Index
The Italian present indicative tense is one of the most essential tenses to master when learning Italian. It allows you to talk about actions that happen right now, habitually, or generally true statements. This guide will walk you through what the present indicative tense is, how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs, and when to use it, with examples.
What is the italian present indicative tense?
The present indicative tense (in Italian, presente indicativo) is used to describe:
- Actions happening right now
Mangio una pizza. → I’m eating a pizza. - Habitual actions
Studio ogni giorno. → I study every day. - Universal truths or facts
L’acqua bolle a 100 gradi. → Water boils at 100 degrees. - Future events (informally)
Domani vado a Roma. → I’m going to Rome tomorrow.
How to conjugate regular verbs in the italian present indicative
Italian verbs fall into three groups, depending on the infinitive ending: -ARE, -ERE, -IRE.
1. Regular -ARE verbs (e.g. parlare – to speak)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | parlo |
| tu | parli |
| lui/lei | parla |
| noi | parliamo |
| voi | parlate |
| loro | parlano |
Example: Parli italiano? → Do you speak Italian?
2. Regular -ERE verbs (e.g. scrivere – to write)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | scrivo |
| tu | scrivi |
| lui/lei | scrive |
| noi | scriviamo |
| voi | scrivete |
| loro | scrivono |
Example: Scriviamo una lettera. → We are writing a letter.
3. Regular -IRE verbs (e.g. dormire – to sleep)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | dormo |
| tu | dormi |
| lui/lei | dorme |
| noi | dormiamo |
| voi | dormite |
| loro | dormono |
Example: Dormo otto ore ogni notte. → I sleep eight hours every night.
Special case: -IRE verbs with -ISC- insertion
Some -IRE verbs (like capire – to understand) insert -isc- in some forms:
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | capisco |
| tu | capisci |
| lui/lei | capisce |
| noi | capiamo |
| voi | capite |
| loro | capiscono |
Common verbs with -isc-: finire, preferire, pulire, spedire
Common irregular verbs in the present indicative
Some verbs are irregular and must be memorized:
Essere (to be)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | sono |
| tu | sei |
| lui/lei | è |
| noi | siamo |
| voi | siete |
| loro | sono |
Avere (to have)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | ho |
| tu | hai |
| lui/lei | ha |
| noi | abbiamo |
| voi | avete |
| loro | hanno |
Andare (to go)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | vado |
| tu | vai |
| lui/lei | va |
| noi | andiamo |
| voi | andate |
| loro | vanno |
When to use the present indicative in italian
The Italian present indicative tense can replace other tenses in informal or spoken contexts:
- For the immediate future:
Stasera guardo un film. → I’m watching a movie tonight. - With expressions of time:
Ogni giorno, bevo un caffè. → Every day, I drink a coffee. - For general truths:
Il sole sorge a est. → The sun rises in the east.
Practice: Try it tourself!
Conjugate the following verbs in the present indicative:
- Leggere (to read) – io ______
- Capire (to understand) – tu ______
- Andare (to go) – noi ______
- Dormire (to sleep) – voi ______
- Parlare (to speak) – loro ______
Mastering the Italian present indicative tense is a crucial step in becoming fluent in Italian. It allows you to express what’s happening now, what you usually do, and even some future actions. Focus on memorizing regular conjugation patterns and the most common irregular verbs, and you’ll soon feel confident forming sentences in the present tense.
