The 21 Most Common Italian Verbs + Conjugation Charts

Irregular Italian verbs essere and avere

The first Italian verbs you want to learn are essere (to be) and avere (to have). These can stand alone or create compound forms of other verbs. They are irregular, so they may be slightly trickier to learn than a regular Italian verb conjugation since you won’t really find the root verb in the sentence. But they are also the foundation to master every conversation.

Irregular Italian verbs don’t follow standard conjugation patterns. They may change the root or replace the last part with an unexpected form as you see in the chart below. With these verbs, there are no shortcuts: You just have to memorize the conjugations. But once you’ve learned them, these irregular Italian verbs will allow you to talk about everything in your daily life.

Essere

Essere means “to be,” but it can also be used as an auxiliary verb. You’ll use it with:

• Compound forms of essere
  • Sono stato al mercato. = I have been to the farmer’s market.
• Verbs implying movement or location, such as go, leave, come, etc.
  • Siamo partiti alle 7:00. = We left at 7:00 a.m.
• With reflexive verbs
  • Mi sono vestita comoda. = I dressed comfortably.
  • Si è svegliato molto presto. = He woke up very early.
• With verbs without a subject
  • Non è successo niente. = Nothing happened.

Avere

Avere means “to have” and indicates possession, just like in English.

• Ho una bici. = I have a bike.

This verb builds the compound tenses in all cases where you cannot use essere:

• Ho viaggiato molto. = I have traveled a lot.
• Abbiamo mangiato benissimo. = We ate very well.
• Ha visitato Roma l’anno scorso. = He visited Rome last year.

Remember: avere is also used in Italian to indicate one’s age, unlike in English where you’d use a variation of “to be” in the form of “I am 30 years old.”

• Ho trent’anni. = I am 30 years old.

Avere is the most used of the two to create compound verbs. So, if you get stuck and don’t know the right fit, you can try your luck with avere. 

Modal verbs in Italian: potere, sapere, dovere, volere

Modal verbs, or verbi modali, need special attention. They are fundamental to Italian verb conjugations and precede the infinitive of another verb to define how the action is performed.

Potere

Potere means “to be able to” or “can.” A common mistake is to confuse the verb potere with the verb sapere (to know/to know how), but with a little practice, you’ll nail it each time.

• Oggi posso uscire prima. = Today, I can go out earlier.
• Posso parlare? = Can I speak?
• Questo potrebbe essere un problema. = This could be a problem.

Dovere

Almost opposite from potere is dovere (to have to/must). It means that the action is required or mandatory.

• Dobbiamo tornare a casa. = We must get back home.

You can also follow dovere with a noun. In that case, it means “to owe.”

• Ti dobbiamo un favore. = We owe you a favor.

Sapere

Sapere is the English verb “to know.” It can precede:

• a noun
  • Non sappiamo gli orari del treno. = We don’t know the train schedule.
• che (that) + a verb
  • So che è andato in ferie. = I know he went on vacation.
• di (of/about/that)+ a verb
  • So di non sapere. = I know that I know nothing. (Socrates’ famous quote.)

Remember that Italian has two verbs that mean “to know.” The first is the modal verb sapere and the second is the regular verb conoscere. You only use conoscere when referring to a person (to know someone), a subject, or a place you know very well (to know the city of Rome). Also, conoscere will only precede nouns.

Volere

Volere means “to want to.” Similar to the English “to want/to like to,” the form you use will make you sound assertive or polite.

• To express desire or intention:
  • Voglio andare al cinema. = I want to go to the movies.
  • Vorrei andare al cinema. = I’d like to go to the movies.

• When making a request:
  • Voglio un caffè. = I want some coffee.
  • Vorrei un caffè. = I’d like to have some coffee.

• When offering something:
  • Vuoi un caffè? = Do you want some coffee?
  • Vorresti un caffè? = Would you like some coffee?

As you can see, its use is quite similar to English. 

How to conjugate Italian verbs

All Italian verbs belong to one of the three declinazioni (declensions), meaning the way the word ends.

• First declinazione: infinitive ending in -ARE
• Second declinazione: infinitive ending in -ERE
• Third declinazione: infinitive ending in -IRE

In all three declinazioni, you can have regular or irregular verbs. The first declination includes most regular verbs, and it has only four irregular verbs: fare (to do), dare (to give), stare (to stay), and andare (to go).

Conjugating Italian verbs is easy when they are regular since they follow predictable patterns. Depending on its declinazione, you must add fixed endings (the same for each conjugation) according to the mood, person, and tense you want to use. 

Common Italian verbs ending with -ARE

All Italian verbs with the infinitive ending with -ARE are part of the prima coniugazione or primary (or basic) conjugation. Here are some of the ones you will often use in your conversations along with their conjugation in the present tense.

Parlare

Parlare is a regular verb that means “to speak” or “to talk.” You can try a handful of Italian phrases for travel that you may want to add to your conversational toolkit. Many of them use the verb parlare.

• Può parlare più lentamente, per favore? = Can you please talk slowly?
• Non ho capito. Potrebbe ripetere per favore? = I didn’t catch it. Can you please repeat it?

Amare

Even if you don’t speak Italian yet, chances are you have heard the expression ti amo (I love you). The regular verb amare is, in fact, the Italian verb for “to love.”

It’s important to use it correctly as it’s a strong feeling. You can use amare or piacere (to like) to express your passion for something.

• Amo la pizza. or Mi piace la pizza. = I love/like pizza.
• Amo viaggiare. or Mi piace viaggiare. = I love/like to travel.

For relationships, use amare only to talk about stable, romantic relationships. For relatives and friends, volere bene (literally “wish good for someone”) is a better fit.

• Amo il mio fidanzato. = I love my boyfriend.
• Ti voglio bene, papà. = I love you, dad.

Abitare

Abitare is the Italian verb for “to live” in the sense of living in a place and is a regular verb.

• Abito a Roma. = I live in Rome.
• Dove abiti? = Where do you live?
• Loro abitano in una grande casa. = They live in a big house.

Here is the good news: using vivere (to live) instead of abitare is perfectly acceptable.

Mangiare

Italians take food very seriously. So, if there is a verb you must master while traveling through the country, it’s the regular verb mangiare (to eat).

And if you want to sound confident in that cozy Tuscan trattoria or while ordering a pasta cacio e pepe in Rome, check out how to order food in Italian. 

>> Discover the best restaurants in Rome!

Guardare

Guardare is a versatile regular verb in Italian. It means “to watch” or “to look at” with attention.

• Guarda che bel tramonto! = Look at that beautiful sunset!
• Sto guardando un film. = I am watching a movie. 

In a more figurative sense, guardare can mean ” beware.”

• Guarda che ti ho visto! = Beware, I saw you!

Fare

Fare is one of the most essential irregular verbs in Italian due to its versatility and wide range of uses. It can mean “to do” or “to make.”

• Ho fatto una torta. = I made a cake.
• Devo fare i compiti. = I need to do my homework.
• Puoi fare la differenza. = You can make a difference.

Many Italian idiomatic expressions use fare:

• Fai attenzione! = Pay attention!
• Posso fare una domanda? = Can I ask a question?
• Ho fatto il possibile. = I did what I could.

Stare

The irregular verb stare can be used in different circumstances as it means “to stay,” “to be,” or “to stand.”

• Sto bene. = I am well.
• Sta studiando. = She/he is studying.

There are also popular expressions in Italian using stare.

• Stai attento! = Be careful!
• Sta per piovere. = It is about to rain.

Dare

Another very common irregular verb is dare, which means “to give.”

• Mi dai una mano? = Can you give me a hand?
• Gli ho dato un regalo. = I gave him a gift.

Also, some common expressions in Italian use dare.

• Darsi da fare. = To get busy.
• Dare una festa. = To throw a party.
• Dare retta. = To pay attention.

Common -ERE verbs in Italian

Italian verbs ending in -ERE are part of the seconda coniugazione. These verbs are pretty common and cover a range of actions from asking to seeing and living.

Chiedere

Chiedere means “to ask.” It is an irregular verb and essential for requesting information.

• Posso chiederti un favore? = Can I ask you a favor?
• Scusi, vorrei chiederle (formal) un’informazione. = Excuse me, I would like to ask you a question. 
• Ti chiedo scusa. = I apologize. (literally, “I ask for your forgiveness”)

Prendere

Prendere means “to take” or “to get” and is used in many contexts, including physically taking or receiving something.

• Prendo un caffè. = I’m having a coffee.
• Puoi prendere il libro sul tavolo? = Can you fetch the book from the table?
• Ho preso un premio. = I got a prize.

Vedere

Vedere means “to see.”

• Vedo la tua casa da qui. = I see your house from here.
• Hai visto il film? = Did you see the movie?

As for the other irregular verbs, there are some idiomatic expressions wrapped around this verb, too.

• Vediamo! = Let’s see!
• Non vedo l’ora! = I can’t wait!

Vivere

Vivere means “to live” in the sense of existing or residing. In a broader sense, it can also mean experiencing life.

• Vivo a New York. = I live in New York.
• Dove vivi? = Where do you live?
• Sto vivendo un periodo difficile. = I am going through a difficult period.

Common Italian verbs ending with -IRE

The third coniugazione includes the Italian verbs ending in -IRE. Many verbs of this conjugation, like finire (to finish), insert “-isc” between the root and the delcension of the first, second, and third person singular, as well as the third person plural of the present indicative and subjunctive tense.

Finire

Finire means “to finish” or “to end”. It is irregular, and you will use it whenever you discuss completing tasks.

• Finisco il lavoro alle sei. = I finish work at six.
• Hai finito i compiti? = Did you finish your homework?

Finire allows you to create two idiomatic expressions that are very similar to English.

• Finire per fare qualcosa. = To end up doing something.
• Finire in bellezza. = To end on a high note.

Venire

Venire means “to come” and indicates movement towards the speaker or where the subject comes from. It’s also irregular.

• Vengo subito! = I am coming right away!
• Viene da New York. = She/i¡him comes from New York.
• Vieni con me? = Are you coming with me?

And don’t forget our beloved idiomatic expressions:

• Venire a sapere. = To find out.
• Venire meno. = To fail/to faint.

Dormire

Dormire means “to sleep.” It’s a regular verb, and its conjugation is straightforward.

It’s also used in idiomatic expressions like:

• Dormire come un sasso. = To sleep like a log.
• Dormire in piedi. = To sleep standing (to be extremely tired).

Now you can put these Italian verbs into practice

Now that you have these verbs in your pocket, nulla potrà fermarti! (Nothing can stop you). Practice, build sentences, and take every opportunity to tell your story in Italian. And if you need to go further, you can dive deeper into Italian verb conjugation with Rosetta Stone tutoring where native Italian speakers can help you practice conjugating these common verbs.