Present Tense: -are Verbs

Frequently asked questions

When is Presente indicativo: verbi in -are used?

I verbi in -are sono il gruppo più numeroso in italiano. La coniugazione è regolare e prevedibile.

How is Presente indicativo: verbi in -are formed?

Attenzione con -iare: Verbi come mangiare, studiare, cominciare — la i della radice cade davanti a un'altra i o davanti ad e : tu mang i (non *mangii), noi mang iamo (non *mangiiamo). Verbi -are comuni: parlare (to speak), mangiare (to eat), lavorare (to work), abitare (to live), studiare (to study), comprare (to buy), guardare (to watch), ascoltare (to listen), amare (to love), cercare (to look for).

What are common mistakes with Presente indicativo: verbi in -are?

The 3rd person plural stress falls on the stem, not the ending: PARlano (not *parLAno). Also, -iare verbs drop the extra i before -i and -iamo. 🇬🇧 English speakers: Not used to conjugating verbs for each person. Must learn 6 forms. The -iare spelling rule (mangi, not *mangii) is counterintuitive. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian verbs conjugate too, so 6 forms are familiar. The endings themselves are different. Stress patterns need attention. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech has verb conjugation, so the concept is familiar. Italian -are is the most regular group — easier than Czech verb classes.