1. Punto di partenza
As you learned in Lezione 1B, the infinitive is the basic form of a verb. In English, it is preceded by the word to: to be, to play, to eat, and so on. The infinitive in Italian is a one-word form consisting of a stem and one of three characteristic endings: -are, -ere, or -ire.
parlare
to speak
lẹggere
to read
partire
to leave
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2. To form the present tense of a regular -are verb, drop the -are and add the endings that correspond to each person to the stem.
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3. Use the same endings to conjugate other regular -are verbs in the present tense.
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4. The English equivalent of the Italian present tense varies depending on the context of the sentence.
Carlo balla.
Suoni la chitarra domani?
Carlo dances.
Carlo is dancing.
Carlo does dance.
Do you play the guitar tomorrow?
Are you playing the guitar tomorrow?
Will you play the guitar tomorrow?
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5. Verbs whose stems end in -c or -g require a spelling change in the tu and noi forms. Add an h to the stem in order to maintain the hard sound of the c or g.
Giochiamo a pallacanestro.
We are playing basketball.
Spieghi le regole del gioco.
You explain the rules of the game.
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6. To create the tu and noi forms of most verbs with stems ending in -i, such as mangiare and studiare, drop the i before adding the ending.
Mangi il pesce?
Do you eat fish?
Studi bene.
You study well.
Mangiamo allo stadio.
We eat at the stadium.
Studiamo fra un’ora.
We’ll study in an hour.
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7. Some common verbs that are followed by a preposition in English do not take a preposition in Italian.
Ascoltano la musica rap.
They listen to rap music.
Aspetta la sua amica.
She’s waiting for her friend.
Cerco una bicicletta.
I am looking for a bicycle.
Guardi il giocatore?
Are you looking at the player?
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8. Other verbs may require the use of a preposition in Italian, especially when followed by an infinitive.
Telefonano a Luigi.
They’re telephoning Luigi.
Impara a nuotare.
He is learning to swim.
Giochiamo a calcio.
We’re playing soccer.
Cominciate a parlare.
You begin to speak.
Penso a loro.
I’m thinking about them.
Penso di studiare arabo.
I’m thinking of studying Arabic.
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9. 1. Io _______ (parlare) italiano.
Complete the sentences with the correct present tense form of each verb in parentheses.
1. Io _______ (parlare) italiano.
2. Giulia e Anna non _______ (studiare) spagnolo.
3. Lei _______ (cercare) una palestra vicino a casa.
4. Noi _______ (mangiare) il pesce il venerdì.
5. Tu _______ (giocare) a calcio.
6. Franca _______ (viaggiare) spesso in Europa.
7. Io e Marcello _______ (pensare) di andare alla partita.
8. Tu e Annabella _______ (incontrare) Jacopo oggi?
parlo
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