Focus: Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
Volere, potere, dovere, and sapere are all irregular verbs in the present tense. This means their conjugations don’t follow the regular patterns we learned in Chapter 8. It’s essential to memorize their conjugations. Another common irregular verb is dare:
Dare (to give):
Io do
Tu dai
Lui/Lei dà
Noi diamo
Voi date
Loro danno
Exercises
Verb Conjugation: Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense:
Volere
Sapere
Dare
Conoscere vs. Sapere: Choose the correct verb (conoscere or sapere) to complete each sentence:
Io ____ Maria.
Io ____ parlare italiano.
Tu ____ Roma?
Tu ____ la risposta?
Sentence Building: Combine the modal verbs with the infinitives to create sentences:
Io / volere / mangiare
Tu / potere / aiutare
Lui / dovere / studiare
True or false:
The word Sapere is used to express familiarity with a person or a place (true/false).
The verb Aiutare means to wait (true/false).
Translate:
I want to eat pizza.
I know Maria.
Answer Key:
(Volere) Io voglio, Tu vuoi, Lui/Lei vuole, Noi vogliamo, Voi volete, Loro vogliono. (Sapere) Io so, Tu sai, Lui/Lei sa, Noi sappiamo, Voi sapete, Loro sanno. (Dare) Io do, Tu dai, Lui/Lei dà, Noi diamo, Voi date, Loro danno.
conosco, so, conosci, sai
Io voglio mangiare., Tu puoi aiutare., Lui deve studiare.
False, False
Voglio mangiare la pizza., Conosco Maria.
Next Steps:
Ottimo! You’ve expanded your verb vocabulary and learned how to use modal verbs. In the next chapter, we’ll focus on reflexive verbs. Avanti!
Chapter 10: Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs are an interesting part of Italian grammar! They describe actions that the subject performs on themselves. In this chapter, we’ll learn how to identify and conjugate these verbs, which will allow you to express actions like waking up, getting dressed, and washing yourself.
What are Reflexive Verbs? Cosa Sono i Verbi Riflessivi?
A reflexive verb is a verb where the subject and the object are the same. In other words, the person performing the action is also the person receiving the action.
In Italian, reflexive verbs are identified by the reflexive pronoun si attached to the infinitive form of the verb. For example:
Lavare (to wash) → Lavarsi (to wash oneself)
Svegliare (to wake) → Svegliarsi (to wake oneself up)
Vestire (to dress) → Vestirsi (to dress oneself)
Reflexive Pronouns: Pronomi Riflessivi
To conjugate a reflexive verb, you need to use the correct reflexive pronoun. Here are the reflexive pronouns:
Mi (myself)
Ti (yourself – informal)
Si (himself/herself/itself)
Ci (ourselves)
Vi (yourselves – plural/formal)
Si (themselves)
Conjugating Reflexive Verbs: Coniugare i Verbi Riflessivi
Here’s how to conjugate a reflexive verb in the present tense:
Place the reflexive pronoun before the verb.
Conjugate the verb in the present tense.
Let’s use the verb lavarsi (to wash oneself) as an example:
Io mi lavo – I wash myself.
Tu ti lavi – You wash yourself.
Lui/Lei si lava – He/She washes himself/herself.
Noi ci laviamo – We wash ourselves.
Voi vi lavate – You wash yourselves.
Loro si lavano – They wash themselves.
Common Reflexive Verbs: Verbi Riflessivi Comuni
Here are some other common reflexive verbs:
Svegliarsi (to wake up)
Alzarsi (to get up)
Vestirsi (to get dressed)
Pettinarsi (to comb one’s hair)
Truccarsi (to put on makeup)
Divertirsi (to have fun)
Chiamarsi (to be called – i.e., what is your name?)
Addormentarsi (to fall asleep)
Using Reflexive Verbs in the Passato Prossimo
When using reflexive verbs in the passato prossimo, you always use essere as the helping verb. Remember that the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. Also, the reflexive pronoun goes before the helping verb.
Io mi sono lavato/a – I washed myself.
Tu ti sei svegliato/a – You woke up.
Lui si è vestito – He got dressed.
Lei si è vestita – She got dressed.
Noi ci siamo divertiti/e – We had fun.
Voi vi siete alzati/e – You got up.
Loro si sono addormentati/e – They fell asleep.
Cultural Note: The Importance of Appearance in Italy
Italians place a high value on personal appearance and take pride in looking their best. This includes paying attention to their clothing, grooming, and overall presentation. Taking care of oneself and presenting a polished image is seen as a sign of respect for oneself and for others.
Grammar Focus: Word Order with Reflexive Pronouns
In simple present tense sentences, the reflexive pronoun comes directly before the verb. However, in other constructions, the word order can change. For example, when using modal verbs:
Devo lavarmi. – I have to wash myself. (Reflexive pronoun attached to the infinitive)
Mi devo lavare. – I have to wash myself. (Reflexive pronoun before the modal verb)
Both word orders are correct, but the first one is generally more common.
Exercises
Reflexive Pronoun Practice: Fill in the blanks with the correct reflexive pronoun:
Io ____ lavo.
Tu ____ svegli.
Lui ____ veste.
Noi ____ divertiamo.
Voi ____ chiamate.
Loro ____ addormentano.
Reflexive Verbs in the Passato Prossimo: Write sentences in the passato prossimo using the following prompts:
Io / svegliarsi / tardi
Tu / vestirsi / elegante
Lei / truccarsi / per la festa
Noi / divertirsi / alla festa
Loro / addormentarsi / subito
Present Tense Conjugation: Conjugate the verb divertirsi in Present Tense.
True