Italian conjugation explanation

Spelling change: -gare → -gh-

<p>In Italian, the pronunciation of the letter <strong>g</strong> depends on the vowel that follows it. To <strong>preserve the hard sound</strong> of the infinitive in verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic">-gare</strong>, a spelling change is required in certain tenses.</p>

<p>Normally, <span style="font-style: italic">g</span> followed by <span style="font-style: italic">e</span> or <span style="font-style: italic">i</span> becomes soft (pronounced /dʒ/, like the 'j' in <span style="font-style: italic">joke</span>). To maintain the original hard /g/ sound (like the 'g' in <span style="font-style: italic">go</span>) found in the infinitive, we must insert an <strong>h</strong> before these vowels.</p>

<p style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">gare &#8594; ghe / ghi</p>

<p>Common verbs affected by this rule include

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

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

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

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

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

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">When does this happen?</div>

<p>This spelling change occurs whenever the conjugational ending starts with an <strong>e</strong> or an <strong>i</strong>.</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>Present Indicative:</strong> S/2 (<span style="font-style: italic">tu</span>) and P/1 (<span style="font-style: italic">noi</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Tu non <span class="green_emphasis">paghi</span> mai il conto. (<span style="font-style: italic">You never pay the bill.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Future and Conditional:</strong> All forms</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ti <span class="green_emphasis">spiegherò</span> tutto domani. (<span style="font-style: italic">I will explain everything to you tomorrow.</span>)</div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Present Subjunctive:</strong> All forms</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Non voglio che noi <span class="green_emphasis">litighiamo</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic">I don't want us to argue.</span>)</div>

</li>

</ul>

<p>This pattern is identical to the rule for

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/italian_orthograpic_change_care_ch/" target="_blank">verbs ending in -care</a>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Conjugation Tables</div>

<p>In the following tables for

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

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/36/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

io

</span>pago

</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">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

lui

</span>paga

</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">paghiamo<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

voi

</span>pagate

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

loro

</span>pagano

</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/40/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Futuro semplice</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">pagherò<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagherai<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagherà<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagheremo<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagherete<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagheranno<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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/41/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente congiuntivo</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">

che io

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

che tu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

che lui

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

che noi

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghiamo<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

che voi

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghiate<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">

che loro

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghino<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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/43/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Condizionale</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">pagherei<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagheresti<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagherebbe<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagheremmo<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">paghereste<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">pagherebbero<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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/44/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(tu)

</span>paga

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(Lei)

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">paghi<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</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">paghiamo<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

(voi)

</span>pagate

</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">paghino<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>