form of the verb you want to use.
Here’s the conjugation of andare:
Io vado – I go
Tu vai – You go (informal)
Lui/Lei va – He/She/It goes
Noi andiamo – We go
Voi andate – You go (plural/formal)
Loro vanno – They go
Now, let’s see how to use it to express the immediate future:
Io vado a mangiare. – I am going to eat.
Tu vai a studiare. – You are going to study.
Lui va a dormire. – He is going to sleep.
Lei va a fare shopping. – She is going to go shopping.
Noi andiamo a ballare. – We are going to dance.
Voi andate a vedere un film. – You are going to see a movie.
Loro vanno a viaggiare. – They are going to travel.
Making Plans and Arrangements: Fare Piani e Appuntamenti
Here are some useful phrases for making plans:
Cosa fai domani? – What are you doing tomorrow?
Che fai stasera? – What are you doing tonight?
Hai qualcosa da fare questo fine settimana? – Do you have anything to do this weekend?
Vuoi venire con me…? – Do you want to come with me…?
Ti va di…? – Do you feel like…?
Certo! – Sure!
Volentieri! – Gladly!
Mi dispiace, non posso. – I’m sorry, I can’t.
Forse un’altra volta. – Maybe another time.
Example Dialogues:
A: Cosa fai stasera? (What are you doing tonight?)
B: Vado a vedere un film. Vuoi venire con me? (I’m going to see a movie. Do you want to come with me?)
A: Certo! Volentieri! (Sure! Gladly!)
A: Che fai domani? (What are you doing tomorrow?)
B: Vado a studiare. Mi dispiace, non posso uscire. (I’m going to study. I’m sorry, I can’t go out.)
Cultural Note: Planning and Spontaneity
Italians value both planning and spontaneity in their lives. While they often make plans in advance, they are also open to changing their plans on the spur of the moment and embracing new opportunities. Be flexible and ready to go with the flow when you’re in Italy!
Grammar Focus: The Verb Andare
The verb andare (to go) is an irregular verb, so its conjugation doesn’t follow the regular patterns we learned in Chapter 8. Here’s the conjugation again for your reference:
Io vado
Tu vai
Lui/Lei va
Noi andiamo
Voi andate
Loro vanno
It’s important to memorize this conjugation because andare is used frequently in Italian, not only to express movement but also to form the immediate future.
Exercises
Immediate Future: Translate the following sentences into Italian using the andare a + infinitive construction:
I am going to sleep.
You are going to eat.
She is going to study.
We are going to dance.
They are going to travel.
Making Plans: Write a short dialogue where you invite a friend to do something this weekend, and they accept or decline.
Complete the sentence:
Io ___ a mangiare la pizza.
True or false:
The sentence «Vado a dormire» means I’m going to sleep. (true/false)
The verb andare is regular. (true/false)
Translate:
What are you doing tonight?
Do you want to come with me?
Answer Key:
Io vado a dormire., Tu vai a mangiare., Lei va a studiare., Noi andiamo a ballare., Loro vanno a viaggiare.
(Example) A: Hai qualcosa da fare questo fine settimana? B: No, niente. A: Ti va di andare al cinema? B: Certo! Volentieri!
vado
True, False
Che fai stasera?, Vuoi venire con me?
Next Steps:
Perfetto! You can now talk about the immediate future and make plans with others. In the next chapter, we’ll learn about the past tense: the passato prossimo. A più tardi!
Chapter 8: The Past Tense: Passato Prossimo
Now it’s time to journey into the past! In this chapter, we will learn about the passato prossimo, which is one of the most common ways to express past actions in Italian.
What is the Passato Prossimo?
The passato prossimo (literally «near past») is a compound tense, meaning it is formed with two parts:
A helping verb (avere or essere) conjugated in the present tense.
The past participle of the main verb.
Choosing the Helping Verb: Avere or Essere
This is the trickiest part! Most verbs use avere as the helping verb, but some verbs use essere. Here are some general guidelines:
Verbs that take avere:
Transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object): Ho mangiato la pizza. (I ate the pizza.)
Most other verbs.
Verbs that take essere:
Intransitive verbs of motion (verbs that describe movement): Sono andato a Roma. (I went to Rome.)
Reflexive verbs: Mi sono svegliato tardi. (I woke up late.)
Verbs that describe a state of being: Sono stato felice. (I was happy.)
Verbs essere, stare, rimanere, diventare
Forming the Past Participle: Formare il Participio Passato
To form the past participle, follow these rules:
For -are verbs, change the ending to -ato: parlare → parlato
For -ere verbs, change the ending to -uto: credere → creduto
For -ire verbs, change the ending to -ito: dormire → dormito
Examples with Avere
Parlare (to speak): Io ho parlato (I spoke)
Ho parlato con Maria. (I spoke with Maria.)
Credere (to believe): Tu hai creduto (You believed)
Hai creduto alla sua storia? (Did you believe his story?)
Mangiare (to eat): Lui ha mangiato (He ate)
Lui ha mangiato la pasta. (He ate the pasta.)
Examples with Essere
Andare (to go): Io sono andato/a (I went)
Sono andato a Roma. (I went to Rome – masculine)
Sono andata a Roma. (I went to Rome – feminine)
Essere (to be): Tu sei stato/a (You were)
Sei stato felice? (Were you happy? – masculine)
Sei stata felice? (Were you happy? – feminine)
Svegliarsi (to wake up – reflexive): Lei si è svegliata (She woke up)
Lei