Verbs
Regular verbs
- There are three conjugations distinguished by the ending of the infinitive.
1st conjugation – LAVORARE – to work
2nd conjugation – PRENDERE – to take
3rd conjugaton – DORMIRE – to sleep (within this group there are verbs which in the singular and in the 3rd person plural add ISC in the conjugation, like CAPIRE - to understand)
Irregular verbs
have to be memorised
Properties of Italian verbs
- each person has its own ending which is added to the stem of the verb, so the subject pronouns are only used when we want to emphasize the subject. Normally, the subject pronouns do not have to be used with verbs.
examples:
Io parlo italiano, ma mia madre no. I speak Italian, but my mother doesn´t.
(Io) parlo italiano e inglese. I speak Italian and English.
Parli italiano? Do you speak Italian?
- the negative is formed by non which precedes the verb, e.g.
example: Non parlo italiano. I don´t speak Italian.
- There is no special rule for making questions.
example: Studi l´italiano? Do you study Italian?
- Italian verbs distinguish formal and informal/familiar address forms
- 2nd person singular (tu parli / you speak) - implies familiarity, closeness, intimacy between the speakers. So, if you are speaking to a person who is familiar to you – a child, your friend, a member of your family, the 2nd person singular is used.
- 3rd person singular (Lei parla / you speak) is used when you are addressing a person whom you do not know, your boss, teacher, any adult person you are not familiar with. In this case the pronoun LEI is used for both a man and a woman and is usually written with capital L.
- 2nd person plural (voi parlate / you speak) is used to address more than one person.
So, if you are asking your friend, if he / she wants a cup of coffee, you say: Prendi un caffè?
But if you are talking to your boss, or a colleague of your mum´s you say: Prende un caffè?
If you are asking more people, your colleagues in the office, you say: Prendete un caffè?