There are several past tenses in Italian, each of which has its own structure, meaning and features of use. Today we will talk about the two most important past tenses Italian- Passato Prossimo and Imperfetto.
I. Passato Prossimo
1. Use Passato Prossimo
The Passato Prossimo expresses:
An action in the past related in some way to the present (meaning similar to English time present perfect).
Ho comprato questo computer 3 anni fa.
I bought a computer three years ago (but I still have it now)
Completed action in the past tense (in colloquial speech, in writing in these cases, Passato remoto is used).
Verdi è nato (instead of nacque) a Le Roncole.
Verdi was born in Le Roncol.
Sometimes the action can be long, but at the same time it must be limited to a specific time period.
Abbiamo Parlato fine alle 3.
We talked (talked) until three.
This time can also denote a series of similar actions that occurred in the recent past (usually with the words “2 times”, “several times”).
Gia ho letto questo libro 2 volt.
I have already read this book 2 times.
In rare cases, it denotes the near future and an action in the future that precedes another action in the future.
Ancora 5 minutes e hanno perduto!
5 more minutes and they lost!
Appena hai finito il lavoro, fammi sapere.
Once you're done, let me know.
2. Education Passato Prossimo
Passato prossimo is formed with the help of the auxiliary verbs avere or essere and the past participle.
This table shows the correct participles, but there are many exceptions:
With essere verbs of motion and state are used, as well as reflexive verbs, all other verbs are used with avere:
If we use essere, then the participle agrees with the subject, coinciding with it in person and number:
However, if we have direct object(me, you, him, her, you, us, them) or the ne particle replacing a noun with a partial article, then the participle with the verb avere agrees with it.
Verbs in Italian are characterized by the indispensable presence of such an important grammatical category, as time, reflecting the relationship of actions (or states) with real time their commission, both in relation to direct informing the interlocutors about their actual implementation (the moment of speech is absolute time), and in relation to another action or other time period (relative time).
Similar lessons on verbs:
At the same time, a very complex, branched and interconnected structure of various temporary forms is structured in the language. So, the corresponding verbal temporal word forms (present - the action takes place in the present time interval, past - the action took place in the past time interval - and future - the action will only be realized in the future time interval - time) are in the indicative (Indicativo (leggere (stentato) - read with difficulty - one f-ma of the present (Presente - noi leggiamo (stentato)), five - of the past (Imperfetto - noi leggevamo (stentato), Passato prossimo - noi abbiamo letto (stentato), Passato remoto - noi leggemmo (stentato), Trapassato prossimo - noi avevamo letto (stentato) and Trapassato remoto - noi avemmo letto (stentato)) and two of the future (Futuro semplice - noi leggeremo (stentato), Futuro anteriore - noi avremo letto (stentato )), imperative (Imperativo - leggere (stentato) - to read with difficulty - one f-ma of the present (Presente - leggiamo (stentato)), conditional (Condizionale - leggere (stentato) - to read with difficulty - one f-ma of the present (Presente noi leggeremmo (stentato) ) and one - the past (Passato - noi avremmo letto (stentato)) and the subjunctive (Congiuntivo - one function of the present (Presente - che noi leggiamo (stentato)), and three functions of the past (Imperfetto - che noi leggessimo (stentato ), Passato - che noi abbiamo letto (stentato) and Trapassato - che noi avessimo letto (stentato)) moods.
Moreover, these word forms can vary depending on the way they are formed, breaking up into simple ones (by means of one base verb through the addition of indicative inflections to its infinitive stem - bere (sopra un dolore) - to drown (woe in wine) - tu bev + i ( Presente indicativo) (sopra un dolore) - tu bev + evi (Imperfetto indicativo) (sopra un dolore) - che tu bev + a (Congiuntivo Presente) (sopra un dolore), etc.) and compound (based on two related verbal units - auxiliary (avere, essere) and basic - bere (sopra un dolore) - drown (woe in wine) - io + ho (auxiliary avere) + (past adverb main) bevuto (Passato prossimo) (sopra un dolore) - io + avrei (auxiliary avere) + (past adverb) bevuto (Passato condizionale) (sopra un dolore), etc.) elements.
In general, we can consider about fifteen basic temporary forms within the four Italian moods, characterized by the peculiarities of their speech application and structural construction of forms. The tabular method, which we use below, has the greatest clarity in terms of disclosing the above features.
table of tenses of Italian verbs - features of use in speech
| Inclination - time | Use cases | Examples of use in speech |
| modo indication | ||
| Presente | Usual, action, limited by the present moment | Il bambino non(negative) parla ancora. (The child does not speak yet) - limited to the moment "yet" |
| Usual, action, not limited (continued) by the present moment | Nikos parla al telefono. (Nikos speaks on the phone) - emphasis on the process of real-ii dei-iya (in this moment whether in general) | |
| Habitual, repeat. dey-i | Ci rechiamo al lavoro col tram ogni Lunedi. (We go to work by tram every Monday) | |
| In the meaning of future time (planning) | io parto davvero. (I'm really leaving = I'm going to leave). | |
| common truth | Il suo vero nome è Andrea. (His real name is Andrea). | |
| Imperfetto | The usual unfinished action in the process of its course in the past | Il cielo era coperto. (The sky was overcast) |
| Regular, repeated, unfinished past action | Spesso soffrivamo la solitudine. (We often suffered from loneliness). | |
| The convoy of the state of man, nature, etc. | Aveva l'orecchio fine. (He had a fine (musical) ear. | |
| Background for actions of the final type | era molto emozionato per l'accaduto, quando fece una sfuriata contro i subordinati. (He was very excited about what happened when he yelled at his subordinates). | |
| Passato Prossimo | Just the law-Xia dey-ie in the past; har-but for rag. speeches and public | Abbiamo passeggiato bene, anche se siamo stanchi. (We had a good walk, though we were tired). Non ha capito nulla, e sembrava tanto intelligente. (He did not understand anything, but he seemed so smart) |
| Passato remoto | Finished action of a long-past type, not connected with the speech moment | George Sand nacque nel 1804. (Georges Sand was born in 1804). |
| Nezak-th, continued by the character of the past dey-vie, but with a time limit | Vissero al limite del villaggio fino al 1994. - They lived (lived) on the outskirts of the village until 1994. | |
| Trapassato prossimo | Within the framework of the ad-x proposals; finish dei-ia preceding dei-yams in the main pre-ii | Ha detto che aveva riconosciuto un'automobile rubata. (He said that he recognized the stolen car). |
| In an unknown proposal. for fixing precedence | Il cielo plumbeo non diceva niente di buono. e dopotutto avevo dimenticato le chiavi in macchina. (The leaden sky did not bode well. But I forgot the keys in the car (= before) | |
| Trapassato remoto | Law th in the past. action; use in the advent of the times for the excerpt of the instant preceding the action in the main (passato remoto); with soy-mi quando, dopo che, etc.; rarely in writing. speeches | Appena ebbi arrivato, venni a trovarvi . (As soon as I arrived, I went to you). |
| Futuro semplice | Dei-vie future in relation to mo-th speech | l'esperienza mi dice che finira male. (Experience tells me that he will end badly) |
| Assumed action in relation to present. | Al tempo presente sarano gia per via. (They are apparently on their way at the moment.) | |
| Fixing orders, requests | Lo farai tu riconoscerai!(You yourself admit it!) | |
| Futuro anteriore | Future dey-ie, previous-her dr-mu future. dei-yu; in the coming times, if the tale. in main Spanish in Futuro semplice | Appresso che lo avrò veduto, ti diro tutto. (After I see him, I will tell you everything). |
| Dey predpol th type in the past | …Da qui non ci si sente. Gli ospiti saranno andati via presto . (It's inaudible from here. Probably, the guests left early). | |
| modo congiuntivo | ||
| Presente | Express t in adv. Prefer, Possibility, Desire, Disregard, etc. Relative to the action in the main, if the tale is in the main in the presente or futuro and fixed at the same time or last action; fixes not a condition, but a consequence | Suppongo che lei padre Venga domani. (I assume her father will come tomorrow.) |
| Imperfetto | Express t in adv. Prefer, Possibility, Desire, Nonsense, etc. Relative to action in the main, if the tale is in the main in the past vr-nah and fixed at the same time -t or follow-t dey-th; fixes not a condition, but a consequence | Speravo che lei padre Venisse.(I hoped her father would come) |
| Passato | Express t in adv. Prefer, Possibility, Desire, Defiance, etc. Relative to the dei in the main, if the tale is in the main in the presente or futuro and the precedence of the action is fixed ; fixes not a condition, but a consequence | Suppongo che lei padre sia giavenuto. (I assume her father has already arrived). |
| Trapassato | Express t in adv. Prefer, Possibility, Desire, Invisibility, etc. Relative to dei-yam in the main, if the tale is in the main in the past vr-nah and the antecedence is fixed dey; fixes not a condition, but a consequence | Speravo che lei padre fosses gia venuto. (I hoped her father had already arrived) |
| modo conditionale | ||
| Presente | Communication of information from third parties (supposedly, obviously ...) | Il Primo Ministro arriverebbe fra mezzora. (Prime Minister will arrive, apparently, in half an hour) |
| Desired action in nezav. suggestion, request | Vorrei tanto leggere nel future! (I wish I could foresee the future!) | |
| Passato | Communication of information from third parties (supposedly, obviously ...) in the past. | Secondo notizie di stampala solista della rock band famosa Sarebbe gia tornata. (According to press reports, the lead singer of the famous rock band has apparently already returned. |
| Desired unrealistic th in the last dey-vie in nezav. suggestion, | Allora avrei dovuto dire tutta la verita! (I should have told the whole truth then!) but I didn't. | |
| modo imperative | ||
| Presente | Orders, invitations, requests and other wills | Assicate la fune a un albero! (attach the rope to the tree) |
It is well known that being one of the main grammatical verbal categories, time in Italian correlates a certain action described in speech with the very moment of direct pronunciation of information about it. So, if the implementation of an action is directly related to the speech moment itself, that is, it is performed precisely “now”, then they say about the use of the gramme of the present tense. —
Formula una certa proposta ... (I express such a wish) - exactly "now"
Mi piace sognare. (I like to dream). - In general, in general, including "now"
È sicuro della donna amata. (He is confident in the woman he loves) - as a given
Penso Che Linda mente spudoratamente. (I think Linda is blatantly lying) - exactly "now" + assumption.
Similar lessons
Often, relative time (connection with other time reference points) is also taken into account, which causes variability in temporal forms, including within the framework of the “present” dominant. So, there are Presente forms in all Italian moods (stonare (con l'arredamento) - contrast (with the setting) - INDICATIVO Presente - Questo quadro stona con l'arredamento. (This picture contrasts with the setting). — CONGIUNTIVO Presente — Affermo Che questo quadro stoni con l'arredamento. (I contend that this painting contrasts with the setting.) – CONDIZIONALE Presente – Questo quadro stonerebbe con l’arredamento, se… This picture would contrast with the setting if….), Dunque, questo quadro stonerebbe con l'arredamento? (So this painting contrasts with the setting?) - IMPERATIVO Presente - Questo quadro non stoni con l'arredamento! (Let this picture not contrast with the situation!).
Considered by us directly in this article, INDICATIVO Presente is the main form of the temporary group "present" and requires detailed coverage. Italian present tense formed inflectional (synthetic inflection), on the basis of a single basic or main verb, by adding to its infinitive, from which indicative endings are previously discarded (-are / -ere / -ire - conjugation types), the corresponding end affixes (determinare (il valore) - define (value) - io determin(without -are)+ o(il valore); tu determin(without -are)+ i(il valore); egli determin(without -are)+ a(il valore); noi determin(without -are)+ iamo(il valore); voi determin(without -are)+ ate(il valore); essi determin(without -are)+ ano(il valore)).:
Table. Italian present tense - education
However, seemingly simple shaping is complicated by the presence of a number of exceptions, which can be summarized in the table.:
|
verb type |
Way of education |
number-person |
||
|
Singular |
||||
| 1-io | 2-tu | 3-egli | ||
|
avere (cura) - to take care |
Ho (cura) | hai (cura) | ha (cura) | |
| Modal willows | Own original models; trace-t remember | Voglio | Vuoi (sposare la causa della libertà) | Vuole (sposare la causa della libertà) |
| Muoio (da prode) | Muori (da prode) | Muore (da prode) | ||
| Sto (in un dormitorio pubblico) | Stay (in un dormitorio pubblico) | Sta (in un dormitorio pubblico) | ||
| Tol+ g+o (l'ostacolo) | Togli (l'ostacolo) | Toglie (l'ostacolo) | ||
| Un+ isc+o(in matrimonio) | Un+ isc+i(in matrimonio) | Un+ isc+e(in matrimonio) | ||
|
verb type |
Way of education |
number-person |
||
|
Plural |
||||
| 1 - noi | 2-voi | 3 - essi | ||
|
Auxiliary willows (avere/ essere) avere (cura) - to take care |
Own original models; trace-t remember | Abbiamo (cura) | Avete (cura) | Hanno (cura) |
| Modal willows
volere (sposare la causa della libertà) - to want (to devote oneself to the cause of freedom) |
Own original models; trace-t remember | Vogliamo | Volete | Vogliono (sposare la causa della libertà) |
| Willows with root alternations when conjugated
morire (da prode) - to die (the death of the brave) stare (in un dormitorio pubblico) - to live (in a rooming house) |
Own original models, presupposing root sequences; trace-t remember | Moriamo (da prode) | Morite (da prode) | Muoiono (da prode) |
| Stiamo (in un dormitorio pubblico) | State (in un dormitorio pubblico) | Stanno (in un dormitorio pubblico) | ||
| Willows with a single element -g-, appear when you ask
togliere (l'ostacolo) - eliminate (obstacle) |
Own original models + add. -g- - between the base of the willow and the end of the fleck in some persons; trace-t remember | Togliamo (l'ostacolo) | Togliete (l'ostacolo) | Tol+ g+ono (l'ostacolo) |
| Some willows of 3 groups, for cats + -isc
unire (in matrimonio) - combine (marriage) |
+ additional -isc - between the basis of the willow and the end of the flek-ia in some persons; trace-t remember | Un+iamo (general model) (in matrimonio) | Un+ite (general model) (in matrimonio) | Un+ isc+ono(in matrimonio) |
Use INDICATIVO Presente is limited to use in the following situations:
1. in the case of fixation of states or actions implemented in the present time period, coinciding with the immediate moment of speech, and limited to it. —
Mette la bottiglia sul tavolo. (He puts the bottle on the table.) - right now, then it will already be on the table.
2. in the case of fixation of continued states or actions implemented in the present time period, coinciding with the immediate moment of speech, but not limited to it. —
Jessica Danza. (Jessica dances). - now, but it is not clear how long this will last, or "in general" = Jessica sta (stare) + danzando (gerund). + sem "just now" = Jessica sta (stare) + a + danzare (infinitive) + sem "worth".
3. in the case of designation of repetitive, habitual, regular or permanent (as a given - Presente Assoluto - timeless action of the absolute type) states / actions in the present. —
La sera di solito facciamo una passeggiata. (In the evening we usually walk). - regularity
È impossibile rallentare la rotazione della terra. (The rotation of the Earth cannot be slowed down). — Presente Assoluto
4. in the case of being used as a kind of substitute for the future tense (+ planning or + pity / assumption in questions of a general type) -
La settimana entrante vado in Brasile (Next week I'm going to Brazil.) + scheduling
allora, vado a piedi? (Well, am I walking?) + desirability
5. in case of designation of instructions, orders, recommendations, etc. -
Agiamo di comune accordo-tu Fai domanda e.io chiarisco la situation. (We will act (act) together - you submit an application, and I clarify the situation.) - an order.
6. in case of use as Presente storico in the form of a kind of substitute for the past tense (+ additional expressiveness) -
Per antic leggenda decidono di costruire un’azione offensiva.. (According to an old legend, they decide to build an attack…)
Table. Italian present tense - usage
| temporary form | Speech usage | |
| INDICATIVO Presente | Use options | Usage examples |
| Our state of affairs / actions in the immediate moment. speeches, limited to them | Asistono a un tramonto magnifico. (They are watching a magnificent sunset.) - right now, then the sun will go down | |
| Continued current status / actions in the immediate moment. speech, but not limited to them. | Nuotano a wound. (They swim breaststroke) - - now, but it is not clear how long this will last, or "in general." | |
| Common Facts Out of Time (Presente Assoluto) | La Terra ruota intorno al Sole. (Earth revolves around the sun) | |
| Regular, habitual (repetitive), constant (as a given) actions in n-sch | L'affare promise bene. (The deal is promising) - as a given. Di solito Nicolas mette tutte le energie in un lavoro. (Nicholas usually puts all his energy into his work.) - regularity |
|
| As a deputy of the past (+ large expression) - Presente storico | Gli Annali recitano: cost ruiscono un sistema filosofico… (The chronicle says: they create a philosophical system….) | |
| As a deputy of the future tense | Si sposano il vicino con la vicina. (Neighbor and neighbor are getting married = going to get married). - plan | |
| Orders, orders, recommendations, etc. | Acertate l'esattezza di questo fatto e determinate e l'entita dei danni! (You) check the truth of this fact and determine the extent of the damage!) - an order. | |
