Italian Verb Conjugations

Italian verbs are organized into three conjugation groups based on their infinitive endings: -are (first conjugation, the largest), -ere (second conjugation), and -ire (third conjugation). Each group follows its own set of predictable patterns, though many of the most frequently used verbs are irregular.

A key feature of Italian is the passato prossimo, a compound past tense formed with an auxiliary verb — either avere or essere — plus the past participle. Verbs conjugated with essere require the past participle to agree in gender and number with the subject. Italian also actively uses the congiuntivo (subjunctive) after expressions of opinion, doubt, emotion, and desire — more so than in many other Romance languages.