Imperfect Tense: Understand the usage and conjugation

The imperfect tense is used to talk about ongoing or habitual actions that happened in the past. It is mainly used in Italian to describe past events that were in progress, without a specific beginning or end. In this guide, we will cover the usage and conjugation of the imperfect tense in the Italian language.

Usage of the Imperfect Tense

1. Expressing ongoing actions in the past: The imperfect tense is used to describe actions or states that were ongoing in the past. It emphasizes the duration or repetition of an action. For example:

   • Stavo studiando (I was studying)
   • Mangiavamo la pizza ogni venerdì (We used to eat pizza every Friday)

2. Describing simultaneous actions: The imperfect tense is also used to describe two or more actions that were happening simultaneously in the past. For example:

   • Mentre leggevo, pioveva (While I was reading, it was raining)
   • Mentre mangiavamo, parlavamo di calcio (While we were eating, we were talking about soccer)

3. Expressing past habits or routines: The imperfect tense is commonly used to talk about past habits or routines. It indicates actions that were regularly performed in the past. For example:

   • Giocavo a tennis ogni lunedì (I used to play tennis every Monday)
   • Mia nonna mi raccontava una storia ogni sera (My grandmother used to tell me a story every evening)

Conjugation of the Imperfect Tense

To conjugate verbs in the imperfect tense, follow these steps:

1. Start with the infinitive form of the verb.
2. Remove the infinitive ending (-are, -ere, or -ire).
3. Add the appropriate endings for each subject pronoun:

Subject Pronoun	-are Verbs	-ere Verbs	-ire Verbs
Io	-avo	-evo	-ivo
Tu	-avi	-evi	-ivi
Lui/Lei	-ava	-eva	-iva
Noi	-avamo	-evamo	-ivamo
Voi	-avate	-evate	-ivate
Loro	-avano	-evano	-ivano

For example, let's conjugate the verbs "parlare" (to speak), "leggere" (to read), and "dormire" (to sleep) in the imperfect tense:

• Io parlavo

• Tu parlavi

• Lui/Lei parlava

• Noi parlavamo

• Voi parlavate

• Loro parlavano

• Io leggevo

• Tu leggevi

• Lui/Lei leggeva

• Noi leggevamo

• Voi leggevate

• Loro leggevano

• Io dormivo

• Tu dormivi

• Lui/Lei dormiva

• Noi dormivamo

• Voi dormivate

• Loro dormivano

Key Points to Remember

• The imperfect tense is used to talk about ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
• It describes actions that were in progress, without a specific beginning or end.
• It is also used to describe simultaneous actions or past habits/routines.
• To conjugate verbs in the imperfect tense, remove the infinitive ending and add the appropriate endings for each subject pronoun.

Great job! Now you have a good understanding of the usage and conjugation of the imperfect tense in Italian. Practice using it in conversations and written exercises to strengthen your skills.