Italian conjugation explanation
Irregular stems in the Imperfect
<p>While the
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank">Imperfect tense</a>
(<span style="font-style: italic;">l'imperfetto</span>) is generally considered very regular in Italian, there is a specific group of verbs that poses a challenge. These are often called "contracted" verbs because their modern infinitive is shorter than their historical Latin root.</p><p>To conjugate these verbs correctly in the Imperfect, you cannot simply remove the <span style="font-style: italic;">-re</span> from the infinitive (which would result in incorrect forms like <span class="red_emphasis">favo</span> or <span class="red_emphasis">divo</span>). Instead, you must revert to the <strong>original stem</strong>.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The Latin Stems</div>
<p>The following common verbs recover their historical stems in the Imperfect. Once you have the correct stem, the endings normally follow the regular <span style="font-style: italic;">-ere</span> conjugation pattern (<span style="font-style: italic;">-evo, -evi, -eva, -evamo, -evate, -evano</span>).</p>
<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>
→ stem <strong>fac-</strong> (from Latin <span style="font-style: italic;">facere</span>)</div><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Che cosa <span class="green_emphasis">facevi</span> ieri? (<span style="font-style: italic;">What were you doing yesterday?</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>
→ stem <strong>dic-</strong> (from Latin <span style="font-style: italic;">dicere</span>)</div><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Mio nonno <span class="green_emphasis">diceva</span> sempre la verità. (<span style="font-style: italic;">My grandfather always told the truth.</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>
→ stem <strong>bev-</strong> (from Latin <span style="font-style: italic;">bevere</span>)</div><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Lui non <span class="green_emphasis">beveva</span> mai il vino. (<span style="font-style: italic;">He never drank wine.</span>)</div>
</li>
<li>
<div>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/attrarre/" title="Click to see conjugations for attrarre" target="_blank">trarre</a>
→ stem <strong>tra-</strong> (from Latin <span style="font-style: italic;">trahere</span>)</div><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">L'artista <span class="green_emphasis">traeva</span> ispirazione dalla natura. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The artist drew inspiration from nature.</span>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>This pattern also applies to
<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;">ponevo</span>) and verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-durre</strong>, such as<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/ita/condurre/" title="Click to see conjugations for condurre" target="_blank">condurre</a>
, which use the stem <strong>-duc-</strong> (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">conducevo</span>). You can read more about that specific group in the explanation for<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/italian_orthograpic_change_durre/" target="_blank">verbs ending in -durre</a>
.</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Conjugation Tables</div>
<p>In the following tables, notice how the stem (fac-, dic-, bev-) remains consistent while the endings change regularly:</p>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperfetto</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
io
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fac<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evo</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fac<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evi</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fac<span style="text-decoration: underline;">eva</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fac<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evamo</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fac<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evate</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fac<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evano</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperfetto</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
io
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dic<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evo</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dic<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evi</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dic<span style="text-decoration: underline;">eva</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dic<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evamo</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dic<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evate</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">dic<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evano</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/38/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperfetto</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
io
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">bev<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evo</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tu
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">bev<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evi</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
lui
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">bev<span style="text-decoration: underline;">eva</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
noi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">bev<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evamo</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
voi
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">bev<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evate</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
loro
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">bev<span style="text-decoration: underline;">evano</span><span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>