Welcome to the fun world of Italian irregular verbs! Known for its beautiful melodies and expressions of emotion, Italian is as fascinating as the country itself. One of our linguistic gems is irregular verbs, which break free from the monotonous rules of corresponding verbs and add zest to the language.
Italian has countless verbs that violate the standard pattern, creating challenges for learners. Honestly, if I were to learn Italian from scratch, I think irregular verbs would be one of the most difficult aspects. However, it’s all part of the journey to master the language!
In this article, I’ll cover the present tense of the 20 most common Italian irregular verbs. For convenience, I’ve organized them by irregular type.
Understanding Irregular Verbs in Italian
Italian irregular verbs are a bit tricky to deal with. Unlike regular verbs, which follow a predictable pattern of conjugation, irregular verbs do not conform to any established rules. While every language has its share of irregular verbs, Italian has one of the highest number of irregular verbs.
from everyday verbs such as become (become) and have (have) to the little-known harm (harmful) and lie down (lie), you’ll find that Italian is full of irregular verbs that offer intrigue and surprise.
While irregular verbs can seem intimidating at first glance, don’t despair! Of course, at first you have to memorize them and try to use them as much as possible. But with a little effort and attention, you’ll soon discover that even these rule-breakers have patterns. To start, try to memorize some of these verbs and put them into practice as often as possible. Before you know it, you’ll be sounding like a pro!
Irregularity of Italian Auxiliary Verbs
auxiliary verb become (become) and have (have) plays a vital role in Italian sentence making. While they are essential, they have unique conjugation patterns that must be memorized in order to use Italian spoken and written effectively.
example:
become (become)
I am
Who are you
he she and
we are
Who are you
they are
- paul is a teacher. = Paul is a teacher.
- where are you from? = where do you come from?
have (have)
I have
You have
he/she has
We have
You have
they have
- We are in a hurry. = We are in a hurry.
- how old are you? = how old are you?
Italian irregular modal verbs
modal verb Allowing us to express things like obligations, possibilities, and wishes, they are followed by infinitive verbs. Although used all the time, they are difficult to master because they don’t follow the normal rules of verb conjugation.
example:
think (want to)
I think
you want
he/she wants
we want
you want
they want
- i want to buy a new suit. = I want to buy a new dress.
- We want to move out of town. = We want to move out of town.
candy (can / can)
I can
you can
he/she can
we can
you can
they can
- Can I go out with my friends tonight? = can i go out with my friends tonight?
- Can you help me prepare a surprise party for Giacomo? = Can you help me throw a surprise party for Giacomo?
responsibility (have to/have to)
I must
you must
He/she must
we have to
you must
they must
- i have to work late tonight.= I have to work late tonight.
- If you drive, you must not drink alcohol. = You should never drink alcohol while driving.
Italian Irregular Verbs with Stem Conjugation
Some irregular verbs in Italian are conjugated, meaning that the root (or stem) of the verb changes in a particular tense.This change usually occurs with all subject pronouns except us (us) and butter (you),constant.
example:
go (go)
IO VADo
you VAI
he/lei VA
Let’s go
you go
them VAThen
- Go play with other kids. = Go play with other kids.
- today i go to the beach.= I’m going to the beach today.
go out (go out)
IO Esco
you EscI
he/lei Escelectronic
we are going out
get out
them EscOno
- mom, i’m going out tonight. = Mom, I’m going out tonight.
- Do you often go out with them? = Do you often go out with them?
die (to die)
IO MuIO
you Muinside
he/lei Muabout
we are dead
voi morite
them Muion
- i would love to go on vacation. = I can’t wait to go on vacation.
- All my plants are dead and I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. = All my plants are dead and I don’t understand where I am going wrong.
Other examples of verbs that change their stems include sit (sit) and heard (heard).
Italian irregular verbs added -isc to their stems
Some Italian verbs in the third conjugation (i.e. ending in -anger) add block -isc Except for first-person and second-person plurals (us and butter).
example:
Finish (Finish)
I finishedisco
you endiscI
he/she finishediscelectronic
we are done
you are done
they endiscOno
- When will the class end. = When will the class end?
- Eat before you play. = You can play after eating.
Clean (clean)
i clean upisco
your moneyiscI
he/rapiscelectronic
we clean
you are clean
they cleaniscOno
- They clean the stairs every day. = They clean the stairs every day.
- Clean your room or you don’t go out! = If you don’t clean your room, you don’t go out.
send (to send, to ship)
io accelerationisco
you speed upiscI
give him/lei i sendiscelectronic
we send
you ship
parrot speed upiscOno
- also shipped abroad. = Do you also send abroad?
- They send money to the family every month. = They send money to their families every month.
Other common verbs in this category are understand (learn), put up (Establish), prefer (like), contribute (contribute), return (return the goods), insert (insert), to unite (to unite), lose weight (to lose weight).
Italian Irregular Verbs Adding -g
Now, let’s look at some verbs that add consonants -G in conjunction with the pronoun IO (I and them (them)
example:
Come (Come)
i fridayGo
You come
he/she is here
Let’s
You come
here comes the parrotGOno
- I get to the office at 10:00. = I get to the office at 10 o’clock.
- These books come from far away. = These books come from far away.
stay (stay, stay)
I stayGo
Leave
he/she stays
we stay
Leave
they stayGOno
- I live with my friend tonight. = I’m staying at my friend’s house tonight.
- There are only a few tickets left for the concert. = There are only a few tickets left for the concert.
Tenere (hold, keep)
i holdGo
there are shadows
he/she holds
we hold
you take
they holdGOno
- Would you please hold the baby? = Would you mind giving the baby a hug?
- Il The project takes into account the needs of the new tenants. = The project takes into account the needs of the new tenants.
Other Italian verbs that add a consonant -g to the first-person singular and third-person plural include welcome (welcome), worth (worth), and for entertaining (for entertaining).
Italian Irregular Verbs with Changes in Spelling
Sometimes certain Italian verbs may have slight spelling changes that may not be noticeable in speech but may be noticeable in writing. For example, they can use double consonants for certain pronouns.
example:
pleasure (pleasing)
I regretccIO
you like
he/she likes
We buycciAmo
you like
they are piousccion
- I like traveling. = I like to travel.
- everyone loves gifts. = Everyone loves gifts.
Quiet (silence)
I amccIO
you shut up
he/she is silent
usccus
may fail
loro gaveccion
- I kept silent so as not to say anything that would hurt your feelings. = I keep silent so as not to hurt your feelings.
- You are always silent when it comes to politics. = When it comes to politics, you are always silent.
harm (injury, damage)
I’m newccIO
you hurt
he/she hurt
we swim
you hurt
fromccion
- Smoking seriously damages health. = Smoking is a serious health hazard.
- These remarks undermine the credibility of the government.= These remarks have damaged the credibility of the government.
Other common Italian verbs with spelling changes are si coniugano please (appease), lie down (lie), and sorry (full of apologies).
Italian Irregular Verbs with Contracted Infinitives
Finally, some Italian verbs have very short infinitives, but when you combine them, they tend to get longer and follow their own rules.
example:
his (drink)
I drink
you drink
he/she drinks
we drink
you drink
they drink
- i drank a lot during the day. = I drink a lot during the day.
- Have some wine! = Have some wine!
scary (explain)
I said
you say
he/she said
we say
you say
they said
- you always say that and then you don’t do anything. = You always say that, but you don’t do anything.
- they say you don’t need a reservation.= They said no reservations needed.
fare (do, do)
i would like
you do
he/she does
we are
you do
they are like this
- I often do yoga in the morning. = I often do yoga in the morning.
- Be careful not to lose the key. = Make sure you don’t lose your keys.
Other contracted infinitives include dare (give), put (put onbut not as common as the verb put for this purpose), and painting (pull, bring).
Valentina is a travel writer who loves her country. After traveling the world, she realized there was so much more to explore closer to home and decided to put her passport aside for now.You can follow her adventures in Italy on her blog www.myitaliandiaries.com
