La negazione - Negation

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OUR NEW NAME AND ADDRESS IS VIA OPTIMAE! {www.viaoptimae.com}

Didattichiamo! will slowly be phased out, so read this post on our new site and subscribe by email to receive our latest updates.

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After covering the simple tense of -ARE, -ERE, and -IRE verbs, you are able to conjugate a large number of regular verbs and express a large number of concepts.  

You may want to have your worksheets and conjugation practice handy from the previous lessons.  If you missed them, or need more review, start there first: 

UPDATE: all links redirect to the same post on the new site, VIA OPTIMAE
  (1) How Italian verbs work (Intro to verbs & grammar terms)
  (2) Italian present tense: -ARE verbs
  (3) Italian present tense: -ERE verbs
  (4) Italian present tense: -IRE verbs

For example, you know that "mangiare" means "to eat", and it's a regular -ARE verb, so "I eat" is:

Mangio

"Leggere" is a regular -ERE verb that means "to read", so "I read" is:

Leggo

"Dormire" is a regular -IRE verb that means "to sleep", so "I sleep" is:

Dormo

"Finire"  is a regular -IRE verb that takes -ISC- and means "to finish" so "I finish" is:

Finisco

So, collectively, we have:

Mangio, leggo, dormo e finisco.

I eat, I read, I sleep and I finish.

But how do you say…

I don't eat?

I don't read?

I don't sleep?

I don't finish?

Luckily for us, Italian negation is much simpler than English… you just add "non" before the verb.

So, "I don't eat" is:

Non mangio

"I don't read" is:

Non leggo

"I don't sleep" is:

Non dormo

and "I don't finish" is:

Non finisco

Easy right?  

(Hear "non" pronounced by native speaker PhoenixLo at Forvo.com: )

Looking at some of the conjugation tables that you completed in previous lessons, try repeating each verb aloud, adding the negation "non" to each.



Double negatives
In English, we are taught that double negatives are bad… "I don't never eat" sounds at best confusing, and at worst just plain wrong.

In Italian, however, double negatives are required.  Let's see how that works:


"Never", in Italian, is: 

mai

never

(sounds a bit like the English "my"...hear it pronounced thanks to Heracleum at Forvo.com!)

So to say "I never do something" you must use both "non"  and "mai" as follows:

So "I never eat" is:

Non mangio mai.

I never eat.

Using the above, try translating the following:

(highlight below each to reveal answers)

I never read.

Non leggo mai.

I never sleep.

Non dormo mai.

I never finish...

Non finisco mai...

Again, review your conjugation tables and try saying each verb out loud, adding the formula "non" (verb) "mai"… 

I made a worksheet, with a quick summary of the concepts discussed as well as practice exercises, available as a free downloadable PDF: 

UPDATE: the worksheet can now be accessed from this post on the new site VIA OPTIMAE

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La negazione- Negation Worksheet PDF

(UPDATE: redirects to this post on the new site VIA OPTIMAE)

  

That's it! I leave you now with one more example:

Non mi stanco mai di studiare.

I never get tired of studying.

E tu?

-Alex

P.S. Feel free to submit your answers to didattichiamo (@) gmail.com for free corrections! UPDATE: viaoptimae {@gmail.com}

Ready to move on to the next lesson in this series?

TRY:  Ogni quanto? Quante volte?: The Simple Present Tense & Expressions of Frequency UPDATE: redirects to the same post on the new site, VIA OPTIMAE

Italian present tense: -IRE verbs

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OUR NEW NAME AND ADDRESS IS VIA OPTIMAE! {www.viaoptimae.com}

Didattichiamo! will slowly be phased out, so read this post on our new site and subscribe by email to receive our latest updates.

---

Today, we're going to look at the Simple Present Tense and in particular, -IRE verbs: 

In case you missed the previous posts in this series, start there first:  UPDATE: all links redirect to the same posts on the new site, Via Optimae
  (1) How Italian verbs work, (Intro to verbs & grammar terms)
  (2) Italian present tense: -ARE verbs
  (3) Italian present tense: -ERE verbs

-IRE verbs are divided into two groups:

The first group is "normal":  drop the infinitive ending (-IRE) and add the present tense -IRE endings:

So, if I wanted to conjugate the regular -IRE verb 'dormire' (to sleep) in the first person singular or 'io' it would look like this:

Dormo 

I sleep

Dormo di lato.

I sleep on my side.

Applying the same conjugation process to all the other subjects, I end up with this chart:

+

↓

-Dormi di lato?

Do you sleep on your side?

-Sì, dormo di lato.

Yes, I sleep on my side.

-Dormono di lato?

Do they sleep on their side?

-No, dormono a pancia in giù.

No, they sleep on their stomach.

Using the above examples as clues, how would you say:  "We sleep on our side" ? ("We" is "noi", review subject pronouns if needed in: How Italian Verbs Work— UPDATE: links to the same post on the new site, Via Optimae)

[Highlight below to reveal answer]

Dormiamo di lato.

Here are some other regular in the present tense -IRE verbs:

sentire - to sense (esp. hear)

aprire - to open

offrire - to offer

Can you write out the present tense conjugations for each?  

↓

~ I recommend writing them out in a two column, three row table format so that you can refer back to them easily…   You can also use one of the following free printable PDFs… Choose either blank or with a quick summary:

UPDATE: all links (including worksheet links) redirect you to this post on the new site: Via Optimae

Blank conjugation tables

(Blank so you can use them to practice any tense conjugation)

-or-

Italian simple present tense -IRE Summary and tables 
(A summary of this lesson next to blank tables to help you practice.)

~

You can verify your answers or look up the conjugation for any verb/tense in Word Reference's handy conjugator:

..

The simple present tense is the first column of the first row labeled "presente."

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The second group of -IRE verbs take -ISC- What does that mean?  You just add an -ISC- after the stem of the verb and before the -IRE present tense endings.  This is done for all of the subjects, except noi and voi.

So, to conjugate one of the -ISC- verbs, 'finire' in the 1st person "io", I drop the -IRE, add -ISC- and then add the "io" present tense ending "o."

Finisco 

I finish

Finisco di lavorare presto.

I finish work early.

The same process is done for all the other subjects, except noi and voi which don't take the -ISC:

The subjects that take -ISC- are inside the green "boot."

-Finisci di lavorare presto?

Do you finish work early?

-Sì, finisco di lavorare presto.

Yes, I finish work early.

-Finiscono di lavorare presto?

Do they finish work early on Tuesdays?

-No, non finiscono di lavorare presto.

No, they don't finish work early.

Using the above examples as clues, how would you say:  "We finish work early." ? ("We" is "noi", review subject pronouns if needed in: How Italian Verbs Work— UPDATE: redirects you to same post on the new site, Via Optimae)

[Highlight below to reveal answer]

Finiamo di lavorare presto.

Here are some other -IRE verbs that take -ISC-:

capire - to understand

pulire - to clean

Can you write out the present tense conjugations for each?  

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if an -IRE verb takes -ISC- just by looking… You'll just have to memorize which is which… All the verbs in the image at the beginning of the post are regular— the ones marked with asterisks (*) take -ISC-.  Look them up in a dictionary if necessary and use them to practice!

Happy Conjugating!

-Alex

Want more conjugation practice?
Try these free online -IRE verb conjugation exercises:

Conjuguemos: Italian -IRE verbs 
Conjuguemos: Italian -IRE verbs that take -ISC-

Ready to move on to the next lesson in this series?

TRY:  La negazione - Negation (UPDATE: redirects you to the same post on the new site, Via Optimae)

Italian present tense: -ERE verbs

---

OUR NEW NAME AND ADDRESS IS VIA OPTIMAE! {www.viaoptimae.com}

Didattichiamo! will slowly be phased out, so read this post on our new site and subscribe by email to receive our latest updates.

---

Today, we're going to look at the Simple Present Tense and in particular, -ERE verbs: 

In case you missed the previous posts in this series, start there first:  UPDATE: all links redirect to the same posts on the new site, Via Optimae
  (1) How Italian verbs work, (Intro to verbs & grammar terms)
  (2) Italian present tense: -ARE verbs

Today, we're going to look at the Simple Present Tense and in particular, -ERE verbs: 

To conjugate -ERE verbs in the simple present tense, just drop the -ERE from the infinitive form, and add one of the following endings:

So, if I wanted to conjugate the regular verb: 'credere' (to believe) in the first person singular or 'io' it would look like this:

Credo 

I believe

Credo nei miracoli.

I believe in miracles.

Applying the same conjugation process to all the other subjects, I end up with this chart:

+

↓

-Credi nei miracoli?

Do you believe in miracles?

-Sì, credo nei miracoli.

Yes, I believe in miracles.

-Credono nei miracoli?

Do they believe in miracles?

-No, non credono nei miracoli.

No, they don't believe in miracles.

Using the above examples as clues, how would you say:  "We believe in miracles." ? ("We" is "noi", review subject pronouns if needed in: How Italian Verbs Work— redirects to same post on the new site, Via Optimae)

[Highlight below to reveal answer]

Crediamo nei miracoli.

Here are some other regular -ERE verbs:

prendere - to take

scrivere - to write

vivere - to live

Can you write out the present tense conjugations for each?  

↓

~

I recommend writing them out in a two column, three row table format so that you can refer back to them easily…   You can also use one of the following free printable PDFs… Choose either blank or with a quick summary:

UPDATE:  All links (including those for the worksheets) redirect you to this post on the new site, Via Optimae

Blank conjugation tables
(Blank so you can use them to practice any tense conjugation)

-or-

Italian simple present tense -ERE Summary and tables 
(A summary of this lesson next to blank tables to help you practice.)

~

You can verify your answers or look up the conjugation for any verb/tense in Word Reference's handy conjugator:

..

The simple present tense is the first column of the first row labeled "presente."

~

A note on consonant sound changes

In Italian present tense: -ARE verbs we talked about how the letter /h/ is added to certain conjugations so that the verb maintains its original consonant sound in all the forms.

-ERE verbs are a bit different, and seem to like consonant sound changes.  So if you're conjugating and find that when you add the new ending, the consonant changes, it's probably correct as is. 

This change in consonant sound occurs in verbs with stems that end in the "g" or "c." Let's look at some examples:

leggere  /ˈlɛddʒere/

to read

In the infinitive, the g's are followed by the letter /e/ which means you pronounce it "soft" (like the /j/ in the English "jester").

When you conjugate it into the 1st person, you add an "o" and that changes the sound of the /g/ from "soft" to "hard" (like the /g/ in the English "go".)

For -ERE verbs, this consonant sound change is okay!  Let's look at all the forms of "leggere"

The consonant sounds are different (like /g/ in English "go") for the "io" and "loro" forms.

conoscere  /koˈnoʃʃere/

to know, be familiar with

In the infinitive, the /sc/ is followed by an /e/ which means you pronounce it "soft", like the "sh" in the English "share".

When you conjugate it into the 1st person, you add an "o" and that changes the sound of the /sc/ from "soft" to "hard", it becomes like the "sk" in the English  "ski".

Again, the consonant sound change happens in both the "io" and the "loro" forms:

As you can see, 'leggere' and 'conoscere' are both conjugated completely regularly.  You don't need to worry about any spelling changes for them.

Full pronunciation of all present tense forms of "leggere" and "conoscere" available through RhinoSpike (Special thanks to native speaker Gabriella for doing the recording!)

That's it for now on -ERE verbs... keep practicing your conjugation until it becomes natural to you!  (You can use the words in the image at the beginning of the post– they're all regular!)

Happy Conjugating!

-Alex

Want more conjugation practice?
Try this free online -ERE verb conjugation exercise:

Conjuguemos: Italian -ERE verbs 

Ready to move on to the next lesson in this series?

TRY:  Italian Present Tense: -IRE verbs (UPDATE: redirects to the same post on the new site, Via Optimae)

Italian present tense: -ARE verbs

---

OUR NEW NAME AND ADDRESS IS VIA OPTIMAE! {www.viaoptimae.com}

Didattichiamo! will slowly be phased out, so read this post on our new site and subscribe by email to receive our latest updates.

---

As I said in: How Italian verbs work, (Start there if you missed it!— UPDATE: redirects to same post on the new site, Via Optimae) Italian verbs are all about knowing how to identify the stem, and add the appropriate ending for each subject/tense.  

Today, we're going to look at the Simple Present Tense and in particular, -ARE verbs: 

[We'll cover -ERE and -IRE forms at a later date —Again, review How Italian verbs work (redirects you to the same post on the new site, Via Optimae) in case you're not sure what that means]

To conjugate -ARE verbs in the simple present tense, just drop the -ARE from the infinitive form, and add one of the following endings:

So, if I wanted to conjugate the regular verb: 'parlare' in the first person singular or 'io' it would look like this:

Parlo 

I speak

Parlo l'italiano.

I speak Italian.

Applying the same conjugation process to all the other subjects, I end up with this chart:

↓

-Parli l'italiano?

Do you speak Italian?

-Sì, parlo l'italiano.

Yes, I speak Italian.

-Parlano l'italiano?

Do they speak Italian?

-No, parlano l'inglese.

No, they speak English.

Using the above examples as clues, how would you say:  "We speak Italian." ? ("We" is "noi", review subject pronouns if needed in: How Italian Verbs Work)

[Highlight below to reveal answer]

Parliamo l'italiano.

Here are some other regular -ARE verbs:

portare - to bring

amare - to love

arrivare - to arrive

trovare - to find

Can you write out the present tense conjugations for each?  

↓

~ I recommend writing them out in a two column, three row table format so that you can refer back to them easily…   You can also use one of the following free printable PDFs… Choose either blank or with a quick summary:

UPDATE:  Worksheet links will redirect you to this post on the new site, Via Optimae

Blank conjugation tables
(Blank so you can use them to practice any tense conjugation)

-or-

Italian simple present tense -ARE Summary and tables 
(A summary of this lesson next to blank tables to help you practice.)

~

You can verify your answers or look up the conjugation for any verb/tense in Word Reference's handy conjugator:

..

The simple present tense is the first column of the first row labeled "presente."

Spell-change verbs

There are other verbs that are regular, except when you add the regular endings, it creates weird letter combinations or sounds in Italian.  These are called Spell-change verbs.

One example is mangiare.  If you simply drop the -ARE as you are supposed to and conjugate, you will get the following forms:

io mangio✓

tu mangii ✗ (why so many i's?, should be mangi)

lui/lei mangia ✓

noi mangiiamo ✗ (again, why so many i's? should be mangiamo)

voi mangiate ✓

loro mangiano ✓

To avoid the "too many i's syndrome", you just drop one of them… A quick spelling change so that you're left with normal forms:

Other Spell-change verbs add an "h" to some of the forms so that the verb maintains its original sound.  This is because of how "c" and "g" are pronounced depending on the vowel that follows.

"C" when followed by an "o", "a", or "u" makes a hard sound, like a "k" in English:

giocare  /dʒoˈkare/  (listen to pronunciation on wordreference) 

to play

"C" when followed by an "i" or an "e" makes a sound like "ch" in English:

cinque /ˈtʃinkwe/ (listen to pronunciation on wordreference)

five

When you conjugate 'giocare' in the present tense following the normal rules, you'll get the following:

io gioco✓  (the "c" maintains its "k" sound)

tu gioci ✗ (oops the "c" is like "ch" we need an h! giochi✓)

lui/lei gioca ✓

noi giociamo ✗ (again, our "c" is now "ch" we need an h! giochiamo✓)

voi giocate ✓

loro giocano ✓

The "h" in the above examples tells readers: "Say this like a k!"  By adding the "h" we maintain the original sound of the verb.  All the correct forms:

Now with the "h" all the forms maintain the same "k" sound as the original infinitive "giocare"

Similarly, "g" also makes a "hard" sound (like the "g" in "great) when followed by "a", "o", or "u":

pagare /paˈgare/ (listen to pronunciation on wordreference)

to pay

When followed by a "e" or "i" the "g" becomes "soft" like the "j" in English 'judge'.

giusto     /ˈdʒusto/    (listen to pronunciation on wordreference)

just, fair

When you conjugate 'pagare' in the present tense following the normal rules, you'll get the following:

io pago✓  (the "g" maintains its hard sound)

tu pagi ✗ (oops the "g" is now like "j" of judge we need an h! paghi✓)

lui/lei paga ✓

noi pagiamo ✗ (again, our "g" has changed, we need an h! paghiamo✓)

voi pagate ✓

loro pagano ✓

The "h" in the "tu" and "noi" forms tells us to keep the hard sound, so now all the forms have the same "g" sound as the original infinitive:

Here are some more spell-change -ARE verbs.  Using the rules above, can you conjugate and incorporate the appropriate spelling changes?

[Again, you can use either the blank conjugation tables or the conjugation tables plus -ARE present tense review as worksheets, if desired.]

elogiare   [check your answers]

to praise 

mancare  [check your answers]

to be missing 

legare     [check your answers]

to tie, fasten

That's it for now on -ARE verbs... keep practicing until the forms become natural to you.  Use the words in the image at the beginning of the post- they're all regular or spell-change -ARE verbs!

Happy Conjugating!

-Alex

Ready to move on to the next lesson in this series?

TRY:  Italian Present Tense: -ERE verbs (redirects you to new site, Via Optimae)

Try this free online -ARE verb conjugation exercise:

Conjuguemos: Italian -ARE verbs