← A1.1

Conjugation – A1.1

Italian verb conjugation is the foundation of the language. Every verb changes its form depending on the subject. Italian verbs are grouped into three conjugations based on their infinitive endings.

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💡 Explain Like I'm 5

Just like in English we say 'I eat' but 'She eats', Italian verbs change their endings based on who is doing the action. The ending tells you exactly who the subject is, which is why Italians often drop the 'I' or 'You'.

The Three Conjugation Groups

-ARE Verbs (First Conjugation)

The largest group. Examples: parlare (to speak), mangiare (to eat), amare (to love).

PronomeForma
ioio parlo
tutu parli
lui/leilui/lei parla
noinoi parliamo
voivoi parlate
loroloro parlano

-ERE Verbs (Second Conjugation)

Examples: scrivere (to write), leggere (to read), vedere (to see).

PronomeForma
ioio scrivo
tutu scrivi
lui/leilui/lei scrive
noinoi scriviamo
voivoi scrivete
loroloro scrivono

-IRE Verbs (Third Conjugation)

Examples: dormire (to sleep), partire (to leave), sentire (to hear/feel).

PronomeForma
ioio dormo
tutu dormi
lui/leilui/lei dorme
noinoi dormiamo
voivoi dormite
loroloro dormono

Essential Irregular Verbs

Some of the most common Italian verbs are irregular. You must memorize these:

essere (to be)

PronomeForma
ioio sono
tutu sei
lui/leilui/lei è
noinoi siamo
voivoi siete
loroloro sono

avere (to have)

PronomeForma
ioio ho
tutu hai
lui/leilui/lei ha
noinoi abbiamo
voivoi avete
loroloro hanno

fare (to do/make)

PronomeForma
ioio faccio
tutu fai
lui/leilui/lei fa
noinoi facciamo
voivoi fate
loroloro fanno

andare (to go)

PronomeForma
ioio vado
tutu vai
lui/leilui/lei va
noinoi andiamo
voivoi andate
loroloro vanno

Tips for Learning

1

Focus on -ARE verbs first — they are the most common and regular.

2

Learn essere and avere by heart — they are used as auxiliary verbs too.

3

Practice with real sentences, not just tables. Try: 'Io parlo italiano.'

4

Notice the patterns: the endings -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano repeat across conjugations.