The simple tenses are verb tenses that consist of one word only, such as the present tense.
There are four simple tenses:
Present tense: The Italian present tense (presente) is
happening right now. It's a simple tense—that is, the verb form consists of one
word only. Examples:
- regalo il libro a Stefania » I give the book to
Stephanie
- i due ragazzi sono di Berlino » the two boys are from
Berlin
- scrivo con una penna » I write with a pen
- ho un biglietto per il teatro » I have a ticket for
the theatre
Imperfect tense: The imperfect is much more frequently used
in Italian than in English. It expresses the English "used to" and is used to
describe actions or conditions that lasted an indefinite time in the past. It's
also used to express an habitual action in the past and to describe time, age,
and weather in the past. Examples:
- Giocavo a calcio ogni pomeriggio » I played soccer
every afternoon
- Sempre credevano tutto » They always believed
everything
- Volevamo andare in Italia » We wanted to go to
Italy
- Il cielo era sempre blu » The sky was always
blue
Simple Past tense: Or remote past tense (passato remoto); is
a simple tense and is formed by one word. In general, it refers to the
historical past or to events that have happened in the distant past relative to
the speaker.
- Dante si rifugiò a Ravenna » Dante took refuge in
Ravenna
- Petrarca morì nel 1374 » Petrarca died in 1374
- Michelangelo nacque nel 1475 » Michelangelo was born
in 1475
Future tense: The future tense in Italian expresses an
action that will take place in the future. Although in English the future is
expressed with the helping verb "will" or the phrase "to be going to," in
Italian a verb ending marks it as being set in the future tense.
- Alla fine di settembre partirò per Roma » At the end
of September I will leave for Rome
- Che sarà, sarà » what will be, will
be!
Back to:
« Italian Verb Tenses
|
Italian courses
