I verbi -are

la coniugazione!

• Io = I = the person who is talking

• Lui= he = a male we are talking about• Lei = she = a female we are talking about• ___ = it = a thing we are talking about

• Tu= you = the person I am talking to

When Signora Rolf says “io”, “io” means Signora Rolf. When Lucia says “io”, “io” means Lucia. When Raffaele says “io”, “io” means Raffaele.

When I am talking to Donatello, “tu” means Donatello. When I am talking to Gabriella, “tu” means Gabriella. When I am talking to Giovanni, “tu” means Giovanni.

• Noi = we = the two people who are talking

• Loro = they = the people we are talking about

• Voi = all y’all = the people I am talking to

io + mia madre = noiio + Giuseppe = noiio + tu = noi

tu + tua madre = voitu + i tuoi amici = voitu + Alessandra = voiBUTtu + io = noi!

Mario + Antonella = loroLeonardo + Luigi = lorogli studenti = loroi tuoi amici = loro

Infinitive form

• ends in -are or -arsi

“to” do somethingmangiare – to eatballare – to dancelavarsi – to wash yourself

Conjugation

• used only with verbs• tell who does what, when– person, verb, tense

How to conjugate

1. take off the -are2. add your endings!3. if the verb ends in –arsi

a. change the -si to the appropriate pronoun

parlare

io parlo noi parliamo

tu parli voi parlate

lui / lei parla loro parlano

ballare

io ballo noi balliamo

tu balli voi ballate

lui / lei balla loro ballano

mangiare

io mangio noi mangiamo*

tu mangi* voi mangiate

lui / lei mangia loro mangiano

*(don’t make a double “i”)

giocare

io gioco noi giochiamo*

tu giochi* voi giocate

lui / lei gioca loro giocano

*(keep the hard -c /k/ sound)

alzarsi

io mi alzo noi ci alziamo

tu ti alzi voi vi alzate

lui / lei si alza loro si alzano

chiamarsi

io mi chiamo noi ci chiamiamo

tu ti chiami voi vi chiamate

lui / lei si chiama loro si chiamano

in general

io (mi) -o noi (ci) -iamo

tu (ti) -i voi (vi) -ate

lui / lei (si) -a loro (si) -ano

• Since every form has a different ending, the subject pronouns are OPTIONAL.– parlo means “I speak”, whether or not you say “io”– parliamo means “we speak”, whether or not you

say “noi”• Italians do not often use the subject pronouns.

now you try it!!!

• conjugate completely: 1. abitare2. annoiarsi3. cercare4. comprare5. dimenticare6. insegnare7. lavarsi8. pagare9. portare10. svegliarsi

But what does it all mean???

• These verbs are in the present tense.

• The present tense is used to talk about things that are happening right now, happen regularly, or will happen in the very near future.

• mangio– I eat– I do eat– I am eating

• parli– you talk– you do talk– you are talking

• balla– s/he dances– s/he does dance– s/he is dancing

• suoniamo– we play– we do play– we are playing

• tornate– all y’all return– all y’all are returning– all y’all do return

• si truccano– they put on makeup– they do put on makeup– they are putting on makeup

why is this useful? I almost never say “I do eat.”

• This is useful for questions!• Form a yes/no question in Italian just by

adding a question mark (and changing the way you speak)!– Mangi la pasta. You eat pasta.– Mangi la pasta? Do you eat pasta?– Studia l’italiano. S/he studies Italian.– Studia l’italiano? Does s/he study Italian?

• This is useful to say what people do not do!– Non mangio la carne. I don’t eat meat.– Luigi non gioca a calcio. Luigi doesn’t play soccer.– Perché non parli con Lucia? Why don’t you talk

to Lucia?– Non abitiamo a Solon. We do not live in Solon.– Non parlate francese. All y’all do not speak

French.

This is useful to describe what people are doing (now or in the near future).

• Maria balla. Maria is dancing.• Giorgio mangia. Giorgio is eating.• Io telefono a mia madre. I am calling my

mother.• Ti alzi alle 7 domani? Are you getting up at 7

tomorrow?• Mangi a Chipotle stasera? Are you eating at

Chipotle tonight?