Italian conjugation explanation

Irregular Gerund stems (bere, dire, fare, trarre)

<p>In Italian, the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/47/" target="_blank">Gerund</a>

is typically formed by replacing the infinitive endings (<span style="font-style: italic;">-are, -ere, -ire</span>) with <strong>-ando</strong> or <strong>-endo</strong>. However, several common verbs have <strong>contracted infinitives</strong> in modern Italian (usually ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">-rre</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">-re</span> preceded by a vowel).</p>

<p>For these verbs, you cannot simply form the gerund from the modern infinitive. Instead, they revert to their <strong>original Latin stem</strong> (or full stem) to form the gerund. This is the same stem used for the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank">Imperfect Indicative</a>

(e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">facevo, dicevo, bevevo</span>).</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Common Irregular Gerunds</div>

<ul>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/fare/" title="Click to see conjugations for fare" target="_blank">fare</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to do/make</span>)</div>

<div>Latin stem: <strong>fac</strong>ere &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">facendo</span></div>

<div>Mistake: <span class="red_emphasis">fando</span></div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/dire/" title="Click to see conjugations for dire" target="_blank">dire</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to say</span>)</div>

<div>Latin stem: <strong>dic</strong>ere &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">dicendo</span></div>

<div>Mistake: <span class="red_emphasis">dendo</span></div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/bere/" title="Click to see conjugations for bere" target="_blank">bere</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to drink</span>)</div>

<div>Latin stem: <strong>bev</strong>ere &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">bevendo</span></div>

<div>Mistake: <span class="red_emphasis">berendo</span></div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/porre/" title="Click to see conjugations for porre" target="_blank">porre</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to put/place</span>)</div>

<div>Latin stem: <strong>pon</strong>ere &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">ponendo</span></div>

</li>

<li>

<div><span style="font-style: italic;">trarre</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">to pull/draw</span>)</div>

<div>Latin stem: <strong>tra</strong>ere &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">traendo</span></div>

</li>

<li>

<div>Verbs ending in

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/italian_orthograpic_change_durre/" target="_blank">-durre</a>

(like

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/produrre/" title="Click to see conjugations for produrre" target="_blank">produrre</a>

or

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/condurre/" title="Click to see conjugations for condurre" target="_blank">condurre</a>

)</div>

<div>Latin stem: <strong>duc</strong>ere &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">producendo</span>, <span class="green_emphasis">conducendo</span></div>

</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Derivative Verbs</div>

<p>This irregularity also applies to all <strong>derivative verbs</strong> (verbs formed by adding a prefix to the base verb). Even if the prefix changes the meaning, the stem change for the gerund remains the same.</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/rifare/" title="Click to see conjugations for rifare" target="_blank">rifare</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">re-</span> + <span style="font-style: italic;">fare</span>) &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">rifacendo</span></div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/proporre/" title="Click to see conjugations for proporre" target="_blank">proporre</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">pro-</span> + <span style="font-style: italic;">porre</span>) &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">proponendo</span></div>

</li>

<li>

<div>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/distrarre/" title="Click to see conjugations for distrarre" target="_blank">distrarre</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">dis-</span> + <span style="font-style: italic;">trarre</span>) &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">distraendo</span></div>

</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Examples in Context</div>

<p>These verbs are frequently used in the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/130/" target="_blank">Present Continuous</a>

structure (<span style="font-style: italic;">stare</span> + gerund).</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Che cosa <span class="brown_emphasis">stai</span> <span class="green_emphasis">facendo</span>? (<span style="font-style: italic;">What are you doing?</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Marco <span class="brown_emphasis">sta</span> <span class="green_emphasis">bevendo</span> un bicchiere d'acqua. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Marco is drinking a glass of water.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Il direttore <span class="brown_emphasis">sta</span> <span class="green_emphasis">proponendo</span> una nuova strategia. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The director is proposing a new strategy.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"><span class="brown_emphasis">Stavo</span> <span class="green_emphasis">dicendo</span> che mi dispiace. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I was saying that I am sorry.</span>)</div>