12. Regular verbs in the present form in Italian

In the Italian language, the verbs are grouped by three conjugations groups. The groups are:

• Verbs ending in -are
• Verbs ending in -ere
• Verbs ending in -ire

In this article we will be looking at regular verbs (verbs that follow a pattern) in the present form - these are used in everyday actions, recurring ones and actions that happen at the moment we are speaking.

Verbs ending in -are

We can use the verb parlare (to speak) and congujate it:

As you can see, we remove the -are ending from the infinitive (parlare -> parl-) and add a different ending depending on the subject.

There are a few more regular verbs we can use later to practice in the exercises:

• abitare (to live)
• studiare (to study)
• lavorare (to work)
• ascoltare (to listen)

Here are a few examples using the verbs above:

• Io abito a Firenze (I live in Firenze)
• Noi parliamo italiano (We speak Italian)
• Tu studi molto (You study a lot)

Verbs ending in -ere

We can use the verb vedere (to see) and conjugate it:

Just like with -are verbs, remove the -ere ending (vedere -> ved-) and add the appropriate ending.

More regular verbs ending in -ere:

• credere (to believe)
• ricevere (to receive)
• vivere (to live)
• leggere (to read)

Few phrases examples from the verbs above:

• Lei vede bene senza occhiali (He sees good without glasses)
• Noi leggiamo ogni giorno (We read everyday)
• Voi credete in Dio? (Do you believe in god?)

Verbs ending in -ire

The verbs ending in -ire are a bit trickier because they follow two patterns:

Verbs without a -isc suffix

The verb dormire (to sleep):

Just like the other verbs, you remove the -ire and add the appropriate ending.

More regular verbs ending in -ire:

• aprire (to open)
• partire (to leave)
• seguire (to follow)

Few phrases examples from the verbs above:

• Io apro la porta (I open the door)
• Loro partono domani (He leaves tomorrow)
• Noi seguiamo il corso (We follow the course)

Verbs with a -isc

Some regular -ire verbs insert -isc- in part of their conjugation. This happens in the io, tu, lui/lei, and loro forms, but not in the noi and voi forms.

For example, let’s use capire (to understand):

More common -isc verbs include:

• finire (to finish)
• preferire (to prefer)
• pulire (to clean)
• spedire (to send)

A few example sentences:

• Io preferisco il caffè (I prefer coffee)
• Tu finisci presto (You finish early)
• Loro puliscono la casa (They clean the house)

Exercises

💡 Click on any question to reveal the answer and explanation

Exercise 1: -ARE Verbs Conjugation

Exercise 2: -ERE Verbs Conjugation

Exercise 3: -IRE Verbs (without -isc) Conjugation

Exercise 4: -IRE Verbs (with -isc) Conjugation

Exercise 5: Mixed - All Conjugation Types