Italian verbs can be categorised as being -are, -ere, or -ire verbs. We’ve already discussed the -are verbs here and -ere verbs here. Now the time has come to talk about the third and final type category of Italian verbs: “third conjugation” -ire verbs.
How to conjugate IRE verbs in Italian
Much like the other two categories of Italian verbs, you need to drop the final -ire sound from the verbs in order to conjugate them, and replace it with the correct suffix.
-o
First-person singular (I)
-i
Second-person singular informal (you)
-e
Third-person singular (he/she/it)
Second-personal formal (you)
-iamo
First-person plural (we)
-ite
Second-person plural (you all)
-ono
Third-person plural (they)
For example, if we use the verb dormire (to sleep), we would conjugate it as:
- io dormo = I sleep
- tu dormi = you sleep (informal)
- lui / lei dorme = he/she sleeps
- Lei dorme = you sleep (formal)
- noi dormiamo = we sleep
- voi dormite = you sleep (plural)
- loro dormono = they sleep
Of course, like –are and –ere, there are exceptions to this rule. Actually, there are many exceptions to this rule. One particular irregularity that is quite common in –ire verbs is called the “-isc- rule”. We will talk about that common irregularity later on.
With the understanding of the basic rules of conjugating a third category –ire verb in Italian, let’s take a look at the 20 most important verbs that you will find yourself using the most frequently.
1. Sentire
English meaning: to hear / to feel / to smell
- (io) sento = I hear
- (tu) senti = you hear (informal)
- (lui) sente = he hears
- (lei) sente = she hears
- (Lei) sente = you hear (formal)
- (noi) sentiamo = we hear
- (voi) sentite = you hear (plural)
- (loro) sentono = they hear
Non mi sento molto bene oggi.
I don’t feel very well today.
2. Dire (irregular)
English meaning: to say / to tell
- (io) dico = I say
- (tu) dici = you say (informal)
- (lui) dice = he says
- (lei) dice = she says
- (Lei) dice = you say (formal)
- (noi) diciamo = we say
- (voi) dite = you say (plural)
- (loro) dicono = they say
Lui dice che le torte sono molto buone.
He says that the cakes are very good.
NOTE: Dire is extremely irregular, yet somehow follows all the regular rules at the same time. Because dire without the suffix –ire is merely one letter, we add in -ic to give the word sustenance. Imagine, instead, that we are conjugating the nonexistent verb dicire; the verb then follows all the regular –ire conjugation rules. Remember too that a c followed by an i or e is pronounced like “ch”.
3. Venire (irregular)
English meaning: to come
- (io) vengo = I come
- (tu) vieni = you come (informal)
- (lui) viene = he comes
- (lei) viene = she comes
- (Lei) viene = you come (formal)
- (noi) veniamo = we come
- (voi) venite = you come (plural)
- (loro) vengono = they come
Vuoi venire a casa mia?
Do you want to come to my house?
NOTE: Venire is irregular. Notice the presence of a “g” in the io and loro forms. Also notice that second and third person singular forms have an additional vowel sound – i – before the e.
4. Aprire
English meaning: to open
- (io) apro = I open
- (tu) apri = you open (informal)
- (lui) apre = he opens
- (lei) apre = she opens
- (Lei) apre = you open (formal)
- (noi) apriamo = we open
- (voi) aprite = you open (plural)
- (loro) aprono = they open
Puoi aprire la finestra per favore?
Can you open the window, please?
5. Vestire (vestirsi)
English meaning: to dress / to dress up / to get dressed
- (io) vesto = I dress
- (tu) vesti = you dress (informal)
- (lui) veste = he dresses
- (lei) veste = she dresses
- (Lei) veste = you dress (formal)
- (noi) vestiamo = we dress
- (voi) vestite = you dress (plural)
- (loro) vestono = they dress
Ora ti vesto, vieni qua.
Now I’ll dress you, come here.
NOTE: Vestire is frequently used as a reflexive verb – vestirsi (to get dressed / to dress oneself).
- (io) mi vesto = I get dressed
- (tu) ti vesti = you get dressed (informal)
- (lui) si veste = he gets dressed
- (lei) si veste = she gets dressed
- (Lei) si veste = you get dressed (formal)
- (noi) ci vestiamo = we get dressed
- (voi) vi vestite = you get dressed (plural)
- (loro) si vestono = they get dressed
6. Uscire (irregular)
English meaning: to exit, to go out
- (io) esco = I exit
- (tu) esci = you exit (informal)
- (lui) esce = he exits
- (lei) esce = she exits
- (Lei) esce = you exit (formal)
- (noi) usciamo = we exit
- (voi) uscite = you exit (plural)
- (loro) escono = they exit
Dobbiamo uscire alle 8:30.
We must go out at 8:30 a.m.
NOTE: Uscire is unique because the initial vowel u is replaced by an e in all conjugations except the noi and voi forms. Remember that –sc– followed by an e or an i is pronounced with a “sh” sound.
7. Partire
English meaning: to leave
- (io) parto = I leave
- (tu) parti = you leave (informal)
- (lui) parte = he leaves
- (lei) parte = she leaves
- (Lei) parte = you leave (formal)
- (noi) partiamo = we leave
- (voi) partite = you leave (plural)
- (loro) partono = they leave
Quando partono i ragazzi?
When do the boys leave?
8. Capire (irregular – isc)
English meaning: to understand
- (io) capisco = I understand
- (tu) capisci = you understand (informal)
- (lui) capisce = he understands
- (lei) capisce = she understands
- (Lei) capisce = you understand (formal)
- (noi) capiamo = we understand
- (voi) capite = you understand (plural)
- (loro) capiscono = they understand
Tu capisci l’inglese meglio di lui.
You understand English better than him.
Note: Capire is irregular, following the –isc– rule. Nearly all conjugations are modified to include –isc– in the suffix, except in the noi and voi forms. The letters –isc are added to the beginning of the suffix, as in -isco, -isci, -isce, and -iscono.
9. Pulire (irregular – isc)
English meaning: to clean / to wash
- (io) pulisco = I clean
- (tu) pulisci = you clean (informal)
- (lui) pulisce = he cleans
- (lei) pulisce = she cleans
- (Lei) pulisce = you clean (formal)
- (noi) puliamo = we clean
- (voi) pulite = you clean (plural)
- (loro) puliscono = they clean
I ragazzi puliscono la casa dopo la festa.
The teenagers clean the house after the party.
10. Seguire
English meaning: to follow
- (io) seguo = I follow
- (tu) segui = you follow (informal)
- (lui) segue = he follows
- (lei) segue = she follows
- (Lei) segue = you follow (formal)
- (noi) seguiamo = we follow
- (voi) seguite = you follow (plural)
- (loro) seguono = they follow
Vai avanti tu che io ti seguo.
You go ahead and I’ll follow you.
11. Morire (irregular)
English meaning: to die
- (io) muoio = I die
- (tu) muori = you die (informal)
- (lui) muore = he dies
- (lei) muore = she dies
- (Lei) muore = you die (formal)
- (noi) moriamo = we die
- (voi) morite = you die (plural)
- (loro) muoiono = they die
I fiori muoiono in inverno.
Flowers die in the winter.
12. Preferire (irregular – isc)
English meaning: to prefer
- (io) preferisco = I prefer
- (tu) preferisci = you prefer (informal)
- (lui) preferisce = he prefers
- (lei) preferisce = she prefers
- (Lei) preferisce = you prefer (formal)
- (noi) preferiamo = we prefer
- (voi) preferite = you prefer (plural)
- (loro) preferiscono = they prefer
Preferisco le mele alle banane.
I prefer apples to bananas.
13. Finire (irregular – isc)
English meaning: to finish
- (io) finisco = I finish
- (tu) finisci = you finish (informal)
- (lui) finisce = he finishes
- (lei) finisce = she finishes
- (Lei) finisce = you finish (formal)
- (noi) finiamo = we finish
- (voi) finite = you finish (plural)
- (loro) finiscono = they finish
Andrai a letto quando finisce il film?
Will you go to bed when the film finishes?
14. Salire (irregular)
English meaning: to rise, to get on
- (io) salgo = I get on
- (tu) sali = you get on (informal)
- (lui) sale = he gets on
- (lei) sale = she gets on
- (Lei) sale = you get on (formal)
- (noi) saliamo = we get on
- (voi) salite = you get on (plural)
- (loro) salgono = they get on
Dobbiamo salire sul treno prima della partenza.
We must get on the train before it departs.
NOTE: Salire is irregular in the io and loro forms – marked by the presence of a g.
15. Mentire
English meaning: to lie (tell a falsehood)
- (io) mento = I lie
- (tu) menti = you lie (informal)
- (lui) mente = he lies
- (lei) mente = she lies
- (Lei) mente = you lie (formal)
- (noi) mentiamo = we lie
- (voi) mentite = you lie (plural)
- (loro) mentono = they lie
Il bambino ha mentito a sua madre.
The child lied to his mother.
16. Offrire
English meaning: to offer / to treat / to make an offer
- (io) offro = I offer
- (tu) offri = you offer (informal)
- (lui) offre = he offers
- (lei) offre = she offers
- (Lei) offre = you offer (formal)
- (noi) offriamo = we offer
- (voi) offrite = you offer (plural)
- (loro) offrono = they offer
Non ho niente da offrire.
I have nothing to offer.
NOTE: When offrire appears in its reflexive form offrirsi, it means “to offer (one’s help or assistance)”.
17. Spedire (irregular – isc)
English meaning: to ship / to send by mail
- (io) spedisco = I ship
- (tu) spedisci = you ship (informal)
- (lui) spedisce = he ships
- (lei) spedisce = she ships
- (Lei) spedisce = you ship (formal)
- (noi) spediamo = we ship
- (voi) spedite = you ship (plural)
- (loro) spediscono = they ship
Ti ho spedito un pacco.
I sent you a package.
18. Coprire
English meaning: to cover
- (io) copro = I cover
- (tu) copri = you cover (informal)
- (lui) copre = he covers
- (lei) copre = she covers
- (Lei) copre = you cover (formal)
- (noi) copriamo = we cover
- (voi) coprite = you cover (plural)
- (loro) coprono = they cover
Ti copro con la coperta.
I’ll cover you with the blanket.
19. Servire
English meaning: to need (see notes below) / to be of service / to serve
- (io) servo = I need
- (tu) servi = you need (informal)
- (lui) serve = he needs
- (lei) serve = she needs
- (Lei) serve = you need (formal)
- (noi) serviamo = we need
- (voi) servite = you need (plural)
- (loro) servono = they need
Ti servono i libri?
Do you need the books?
NOTE: Servire is used much like the verb piacere. It often is used in context with an indirect object pronoun. It is best to translate the verb as “to be needed”. For example: I might translate mi serve la matita as “I need the pencil” or “The pencil is needed by me” (lit. “the pencil serves me”).
20. Bollire
English meaning: to boil
- (io) bollo = I boil
- (tu) bolli = you boil (informal)
- (lui) bolle = he boils
- (lei) bolle = she boils
- (Lei) bolle = you boil (formal)
- (noi) bolliamo = we boil
- (voi) bollite = you boil (plural)
- (loro) bollono = they boil
Bolliamo l’acqua per la pasta.
We boil the water for the pasta.
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
