–Are Verbs in the Present Tense
Almost all –are verbs are regular — that is, they follow a pattern of conjugation. Once you learn this pattern, conjugating most –are verbs is easy! To conjugate the first conjugation verbs in the present tense, remove the –are ending and replace it with a different ending for each subject:
Singular |
Plural |
io parlo (I speak) ee-oh PAHR-loh |
noi parliamo (we speak) noy pahr-lee-AHM-oh |
tu parli (you speak) too PAHR-lee |
voi parlate (you speak) voy pahr-LAH-tay |
lui parla (he speaks) loo-ee PAHR-lah |
loro parlano (they speak) law-roh PAHR-lah-noh |
lei parla (she speaks) lay PAHR-lah |
|
Lei parla (you [formal] speak) lay PAHR-lah |
Loro parlano (you [formal] speak) law-roh PAHR-lah-noh |
The present tense in Italian can carry different meanings in English, depending on the context:
Io parlo italiano can mean “I speak Italian,” “I am speaking Italian,” or “I do speak Italian.”
Io non parlo italiano can mean “I don't speak Italian” or “I am not speaking Italian.”
The present tense in Italian can also be used to express an action that will take place in the future:
Stasera guardo la televisione.
I will watch TV this evening.
