You are a daredevil, aren’t you? If you have reached this step in the study of Italian grammar, it means that you have accepted the challenge of learning the various nuances of Italian verb conjugation and how to use Italian past tense.
Each learned verb will be part of your Italian vocabulary! Never forget, if you have the opportunity, to watch movies or TV series in Italian and to listen to the correct pronunciation of each new word you learn! Italian pronunciation matters!
For example, today we will deal with the use of Italian past tense and this is also an opportunity to practice not only on the correct use of this tense but also to listen, through videos found on the web, how verbs are pronounced in the Italian past.
First of all, an Italian verb can vary in its conjugation, especially in the present (Here is the link about the Italian Present tense), but in the past, as we’re going to see shortly, the part of the verb that gives the meaning to the sentence remains intact and is called the past participle.
Specifically, in Italian there are really many tenses in the past and it is very difficult, both for native speakers and for non-native speakers, to learn how many there are and how to use them correctly. Native speakers learn how to use them because they use those Italian tenses, unknowingly, in everyday speech.
And for those who are not native speakers? Well, serious trouble starts there!
Don’t worry, I’m kidding! Rather, let me give you some explanation about Italian past tense, adding some examples.
I will now list the first three Italian past tenses
- present perfect
- distant /remote past / past historic
- imperfect
Italian past tense | Examples with Present perfect:
Ieri Lucia è andata a casa di Sarah / Yesterday Lucia went to Sarah’s house
Secondly, Italian verb conjugations can be irregular, as in this case with the distant past.
It’s not easy to get these new verbs into your Italian vocabulary but you have to do it in order to improve your Italian! In English this Italian tense refers to the simple past.
Let’s see the Italian conjugation (distant / remote past) of the verb to be, to have and to do.
| ESSERE (TO BE) | AVERE (TO HAVE) | FARE (TO DO) |
| IO FUI TU FOSTI EGLI / ELLA FU NOI FUMMO VOI FOSTE ESSI / ESSE FURONO | IO EBBI TU AVESTI EGLI / ELLA EBBE NOI AVEMMO VOI AVESTE ESSI / ESSE EBBERO | IO FECI TU FACESTI EGLI / ELLA FECE NOI FACEMMO VOI FACESTE ESSI / ESSE FECERO |
Loro furono molto fortunati / They were very lucky
Avemmo tempo per fare un giro per negozi / We had time to go shopping
Lei fece del suo meglio per superare l’esame / She did her best to pass the exam
Italian past tense | Examples with Imperfect:
- Habits:
Quando ero piccola mi piaceva molto il latte / When I was little I liked milk a lot
- Action in progress:
Stavo dormendo quando arrivò la mamma / I was sleeping when mom came
- Simultaneity:
Io ero a digiuno mentre tutti mangiavano / I was fasting while everyone ate
Did you think it ended here? There are two other types of past:
- past perfect (trapassato prossimo)
- past perfect (trapassato remoto).
So, let’s discover two more Italian verb tenses!
Trapassato prossimo
Non avevo mai visto un vestito così bello! / I had never seen such a beautiful dress!
Trapassato remoto
Appena fummo fuori, si accese una sigaretta / As soon as we were outside, he lit a cigarette
The Italian past participle is one of the elements that make up this Italian tense, together with the verbsessere (to be) and avere (to have).
In conclusion, I can understand if you are feeling confused, it is not easy to keep in mind all these types of past tense! You will learn gradually!
Check it out:
Present perfect | https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passato_prossimo
Distant / Remote past / Past historic | https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passato_remoto#:~:text=Il%20passato%20remoto%20(o%20meno,forma%20verbale%20del%20modo%20indicativo
Imperfect | https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicativo_imperfetto
GOOD LUCK!