Italian Language Lessons
Grammar, spelling, and usage
Italian Present Tense
Workbook Exercises About This Topic
Printer–Friendly Version
If there are first-conjugation and second-conjugation verbs, then it stands to reason there are third-conjugation verbs (terza coniugazione)! This final group contains verbs that end in -ire in the infinitive. The present tense of a regular -ire verb is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding the appropriate endings (-o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ite, -ono) to the resulting stem. Note that, except for the voi form, these endings are the same as for regular second-conjugation (-ere) verbs. For an example of how to conjugate a regular -ire verb, see the table below, which conjugates sentire (to hear, to feel, to smell).
| PRESENT TENSE CONJUGATION OF SENTIRE (TO HEAR, TO FEEL, TO SMELL) |
|---|
| PERSON | SINGULAR | PLURAL |
|---|
| I | (io) sento (I feel) | (noi) sentiamo (we feel) |
| II | (tu) senti (you feel, familiar) | (voi) sentite (you feel, familiar) |
| III | (Lei) sente (you feel, formal) | (Loro) sentono (you feel, formal) |
| (lui/lei) sente (he/she feels) | (loro) sentono (they feel) |
Other common -ire third-conjugation regular verbs are listed below.
Previous page | 1 | 2 | 3
| Italian Language Study Resources |
| Language Lessons: Italian grammar, spelling, and usage. |
| Audio Phrasebook: Improve your pronunciation and build your vocabulary. |
| Workbook Exercises: Worksheets, drills, activities, and review. |
| Buon Divertimento: Italian jokes, riddles, and puns. |
| Italian Verbs: Formation, moods, tenses, and table of conjugations. |
| Study Guides: Challenge your skills and test your knowledge of various topics. |
| Audio Lab: Word of the day, survival phrases, ABC's, numbers, and conversation. |
Newsletter
