nicoletta.
Tomorrow Mario will marry Nicoletta. Dove tu hai conosciuto Maria? Where did you meet Maria? Ho incontrato il Dott. I met Dr Rossi in Spain. Stasera ci vediamo un bel film. Voglio mangiarmi una pizza! I really want a pizza! Mi sono dimenticata le chiavi! I forgot the keys! In the examples above, the objects of the verbs are totally separate from, and not part of, the subjects. However the use of the reflexive pronoun shows the intensity felt by the people carrying out these actions. The same sentences can be expressed without using the reflexive pronouns, but then the statements will sound much less emotional, more objective: Stasera vediamo un bel film.
Voglio mangiare una pizza. Ho dimenticato le chiavi. Vi siete divertiti a Roma? Did you have a good time in Rome? Giulia regretted having accepted that job. Nella mia famiglia si parlano tre lingue. In my family three languages are spoken. From the terrace the roofs of the city can be seen one can see the roofs. Impersonal si The pronoun si is also used to express the impersonal form of verbs see also Si lavora meglio con il fresco. One works better in cool weather. Stasera si va a ballare.
Tonight everybody is going to dance. A tavola non si invecchia. Popular saying, meant to discourage people from hurrying when eating Notice that the impersonal form is always formed with si and the third person singular of the verb. Verb tables All the examples shown in the tables in 2. Certain verbs use essere instead see 2. The simplified tables in 2. We call these patterns regular because the stems of these verbs remain constantly the same or invariable throughout the whole system of moods and tenses. Understanding the way the endings the variable part of the verb change, will allow us to learn all the possible forms of most Italian verbs.
Notice the two patterns of the 3rd conjugation, and remember that the pattern in -isco is the most frequent. Present Presente 1st sing. Compound perfect Passato prossimo ho parlato ho creduto hai parlato hai creduto ha parlato ha creduto abbiamo parlato abbiamo creduto avete parlato avete creduto hanno parlato hanno creduto. Pluperfect Trapassato prossimo avevo parlato avevi parlato aveva parlato avevamo parlato avevate parlato avevano parlato.
Pluperfect Trapassato avessi parlato avessi parlato avessi parlato avessimo parlato aveste parlato avessero parlato. Conditional Condizionale Present Presente parl-erei parl-eresti parl-erebbe parl-eremmo parl-ereste parl-erebbero Past Passato avrei parlato avresti parlato avrebbe parlato avremmo parlato avreste parlato avrebbero parlato Imperative Imperativo tu parl-a lui parl-i noi parl-iamo voi parl-ate loro parl-ino Participle Participio Present Presente parl-ante Past Passato parl-ato Gerund Gerundio Present Presente parl-ando Past Passato avendo parlato.
Notice how each passive tense is formed by the corresponding tense of the auxiliary essere see below 2. In this table the participle is masculine singular, but in actual use it agrees with gender and number of the subject see below , as do all compound forms of verbs using essere. Remember that only transitive verbs see 2. Italian has a large number of irregular verbs, most of them in the 2nd conjugation, including many verbs frequently used in everyday language. Sometimes the irregular changes of the stem are unique to one verb as in the case of avere and essere.
The complete conjugations of five irregular verbs are shown below 2. These verbs have been chosen not only because of their frequency of use, but also because in some cases their patterns are followed by several other irregular verbs. A complete list of irregular verbs in alphabetical order is in Appendix II.
These five verbs are among the most frequently used in Italian, and also among the most irregular. They share a common feature: I had to lock the office, yesterday. Quando potremo incontrare il Dott. When can we meet Dr Salvi? Voglio tornare a casa presto stasera. I want to go home early tonight. The verb essere is highly irregular, with varied stems in almost all tenses. In the tables below, note how the compound tenses of essere take essere as their auxiliary, and the participle has to agree in number and gender.
Infinitive Infinito Present Presente av-ere ess-ere. Pluperfect Trapassato prossimo avevo avuto ero stato avevi avuto eri stato aveva avuto era stato avevamo avuto eravamo stati avevate avuto eravate stati avevano avuto erano stati. Past anterior Trapassato remoto ebbi avuto fui stato avesti avuto fosti stato ebbe avuto fu stato avemmo avuto fummo stati aveste avuto foste stati ebbero avuto furono stati. Imperfect Imperfetto av-essi fo-ssi av-essi fo-ssi av-esse fo-sse av-essimo fo-ssimo av-este fo-ste av-essero fo-ssero. Pluperfect Trapassato avessi avuto fossi stato avessi avuto fossi stato avessi avuto fossi stato avessimo avuto fossimo stati aveste avuto foste stati avessero avuto fossero stati Conditional Condizionale.
Past Passato avrei avuto avresti avuto avrebbe avuto avremmo avuto avreste avuto avrebbero avuto. Imperative Imperativo abbi sii abbia sia abbiamo siamo abbiate siate abbiano siano Participle Participio. Moods and tenses of verbs In this section, we look at each mood and tense of verbs individually, with a brief illustration of their use. Infinitive mood infinito The infinitive is the basic form of verbs, and the one used as dictionary entry in other words, the name of the verb. It is the infinitive form -are, -ere, -ire or -rre that tells us which conjugation a verb belongs to.
The infinitive has a present and a past tense. The past is formed by the past participle and the infinitive avere or essere. When formed with essere, the past infinitive changes form to agree with the verb subject see examples below. Present andare vivere sentire. Irregular infinitives There are two groups of 2nd conjugation verbs with an irregular infinitive i.
In their present indicative, these verbs follow the -go pattern shown below 2. Some uses of the infinitive Verbs used in the infinitive generally depend on another verb: Dobbiamo partire alle 7. Sai usare il computer? Penso di avere capito. Non riesco a sentire la tua voce. We must leave at 7. Can you use the computer? I think I have understood. In most cases the infinitive is linked to preceding verbs by a preposition such as di or a as in the last two examples above see list of verbs and prepositions in Appendix IV. However with the verbs potere, dovere, volere, sapere, preferire, desiderare, amare, osare, no preposition is needed.
For particular uses of infinitive with a preposition, see 4. In Italian the subject of the infinitive must be the same as that of the verb on which it depends. Otherwise two separate finite verbs must be used, usually linked by che. An exception to this is when the main verb of the clause is fare or lasciare see also Ho fatto entrare i signori. The infinitive can be used by itself, without depending on another verb, when it is used to tell somebody not to do something, i. Non sporgersi dal finestrino. Infinitive as a noun: Infinitive verbs are often used instead of nouns, sometimes preceded by the definite article, in the masculine singular form: Eating is necessary for life.
Il sapere degli antichi si trasmette di generazione in generazione. The wisdom of the ancients is handed down from generation to generation. For further uses of the infinitive and past infinitive, see also The indicative mood is used to express straightforward statements of facts, objective descriptions, real and definite situations, etc. We shall look here at the eight tenses of the indicative mood, both regular and irregular forms, with a brief reference to their use, covered in detail in Part B.
Present indicative indicativo presente The forms of the present indicative of the three regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables above 2. In addition to avere, essere, dovere, potere, volere shown in the verb tables above, some common verbs with irregular present indicative are illustrated below. These are the regular verbs ending in -care, -gare, such as cercare, pagare: In those forms that include i cerchi, cerchiamo , the h indicates the pronunciation with hard g: In the verbs ending in -ciare and -giare, the i before letters o, a indicates the soft c or g and is not pronounced as a separate vowel.
There is no doubling of the i in the second person singular and first person plural forms:. The only verbs of the 1st conjugation with a truly irregular present indicative are: Many verbs in the 2nd conjugation are irregular in the present indicative tense as well as in other tenses see also verb tables above, 2. Although some verbs appear irregular, their forms are in fact regular but are based on an older form of the infinitive see 2. Here are a few more irregular 2nd conjugation verbs. The verb sapere is irregular both in the ending and in its stem changes: The verb scegliere has a pattern in which the stem alternates between lg and gl: Verbs following a similar pattern to scegliere are: The following verbs have in common a pattern in which some persons are formed with g and some without see Appendix II for a complete list.
Verbs following the pattern of tenere are: Verbs following the pattern of porre are: Other verbs following its pattern are: Uses of the present indicative Verbs in the present indicative express actions, facts and situations that happen or are going on at the moment when we speak or write. Mara, il telefono suona.
Mara, the phone is ringing. Nel mio ufficio il telefono suona continuamente di mattina. In my office the phone rings continuously in the mornings. La domenica le campane della chiesa suonano alle 8 meno On Sundays the church bells ring at 10 to 8. Italians smoke more than English people. Le balene sono mammiferi. There are two situations in which the present indicative is used to refer to facts that are not in the present time: Domani arrivano gli ospiti spagnoli. Tomorrow the Spanish guests are coming.
This is done when the events are described in a narrative way and is very common in history books and news reports: Rome became the capital of Italy in At the fifth penalty Baggio missed the penalty kick and Italy lost the World Cup. Future indicative indicativo futuro Forms The forms of the future indicative of the three regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables. Several verbs have an irregular future indicative. See Appendix II for further examples and translations. A similar contracted pattern can be seen in the present tense of the conditional of the same verbs andare andrei , bere berrei , potere potrei.
The future of essere is very irregular: Uses of the future The future indicative tense is naturally mainly used to refer to facts that will happen in a time subsequent to the time when we speak. However Italians use this tense sparingly, often preferring to use the present tense instead see Saranno le tre meno dieci.
What time is it? It must be about ten to three. The phone is ringing. Who could it possibly be? It will be Davide. Future perfect futuro anteriore Forms The future perfect is a compound tense formed of the future tense of the auxiliary avere or essere together with the past participle of the verb.
The forms of the future perfect are shown in the verb tables 2. Stiamo aspettando la fattura. Quando avremo ricevuto la fattura, Le invieremo i soldi. We are waiting for the invoice. Each of the three verbs in these two sentences could be illustrated by a time sequence: More examples of the use of the future perfect can be found in Imperfect indicative indicativo imperfetto Forms The forms of the imperfect of the three regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables. The imperfect indicative is formed by adding the endings -avo, -evo, -ivo for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd conjugations respectively to the stem of the verb.
It is the most regular of all the tenses of Italian verbs. The imperfect of the 2nd conjugation verbs with contracted infinitive in -urre is regular, but follows the pattern of the stem in duc-, giving produrre: Similarly, the verbs with contracted infinitive in -orre have a regular imperfect based on the stem in pon-: The contracted infinitive bere has a regular imperfect bev-evo.
The only true irregular imperfect is that of essere: Uses of the imperfect The imperfect indicative is mainly used to refer to the past see In using past tenses, one should always consider the context or aspect. The question of aspect and the choice of imperfect or perfect is very important when referring to the past in Italian, particularly in situations where the two past forms are used in the same sentence see Here is a summary of the most common cases when the imperfect indicative is used: I was watching television when the earthquake struck.
Era mezzanotte, pioveva e la macchina correva silenziosa. It was midnight, it was raining and the car ran silently. We used to have a coffee at La settimana scorsa mi hanno detto che tu venivi saresti venuto ieri. In a few cases the imperfect indicative is not used to refer to past time, but as a substitute for a different verb mood such as conditional or subjunctive: Volevo vorrei delle rose.
Buongiorno, cercavo un libro di Umberto Eco. Mi scusi, non volevo disturbare. This is more common in spoken than in written Italian. For the use of the imperfect of modal verbs dovere, potere, volere, see Compound perfect passato prossimo Forms The compound perfect is formed by the present indicative of the auxiliary avere or essere and the past participle see verb tables in 2. Of the two forms of the perfect compound and simple the compound is by far the more frequently used, especially in spoken language. The uses of the compound perfect and other past tenses are illustrated in Part B.
Uses of the compound perfect The compound perfect refers to facts that are seen as completed, but have some relation to the present, generally in one of the following two contexts: Avete capito quello che ho detto? Did you understand what I said? We came to England 20 years ago and we are still here. La Basilica di S. Simple perfect passato remoto Forms The forms of the simple perfect passato remoto of the three regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables 2.
Note in particular that the simple perfect of certain 2nd conjugation verbs has alternative forms for the first person singular and third person singular and plural: The simple perfect is often irregular. The most common irregularity is the short -si ending alternating with the longer form based on the stem of the infinitive, e. Most verbs with this irregular pattern are 2nd conjugation verbs, and in some cases for example mettere, muovere, sapere, vedere the stem has a vowel change as well: Vissi male a Milano.
I had a bad time living in Milan. Dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago. In spoken Italian, the simple perfect tends to be used very seldom in the north of Italy, but quite often in Tuscany, and in central and southern Italy, in the contexts mentioned above. In written language, the simple perfect is very common, especially in narrative and historical language, because of the precise way in which it defines the past Typically it is the tense of fairy tales, when events are placed in a far and abstract past, in a different dimension separate from the reality of the present: Collodi, Pinocchio, I Libri di Gulliver, It is formed by the past participle and the imperfect of avere or essere.
The forms of the pluperfect of the three regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables. Uses of the pluperfect It is used to refer to an event previous to an event placed in the past. Ricordo che tu eri arrivato da poco quando Maria ha telefonato. I remember that you had just arrived when Maria called. Penso che alle 7. I think Franco had already closed the shop at 7. Past anterior trapassato remoto Forms The trapassato remoto is formed by the simple perfect of the auxiliary avere or essere and the past participle. The forms of the trapassato remoto of the three regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables.
Uses of the past anterior The trapassato remoto is the form of pluperfect used when the main event or action is expressed by a verb in the simple perfect. Its use is rare and generally limited to the literary and more formal registers of the written language, and it is always introduced by a conjunction such as dopo, appena see also After he had said goodbye, he went out in a hurry. Appena fu uscita, tutti si misero a ridere. As soon as she had gone out, everybody started laughing.
The forms of the conditional for the three regular conditions are shown in the verb tables above. There are two tenses of the conditional mood: Forms For the regular verbs, the present conditional is formed by adding the specific endings -rei, -resti, etc. The verbs with an irregular present conditional show the same pattern already seen for the future indicative see 2.
In Italian this is called periodo ipotetico see This type of sentence is made up of two parts: Se fossi ricco, non lavorerei. If you really valued me, you would give me more responsibility. The politeness of these requests lies in their being subject to some implicit condition: For further examples, see Potrebbe aprire la finestra? Secondo me dovresti riposarti. I think you should rest. I would be for the easier option. La ragazza sarebbe la figlia di Beckham. Apparently, the girl is the daughter of Beckham.
Forms The past conditional is formed by the present conditional of avere or essere and the past participle of the verb see verb tables above, 2. The past conditional of the three regular conjugations is: Uses of the past conditional The past conditional is used in a similar way to the present conditional shown above, but mainly referring to past time: Ieri non sarei arrivato in ritardo se avessi preso il treno.
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I would have preferred a coffee. Penso che la Sig. I think Mrs Prati should have paid in cash. According to La Repubblica, two hundred illegal immigrants arrived on the island. My secretary told me that she would reserve the hotel immediately. Its most common use is in expressions of doubt, hope or supposition see 2. Non sono certo che mi abbiano capito. Speriamo che lui venga in tempo. Penso che siano le tre e venti. I think it must be twenty past three. Verbs in the subjunctive mood always depend directly or indirectly on another verb, linked by che as in the examples above or by another conjunction, to form a complex sentence.
Only in a few cases is the subjunctive used by itself, without depending on another verb, for example in the imperative forms see I write to let you know the truth. Nonostante le abbia scritto un mese fa, Paola non mi ha ancora risposto. Whatever song she sings, it is always a pleasure to listen to her. The choice of indicative or subjunctive to convey the same facts, can shift the meaning of a sentence from the objective to the subjective, from the reality to the idea. I need the assistant who speaks Italian.
Ho bisogno di un assistente che parli italiano. I need an assistant who can speak Italian. It seems that Olivetti is about to launch a new computer. In the first of the two sentences above, the news is presented as almost certain, while the second sentence, by using the subjunctive, implies a higher degree of doubt or uncertainty about the reliability of the news.
These and other uses of the subjunctive in different contexts are illustrated fully in Chapters 30 to 39 see also It is often said that the subjunctive mood is used ever less frequently in modern Italian. It is true that Italians tend to associate the frequent use of the subjunctive. However using the indicative instead of the subjunctive not only conveys a more informal style, but also a different meaning, and may well change substantially the message that we want to convey. Uses of the subjunctive In some cases, it is almost compulsory to use the subjunctive, even in the most familiar context of communication.
This is particularly true when there is an explicit reference to the subjective value of a statement: Spero che abbiate capito. I hope you understood. Temo che sia troppo tardi. Non illuderti che il Napoli possa vincere il campionato. Non avrei mai sospettato che tu fossi capace di mentire. I would never have suspected you of being able to lie. Prima che sia troppo tardi, dobbiamo pagare il telefono.
We must pay the phone bill, before it is too late. Parlava come se avesse il raffreddore. He was speaking as if he had a cold. Dovete sbrigarvi, a meno che non vogliate fare tardi. You must hurry up, unless you want to be late. Sebbene siano stanchi, i ragazzi vogliono uscire stasera. Se fossi in te non le parlerei. See also uses of subjunctive in purpose clauses Whether to use the subjunctive after se, however, is a matter of choice see also Chiunque bussi alla porta, non aprire. Sono pronta a fare qualsiasi cosa tu mi chieda. Even in the examples shown in this paragraph, many Italians might use the indicative instead of the subjunctive.
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Tenses of the subjunctive Except in a few cases, verbs in the subjunctive mood depend on another verb i. This means that we also need to look at how each tense of the subjunctive expresses a different time relationship with the main verb. There are four tenses of the subjunctive: The regular conjugations of these tenses are shown in the verb tables above 2. Present subjunctive congiuntivo presente Forms The regular conjugation of the present subjunctive has the same ending in the three singular persons: Uses of the present subjunctive The present subjunctive is used when we want to mention something in the present or in the future there is no future tense in the subjunctive.
It is almost always linked to a main verb in the present tense: Spero che tu capisca. I hope you understand. Mi sembra che il telefono non funzioni. I think the telephone must be out of order. I think the travel agency is booking our flight today. A more detailed study of the time relationship of the subjunctive and the verb it depends on is found in Chapter Forms The perfect subjunctive is formed by the present subjunctive of the auxiliary avere or essere and the past participle.
The forms of perfect subjunctive for the three regular conjugations are found in the verb tables above 2. Uses of the perfect subjunctive The perfect subjunctive is used to refer to a past fact linked to a main verb, usually in the present tense: Mi sembra che ieri il telefono non abbia funzionato. I think the phone must have been out of order yesterday. I think the travel agency reserved our flight yesterday.
Marco will think you have gone out. Imperfect subjunctive congiuntivo imperfetto Forms The ending of the imperfect subjunctive is the same for both first and second persons singular: The forms of the imperfect subjunctive for the three regular conjugations are found in the verb tables above. Irregular forms to be noted are: Uses of the imperfect subjunctive The imperfect subjunctive is used for events or actions taking place at the same time as the action of the main verb in the past: Speravo che tu capissi.
I hoped you understood. Ieri mi sembrava che il telefono non funzionasse. Yesterday I thought the phone was out of order. The imperfect subjunctive is also used for a present or future action, which depends on a main verb in the present conditional: Vorrei che voi parlaste con il capo. Sarebbe bene che domani arrivasse in orario. It would be better if he arrived on time tomorrow. It is also used to express a condition unlikely to be met see Compreresti una Rolls Royce, se avessi i soldi?
Would you buy a Rolls Royce, if you had the money? Pluperfect subjunctive congiuntivo trapassato Forms The pluperfect subjunctive is formed by the imperfect subjunctive of avere or essere and the past participle. The forms of the pluperfect subjunctive for the regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables above 2. Uses of the pluperfect subjunctive The pluperfect subjunctive is used to refer to a past event referred to by a main verb in the past tense: Speravo che avessi capito.
I hoped you had understood. It is also used to express a condition that can no longer be met see If the travel agency had already reserved our flight a month earlier, we would have paid less. Other uses of the subjunctive In a few cases the subjunctive is used by itself without depending on another verb. In this function the present subjunctive serves as the third person form of the imperative, both singular and plural see Prego signori, vengano di qua.
Can I help you? Please come over this way, gentlemen. Dio salvi la Regina. Ti venga un accidente. Magari potessi andare in vacanza. If only I could go on holiday. If I were 20 years old! Here, the subjunctive, although used alone, still depends on a main verb, although it is implicit rather than actually stated: Spero che ti venga un accidente. I hope that something horrible happens to you. Mi auguro che Dio ti benedica. I wish that God would bless you.
If I were young I would do lots of things. Imperative mood imperativo Forms The forms of the imperative for the three regular conjugations are shown in the verb tables above 2. The imperative only has one tense, the present see Tenses, p. The imperative is the mood we use when we want to give orders or to ask somebody to do something, so it has no first person singular form. Ama il prossimo tuo come te stesso. Love your neighbour like yourself. Believe me, I am sincere. Please, get my umbrella for me. Aiuto, datemi una mano. Help, give me a hand.
Signora, guardi che belle scarpe. Look what beautiful shoes, madam. Bianchi, finisca quella lettera e poi venga da me. Dr Bianchi, could you please finish that letter and then come to see me. Mi dia il telefono, per favore. Give me the telephone, please. Note how in the first set of examples above, the tu or voi form is combined with any pronoun used, whether direct or indirect object see also 3.
For more illustrations of the use of the imperative, see With the five verbs andare, dare, dire, fare and stare, the shortened imperative forms are normally marked nowadays with an apostrophe, to distinguish them from the prepositions da, di or the third person singular of the present indicative da, fa, sta.
These shortened imperative forms are very often replaced by the second person indicative forms fai, vai, etc.: The last example is very colloquial use; normally the direct object pronoun would be attached to the end of the infinitive, rather than the first verb Vai a trovarlo.
For all other forms of the imperative, simply add non. Teresa, non giocare in casa con la palla. Bambini, non andate lontano. Non si preoccupi, avvocato. Gerund gerundio Forms The present gerund is formed by adding the endings -ando for the 1st conjugation and -endo for the 2nd and 3rd conjugations to the verb stem: The past gerund is formed by the gerund of the auxiliary avere or essere and the past participle: Uses of the gerund The gerund is always used in connection with another verb on which it is closely dependent.
The subject of the gerund must be the same as that of the main verb unless explicitly stated. The present gerund indicates an action happening at the same time as that of the main verb, be it past, present or future: Neri parla leggendo gli appunti. Neri speaks reading from notes. Neri ha parlato leggendo gli appunti. Neri spoke reading from notes.
Neri will speak reading from notes. The past gerund indicates an action that took place before that of the main verb: Avendo distribuito gli appunti in inglese, il Prof. Neri parla in italiano. Having distributed notes in English, Prof. Neri speaks in Italian. Neri ha parlato in italiano.
Neri spoke in Italian. Neri will speak in Italian. In Italian we use a relative clause with che: There is a man knocking at the door. I saw a student reading Panorama. Using the gerund with unstressed personal pronouns When the gerund has an unstressed pronoun as direct or indirect object, the pronoun is attached to the end of the verb see 3. Guardandoli bene ho capito che quei francobolli erano falsi. Looking at them carefully I realised that those stamps were false. By putting more trust in her, you will get better results from her. In the past, the progressive form is always formed with the imperfect of stare.
The progressive form, expressing an action in its duration rather than when completed, is the most typical example of the imperfect aspect of verbs see In modern Italian this form is very rarely used as a verb, and has taken on the function of adjective or noun: As a verb, it is sometimes used in very formal and bureaucratic language: Gli impiegati perdenti il posto riceveranno una pensione. The employees losing their jobs, will receive a pension. The father being alive, the children shall not receive the inheritance.
But in general it is preferable to use a gerund, a relative clause che. Gli impiegati che perdono il posto riceveranno una pensione. Past participle participio passato Unlike the present participle, the past participle is one of the most frequently used forms of Italian verbs. It is found in all compound tenses of verbs, together with the auxiliary avere or essere.
The regular past participle is formed by the endings -ato for the 1st, -uto for the 2nd and -ito for the 3rd conjugation. Irregular past participles There are many verbs with an irregular past participle Appendix II lists all the verbs with irregular past participles. But some basic groups can be identified: Uses of the past participle The past participle is used in two ways: When the auxiliary is avere, the participle ends in -o masculine singular , and does not change to agree with the subject of the verb: Serpe non aveva capito il suo problema e la Sig.
Sandro e Lucia hanno lavorato bene. Sandro and Lucia did a good job. But if the verb is preceded by a direct object pronoun the participle changes to agree with the gender and number of this pronoun see also 3. Avete visto quelle pratiche? Did you see those files? Did you see Elisa? Yes, I saw her. When the auxiliary is essere the past participle always agrees with the gender and number of the subject: Has my salary arrived? Has the mail arrived?
Ci siamo accorti troppo tardi del nostro errore. We realised our mistake too late. Le fatture non sono state ancora ricevute dal cliente. Used on its own, the past participle can have the same function as an adjective i. There was no mail addressed to you today, Mr Sini.
There were no letters addressed to you today, Mr Sini. Dove sono i pacchi arrivati oggi? Where are the parcels that arrived today? It can also have the function of a verb in its own right, expressing an action completed before the action expressed in the main clause; the subject can be the same as that of the main verb or a different one: As soon as we arrived, we had a coffee. After defeating the Bourbon army at Calatafimi, Garibaldi advanced towards Palermo. Past participle and unstressed personal pronouns: The past participle can also take an unstressed pronoun direct or indirect as its object, in which case the pronoun is attached to the end of the participle see also 3.
Vistala arrivare, ho chiamato Sara dal balcone. As I saw her arriving, I called Sara from the balcony. Consegnatigli i documenti, sono tornato in ufficio. After delivering the documents to him, I came back to the office. There are several types of pronouns in Italian as there are in English: Each type of pronoun is covered separately in this section. Personal pronouns Personal pronouns are the main thread of any spoken or written discourse. Their function is to refer to somebody or something known to both speaker and listener, either because they are actually present or because they have already been mentioned in the conversation or in the text.
In Italian, personal pronouns have the same gender and number as the noun to which they refer. Stressed personal pronouns Stressed pronouns are only used when we want to identify clearly the person to whom we refer, usually to distinguish them from somebody else see 8.