Regular -ire verbs
Italian verbs fall into three groups based on their infinitive endings: -are, -ere, and -ire. To conjugate regular -ire verbs like dormire (to sleep) in the present tense, drop the -ire and add these endings:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example: dormire (to sleep) |
|---|---|---|
| io | -o | dormo |
| tu | -i | dormi |
| lui / lei / Lei | -e | dorme |
| noi | -iamo | dormiamo |
| voi | -ite | dormite |
| loro | -ono | dormono |
Notice that the noi ending (-iamo) is exactly the same as for -are and -ere verbs. The other endings are also similar to -ere verbs, except for voi (-ite).
| I am sleepy and I'm sleeping. | Ho sonno e dormo. |
| Are you opening the window? | Apri la finestra? |
| Marco always offers a snack. | Marco offre sempre uno spuntino. |
More common -ire verbs
Other regular -ire verbs include offrire (to offer), partire (to leave), sentire (to hear), and seguire (to follow).
| We open the shop in the morning. | Apriamo il negozio la mattina. |
| Are you leaving late? | Partite tardi? |
| The boys don't sleep in the morning. | I ragazzi non dormono la mattina. |
| Do you hear this noise? | Senti questo rumore? |
The formal Lei
When using the formal Lei (formal "you"), use the third-person singular ending (-e).
| Excuse me, sir, will you open the door? | Scusi, signore, apre la porta? |
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