Chapter 13 - Simple Past Tense
The Simple Past Tense is used to describe an action which occurred at a specified time, and is now over.
The simple past tense is a completed action, such as I went to the store, I called my sister, and so on. It is almost always accompanied by an expression of time.
For example, In 1492, Columbus sailed to the New World, Yesterday, I spoke to Helen. On Tuesday, we ate at an Italian restaurant.
This tense is used to recount a story or an historical event. In ordinary speech, it is seldom used.
The simple past tense is the most complex of the tenses in the Italian language, with many irregularities, and exceptions to general rules.
An attempt was made here to include many, but not all of the irregular verbs, as many verbs are merely compounds of base verbs.
For example, aggiụngere, congiụngere, disgiụngere, and so on are compounds of giụngere.
For the full list of verbs, the reader should consult the appendix.
The endings for this tense are added to the stems. There are three sets of endings, one for each verb group.
Group 1 verbs end in -are. The model for this group is the verb parlare, to speak; its stem is parl-.
The endings are shown in italics, and they are the same for all of the regular verbs in this group.
Often, accent marks are not used in written Italian, however, in this text, accent marks will be used when departures from the usual pronunciation rules occur.
| I spoke, did speak | Io | parl + ai | parlai (pahr-lAH-ee) |
| you spoke, did speak | Tu | parl + asti | parlasti (pahr-lAH-stee) |
| he, she, who spoke, did speak | Lei, lui, chi | parl + ò | parlò (pahr-lAW) |
| we spoke, did speak | Noi | parl + ammo | parlammo (pahr-lAHm-moh) |
| you spoke, did speak | Voi | parl + aste | parlaste (pahr-lAH-stay) |
| they, who spoke, did speak | Loro, Chi | parl + ạrono | parlạrono (pahr-lAH-roh-noh) |
In group 1, the following verbs are irregular in the past tense
dare, to give: detti, dẹsti, dette, dẹmmo, dẹste, dẹttero
Like dare ridare, to give back
ristare, to stop, desist stare, to stand
fare, to do, make: fẹci, facẹsti, fẹce, facẹmmo, facẹste, fẹcero
[the endings -ẹci, -acẹsti, -ẹce, -acẹmmo, -acẹste, and -ẹcero are added to the stems]
| Like fare: | assuefare, to accustom, inure | contraffare, to counterfeit |
| disfare, to undo | liquefare, to liquify | putrefare, to putrify |
| rarefare, to rarefy | rifare, to do over, repeat | sfare, to undo, to thaw, melt |
| soddisfare, to satisfy | soprafare, to overwhelm | strafare, to do too much, overdo |
| stupefare, to stupefy | torrefare, to roast | tumefare, to swell |
Group 2 verbs end in -ere or -rre. The model for this group is the verb credere, to believe; its stem is cred-.
The endings are shown in italics, and they are the same for all regular verbs in this group.
| I believed, did believe | Io | cred +ẹi | credẹi (cray-dAY-ee) |
| You believed, did believe | Tu | cred + ẹsti | credẹsti (cray-dAYs-tee) |
| He, she, who believed, did believe | Lei, Lui, Chi | cred + è | credè (cray-dEH) |
| We believed, did believe | Noi | cred + ẹmmo | credẹmmo (cray-dAYm-moh) |
| You believed, did believe | Voi | cred + ẹste | credẹste (cray-dAYs-tay) |
| They, who believed, did believe | Loro, Chi | cred + ẹrono | credẹrono (cray-dAY-roh-noh) |
Pronunciation in the simple past tense is shown in the group model, but in group 2 there are many exceptions.
Often, accent marks are not used in written Italian, however, in this text, accent marks will be used when departures from the usual pronunciation rules occur.
In group 2, the following verbs are irregular in the simple past tense
accẹndere, to light: accesi, accendẹsti, accese, accendẹmmo, accendẹste, accẹsero
[The stems are shortened, and the endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sero are added to the
[stems. The reduced stem is shown in bold type. Compound forms of a verb (for example,
[aggiụngere, congiụngere, disgiụngere, which are compounds of giụngere ) have the same
[irregularities as the root verb. Some, but not all, of the compound verbs are listed here.]
NOTE The infinitive of these verbs is stressed on the stem, and an accent mark was used to show the stress.
| Like accẹndere: | ||
| acclụdere, to include | accǫrgersi, to perceive | aggiụngere, to add |
| allụdere, to allude | appẹndere, to append | apprẹndere, to learn |
| ạrdere, to burn | ascẹndere, to ascend | aspẹrgere, to sprinkle |
| assịdersi, to sit down | attẹndere, to wait | attịngere, to attain |
| attǫrcere, to twist | avvǫlgere, to wrap, wrap up | capovǫlgere, to overturn |
| chiẹdere, to ask | chiụdere, to close | cịngere, to gird |
| coincịdere, to coincide | coinvǫlgere, to involve | collịdere, to collide |
| comprẹndere, to comprehend | conclụdere, to conclude | condiscẹndere, to condescend |
| condivịdere, to share | contẹndere, to contend | contụndere, to bruise |
| cọrrere, to run | cospạrgere, to sprinkle, strew | costrịngere, to compel |
| decịdere, to decide | decọrrere, to elapse | delụdere, to delude |
| derịdere, to deride, mock | detẹrgere, to wash off or away | difẹndere, to defend |
| dipẹndere, to depend | dipịngere, to depict | disattẹndere, to disregard |
| discẹndere, to descend | dischiụdere, to disclose | discọrrere, to talk about |
| disgiụngere, to disjoin, sever | disillụdere, to disillusion | dispẹrdere, to disperse |
| dissǫlvere, to dissolve | dissuadere, to dissuade | distẹndere, to distend |
| distịnguere, to distinguish | distǫrcere, to distort | divẹrgere, to diverge |
| divịdere, to divide | elịdere, to elide | elụdere, to elude |
| emẹrgere, to emerge | ẹrgere, to raise, lift up | esclụdere, to exclude |
| esplǫdere, to explode | estịnguere, to extinguish | evạdere, to evade |
| fịngere, to feign | frạngere, to break, smash | fụngere, to act as someone |
| giụngere, to arrive | illụdere, to deceive | immẹrgere, to immerse |
| incịdere, to engrave | incọrrere, to incur | indụlgere, to indulge |
| infrạngere, to infringe | intercọrrere, to elapse | intrụdere, to intrude |
| invạdere, to invade | mǫrdere, to bite | mụngere, to milk |
| nascọndere, to hide | occọrrere, to occur | offẹndere, to offend |
| persuạdere, to persuade | piạngere, to weep | pǫrgere, to offer |
| precọrrere, to precede | predilịgere, to prefer a thing | prẹndere, to take |
| pụngere, to prick | rạdere, to shave | rẹndere, to give back |
| ricongiụngere, to rejoin | rịdere, to laugh | rimanere, to stay |
| rispọndere, to respond | risǫlvere, to resolve | scẹndere, to descend |
| sọrgere, to rise | spạndere, to spread | spạrgere, to disperse |
| spịngere, to push | strịngere, to press | tẹndere, to stretch |
| tẹrgere, to wipe | tịngere, to tint, dye | tǫrcere, to twist |
| trascọrrere, to pass, spend time | uccịdere. to kill | ụngere, to oil, grease |
| vịncere, to win | vǫlgere, to turn |
addurre, to adduce: addussi, adducẹsti, addusse, adducẹmmo, adducẹste, addụssero
[the stems vary from ~du- to ~duc-, and alternate set of endings ( -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -ssero) is used]
| Like addure: | condurre, to conduct, to lead | dedurre, to deduce |
| indurre, to induce | introdurre, to introduce | produrre, to produce |
| reintrodurre, to reintroduce | ricondurre, to bring back | ridurre, to reduce |
| riprodurre, to reproduce | sedurre, to seduce | tradurre, to translate |
afflịggere, to afflict: afflissi, affliggẹsti, afflisse, affliggẹmmo, affliggẹste, afflịssero
[the stems are shortened, and the endings -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, -ssero are added to the stems]
[the reduced stem is shown in bold type; compound forms (compiangere, ritịngere, and so on) have ]
[the same irregularities as the root verb. Some of the compound verbs are listed here.]
NOTE The infinitive of these verbs is stressed on the stem, and an accent mark was used to show the stress.
Like afflịggere:
| affịggere, to affix | annẹttere, to annex | circonflẹttere, to bend around |
| circoscrịvere, to circumscribe | concẹdere, to concede | confịggere, to nail |
| connẹttere, to connect | corrẹggere, to correct | corrispǫndere, to correspond |
| crocifịggere, to crucify | deflẹttere, to deflect | descrịvere, to describe |
| discụtere, to discuss | distrụggere, to destroy | elęggere, to elect |
| figgere, to fix, stick | frịggere, to fry | infịggere, to drive, thrust |
| lęggere, to read | inflịggere, to inflict | prefịggere, to arrange in advance |
| prescrịvere, to prescribe | proscrịvere, to proscribe | protẹggere, to protect |
| rẹggere, to hold | rescịndere, to rescind | rielęggere, to re-elect |
| riflẹttere, to reflect | rifrịggere, to refry | rilęggere, to read again |
| rivịvere, to revive | scịndere, to separate | sconfịggere, to defeat, vanquish |
| sconnẹttere, to disconnect | scrịvere, to write | strụggere, to melt, thaw |
| trafịggere, to transfigure | vịvere, to live |
assụmere, to assume: assunsi, assumẹsti, assunse, assumẹmmo, assumẹste, assụnsero
[the stem varies, and the endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, -sero are added to make the verbs]
Like assụmere: consụmere, to consume desụmere, to deduce, infer, gather
presụmere, to presume riassụmere, to resume
avere, to have: ẹbbi, avẹsti, ẹbbe, avẹmmo, avẹste, ẹbbero
bẹvere, to drink: bẹvvi, bevẹsti, bẹvve, bevẹmmo, bevẹste, bẹvvero
Like bevere: imbevere, to imbibe
cadere, to fall: caddi, cadẹsti, cadde, cadẹmmo, cadẹste, cạddero
Like cadere: accadere, to befall decadere, to decay
ricadere, to relapse, fall again scadere, to decline, deteriorate
cǫgliere, to gather: colsi, cogliẹsti, colse, cogliẹmmo, cogliẹste, cǫlsero
[the stem varies, and a different set of endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, -sero is used]
| Like cǫgliere: | accǫgliere, to welcome | disciǫgliere, to dissolve |
| distǫgliere, to withdraw | equivalere, to be equivalent | invalere, to catch on, become fashionable |
| prevalere, to prevail | riaccǫgliere, to readmit someone | ritǫgliere, to take away again |
| scẹgliere, to choose | sciǫgliere, to untie, to loosen | tǫgliere, to take away |
| valere, to be worth |
conọscere, to know : conọbbi, conoscẹsti, conọbbe, conoscẹmmo, conoscẹste, conọbbero
[the stem varies, and a different set of endings, -bbi, -ẹsti, -bbe, -ẹmmo, ẹste, -bbero is used]
Like conọscere: crẹscere, to grow decrẹscere, to decrease
disconọscere, to disclaim incrẹscere. to regret riconọscere, to recognize
rincrẹscere, to grow again
cuǫcere, to cook: cossi, cocẹsti, cosse, cocẹmmo, cocẹste, cǫssero
[the stem varies, and the endings -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -ssero are used]
Like cuǫcere: percuǫtere, to strike ricuǫcere, to recook
riscuǫtere, to collect, draw a salary scuǫcere, to overcook scuǫtere, to shake
stracuǫcere, to overdo
dirịgere, to direct: dirẹssi, dirigẹsti, dirẹsse, dirigẹmmo, dirigẹste, dirẹssero
[the stem is changed, and the endings -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sseroare used]
Like dirịgere: erịgere, to erect neglịgere, to neglect
eccẹllere, to excel: eccẹlsi, eccellẹsti, eccẹlse, eccellẹmmo, eccellẹste, eccẹlsero
[the stem is shortened, and the endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sero are used]
Like eccẹllere: divellere, to uproot svẹllere, to tear out
dolere, to suffer, ache: dolsi, dolẹsti, dolse, dolẹmmo, dolẹste, dǫlsero
espẹllere, to expell: espulsi, espellẹsti, espulse, espellẹmmo, espellẹste, espụlsero
[the stem varies, and the endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sero are used]
Like espẹllere: repẹllere, to repel
ęssere, to be: fui, fọsti, fu, fummo, fọste, fụrono
fọndere, to fuse, smelt: fusi, fondẹsti, fuse, fondẹmmo, fondẹste, fụsero
[the stem varies, and the endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sero are used]
Like fọndere: confọndere, to confuse diffọndere, to diffuse
effọndere, to pour out, effuse infọndere, to infuse
giacere, to lie down: giạcqui, giacẹsti, giạcque, giacẹmmo, giacẹste, giạcquero
[the stem varies; and the endings -i, -ẹsti, -e, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -ero are used];
| Like giacere: | dispiacere, to displease | piacere, to please |
| scompiacere, to be unkind | soggiacere, to be subject to | spiacere, to be sorry, to regret |
| tacere, to be silent |
imprịmere, to impress: imprẹssi, imprimẹsti, imprẹsse, imprimẹmmo, imprimẹste, imprẹssero
[the stem varies, and the endings -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -ssero are used]
Like imprịmere: comprịmere, to compress decomprịmere, to decompress
deprịmere, to depress esprịmere, to express opprịmere, to oppress
mẹttere, to place, put: misi, mettẹsti, mise, mettẹmmo, mettẹste, mịsero
[the stem is changed, and the endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sero are used]
| Like mẹttere: | ammẹttere, to admit | ammẹttere, to admit, to let in |
| annẹttere, to annex | commẹttere, to commit | compromẹttere, to compromise |
| connẹttere, to connect | dimẹttere, to discharge | dismẹttere, to discard |
| emẹttere, to emit | estromẹttere, to exclude, to oust | frammẹttere, to insert |
| immẹttere, to put in | inframmẹttere, to interpose | inframmettersi, to interfere, to meddle |
| interconnẹttere, to interconnect | intromẹttere, to insert | intromettersi, to intervene |
| manomẹttere, to tamper with | omẹttere, to omit | permẹttere, to permit |
| premẹttere, to state first | promẹttere, to promise | radiotrasmẹttere, to broadcast, to radio |
| riammẹttere, to readmit | ricetrasmẹttere, to transmit and receive | |
| ricommẹttere, to commit again | riemẹttere, to re-issue | rimẹttere, to put back |
| ripromẹttere, to promise again | ritrasmẹttere, to rebroadcast | scommẹttere, to disconnect, to wager |
| smẹttere, to stop, to quit | sottomẹttere, to subjugate | teleradiotrasmẹttere, to simulcast |
| trasmẹttere, to pass on or down | videotrasmẹttere, to broadcast on television; to telecast | |
muǫvere, to move: mossi, muovẹsti, mosse, muovẹmmo, movẹste, mǫssero
[the stem varies, and the endings -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sseroare added to the stems]
Like muovere: commuǫvere, to move emotionally
promuǫvere, to promote rimuǫvere, to remove
nuǫcere, to harm: nǫqui, nocẹsti, nǫcque, nocẹmmo, nocẹste, nǫcquero
parere, to seem: parvi, parẹsti, parve, parẹmmo, parẹste, pạrvero
pọrre, to put: pọsi, ponẹsti, pọse, ponẹmmo, ponẹste, pọsero
[the stem varies, and the endings -si, -ẹsti, -se, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -seroare used]
| Like pọrre: | antepọrre, to place or put before | appọrre, to append |
| compọrre, to compose | contrappọrre, to contrast | contropropọrre, to counterpropose |
| decompọrre, to decompose | depọrre, to put, set, lay down | dispọrre, to dispose |
| espọrre, to expose | fotocompọrre, to photocompose | frappọrre, to interpose |
| giustappọrre, to juxtapose | impọrre, to impose | indispọrre, to irritate; to annoy |
| interpọrre, to interpose | oppọrre, to oppose | pospọrre, to postpone |
| predispọrre, to predispose | prepọrre, to place before | presuppọrre, to presuppose |
| propọrre, to propose | ricompọrre, to recompose | ridispọrre, to rearrange |
| riespọrre, to expound again | ripọrre, to replace | ripropọrre, to repropose |
| scompọrre, to take apart, dismantle | sottoespọrre, to underexpose | sottopọrre, to place underneath |
| sovraespọrre, to overexpose | sovrappọrre, to superimpose | sovrimpọrre, to overlay |
| suppọrre, to suppose | traspọrre, to transpose |
riavere, to have again, recover: riẹbbi, riavẹsti, riẹbbe, riavẹmmo, riavẹste, riẹbbero
redịgere, to edit: redassi, redigẹsti, redasse, redigẹmmo, redigẹste, redạssero
redịmere, to redeem: redẹnsi, redimẹsti, redẹnse, redimẹmmo, redimẹste, redẹnsero
rọmpere, to break: ruppi, rompẹsti, ruppe, rompẹmmo, rompẹste, rụppero
[the stem varies; and the endings -i, -ẹsti, -e, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -eroare used]
Like rọmpere: corrọmpere, to corrupt dirọmpere, to brake
erọmpere, to erupt interrọmpere, to interrupt irrọmpere, to burst, break into
prorọmpere, to break or burst into
sapere, to know: sẹppi, sapẹsti, sẹppe, sapẹmmo, sapẹste, sẹppero
spẹgnere, to extinguish: spẹnsi, spegnẹsti, spẹnse, spegnẹmmo, spegnẹste, spẹnsero
tenere, to hold: tẹnni, tenẹsti, tẹnne, tenẹmmo, tenẹste, tẹnnero
[the endings -ni, -ẹsti, -ne, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -neroare added to the stems]
| Like tenere: | appartenere, to belong to | contenere, to contain |
| detenere, to detain | mantenere, to maintain | ottenere, to obtain |
| ritenere, to retain | sostenere, to sustain | trattenere, to restrain |
trarre, to draw: trassi, traẹsti, trasse, traẹmmo, traẹste, trạssero
[the endings -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -ssero are added to the stems]
| Like trarre: | attrarre, to attract | astrarre, to abstract |
| contrarre, to contract | detrarre, to detract | distrarre, to distract |
| estrarre, to extract | protrarre, to protract | ritrarre, to retract |
| sottrarre, to subtract |
vedere, to see: vidi, vedẹsti, vide, vedẹmmo, vedẹste, vịdero
[the stem varies; and the endings -i, -ẹsti, -e, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -eroare used]
| Like vedere: | antivedere, to foresee | intravedere, to glimpse |
| prevedere, to see ahead | provedere, to provide, look after | rivedere, to see again |
| stravedere, to see things, hallucinate | travedere, to be misled |
vịncere, to win: vinsi, vincẹsti, vinse, vincẹmmo, vincẹste,vịnsero
[the stem varies; and the endings -i, -ẹsti, -e, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -eroare added to the stems]
Like vincere: avvịncere, to charm convịncere, to convince
convịncersi, to convince oneself evịncere, to infer stravincere, to win overwhelmingly
volere, to be willing, to want: volli, volẹsti, volle, volẹmmo, volẹste, vǫllero
[the stem varies; and the endings -i, -ẹsti, -e, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -eroare used]
Like volere: benvolere, to like someone disvolere, to stop liking someone
malvolere, to dislike someone rivolere, to want someone or something back
Group 3 verbs end in -ire. The model for this group is the verb finire, to finish; its stem is fin-.
The endings are shown in italics, and they are the same for all regular verbs in this group.
| I finished, did finish | Io | fin + ii | finii (feen-EE-ee) |
| You finished, did finish | Tu | fin + isti | finisti (feen-EEs-tee) |
| He, she, who finished, did finish | Lei, Lui, Chi | fin + ì | finì (feen-EE) |
| We finished, did finish | Noi | fin + immo | finimmo (feen-EEm-moh) |
| You finished, did finish | Voi | fin + iste | finiste (feen-EEs-tay) |
| They, who finished, did finish | Loro, Chi | fin + ịrono | finịrono (feen-EE-roh-noh) |
Pronunciation in the simple past tense is shown in the group model, and there are some exceptions.
Often, accent marks are not used in written Italian, however, in this text, accent marks will be used when departures from the usual pronunciation rules occur.
In group 3, the following verbs are irregular in the past tense
dire, to say: dissi, dicisti, disse, dicimmo, diciste, dịssero
[the stem varies; and the endings -ssi, -ẹsti, -sse, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -sseroare used]
| Like dire: | benedire, to bless | contraddire, to contradict |
| disdire, to retract | interdire, to interdict, prohibit | maledire, to curse |
| predire, to predict | ridire, to repeat | ribenedire, to bless again |
venire, to come; vẹnni, venisti, vẹnne, venimmo, veniste, vẹnnero
[a different set of the endings -ni, -ẹsti, -ne, -ẹmmo, -ẹste, and -neroare used]
| Like venire: | addivenire, to come to | avvenire, to happen |
| circonvenire, to circumvent | contravenire, to contravene | convenire, to convene |
| divenire, to become | intervenire, to intervene | pervenire, to reach |
| prevenire, to prevent | riconvenire, to reconvene | ridivenire, to become again |
| rinvenire, to rediscover, recover | risoveniresi, to recollect | rivenire, to come back |
| sconvenire, to be unbecoming | sovvenire, to help | svenire, to faint |