Learning Italian grammar and struggling with the verbs ending in -IRE? These verbs can be a fun challenge for learners because they’re crucial for everyday conversation but come with unique twists. Don’t worry! This article covers everything you need to know to conjugate and confidently use -IRE verbs in Italian. Consider it your go-to guide as you learn Italian with Rosetta Stone.
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How do Italian verbs work?
Italian verbs are grouped into three coniugazioni (conjugations). Each conjugation dictates how a verb changes based on what you want to express (like a tense or mood) and who is performing the action.
To pinpoint which conjugation a verb belongs to—and to ensure you’re using the correct form—you must look at how its infinitive form ends:
- First conjugation: Verbs ending in -ARE, like andare (to go).
- Second conjugation: Verbs ending in -ERE, like vedere (to see).
- Third conjugation: Verbs ending in -IRE, like dormire (to sleep).
In each case, the verb’s ending, or suffix, changes to match the tense and subject. For instance, to conjugate a regular -IRE verb like dormire (to sleep), you add to the root “dorm-” to the suffix corresponding to the verb’s mood, tense, and subject.
Irregular verbs are a bit more complex since both the root and the ending can change. Unfortunately, there isn’t a hard rule for these verbs—you’ll need to memorize each one individually.
But don’t worry! Learning Italian grammar is a bit like navigating a new city for the first time. You’ll become familiar with these vocabulary “paths” with practice until you find the proper conjugation feels as natural as recognizing the way home.
The secret to regular -IRE verb conjugations in Italian (with charts)
The third conjugation includes all the -IRE verbs in Italian, with many of those verbs widely used in everyday conversation. Like the other conjugations, -IRE verbs are also conjugated according to verb moods:
- Modi indefiniti (non-finite moods): They change only according to when the action is performed rather than to match the subject.
- Infinito (infinitive)
- Participio (participle)
- Gerundio (gerund)
- Modi finiti (finite moods): They provide information about who performs the action and when the action is performed, and they conjugate according to the subject.
- Indicativo (indicative)
- Congiuntivo (subjunctive)
- Condizionale (conditional)
- Imperativo (imperative)
But -IRE verbs in Italian have also a unique characteristic. Unlike the other two conjugations, where all regular verbs follow the same suffixes in every tense and mood, regular Italian -IRE verbs have two patterns for conjugation in the present indicative, subjunctive, and imperative.
2 types of regular -IRE verbs
The first type of regular -IRE verbs in Italian follows a classic pattern. You simply add the appropriate suffix to the root. For example, here’s how the regular verb dormire (to sleep) is conjugated in the present indicative:
- io dormo = I sleep
- tu dormi = you sleep
- lui/lei dorme = he/she sleeps
The second, alternative, pattern changes in the present indicative, the present subjunctive, and the imperative. This conjugation pattern involves adding “-isc-” before the suffix in all forms except for the first and second plural persons. For example, here’s how the verb finire (to finish) is conjugated in the present indicative:
- io finisco = I finish
- tu finisci = you finish
- lui/lei finisce = he/she finishes
Here’s a list of some of the most commonly used regular -IRE verbs that conjugate according to the first type (root + suffix), and the second type (root + “isc” + suffix).
| First Type | English | Second Type | English |
| aprire | to open | finire | to finish |
| dormire | to sleep | agire | to act |
| offrire | to offer | capire | to understand |
| partire | to leave | colpire | to hit |
| seguire | to follow | costruire | to build |
| sentire | to hear | definire | to define |
| servire | to serve | gestire | to manage |
| coprire | to cover | inserire | to insert |
| nutrire | to nourish | preferire | to prefer |
| consentire | to allow | pulire | to clean |
| mentire | to lie | restituire | to return |
| fuggire | to flee | spedire | to send |
| inghiottire | to swallow | suggerire | to suggest |
So, how do you determine whether Italian –IRE verbs conjugate like dormire (to sleep) or like finire (to finish)?
The only surefire way to know is to look it up in a dictionary, which will always list the first-person singular of the present indicative. But, as a quick fix, you can try this trick: Count five letters back from the last letter of the verb in its infinitive form. (With finire that would be i.) If that letter is a vowel, you could probably use “-isc-”. If it’s a consonant, your verb should be in standard regular form if that letter is a consonant.
This shortcut is an educated guess, so remember to double-check with a dictionary when possible!
Non-Finite Moods: Infinitive, Participle, and Gerund
These three non-finite moods serve as essential building blocks for Italian verb conjugations, and they won’t change according to the subject. Each has unique functions that can help you create various tenses and verb structures.
Infinito (infinitive)
The infinitive form is the base form of the verb, often translated as “to” + [verb] in English, like “to eat.” It’s used to express general actions without a specific subject.
Participio (participle)
The participle is critical for compound tenses like passato prossimo (present perfect) and passive voice constructions. This form often represents completed actions:
- dormito = slept
- finito = finished
Gerundio (gerund)
The gerund shows ongoing actions, similar to the English “-ing” form. It’s primarily used with stare to create progressive tenses, indicating actions in progress.
- dormendo = sleeping
- finendo = finishing
You’ll see how indispensable they are as you keep reading this guide to -IRE verbs.
Modo indicativo (indicative) of -IRE verbs in Italian
The modo indicativo (indicative) is one of the most commonly used moods. It describes actions, states facts, and expresses thoughts.
You will mostly use the present, imperfect, compound past, and future simple. The other four tenses are less common, but it’s still important to recognize them.
Presente (simple present)
Use It for actions happening in the present moment or to describe everyday recurring actions. It can also be paired with the word sempre (always) to clarify you are talking about something recurrent.
- Finisco e arrivo. = I’ll get there as soon as I finish. (Literally, I finish and come.)
- Finisco sempre di lavorare alle 18:00. = I always finish work at 6:00 p.m.
| Suffix | Simple Present (sleep) |
Simple Present (finish) |
|
| Io I |
-o | dormo | finisco |
| Tu You (informal) |
-i | dormi | finisci |
| Lui/Lei He/She/formal You |
-e | dorme | finisce |
| Noi We |
-iamo | dormiamo | finiamo |
| Voi You (plural) |
-ite | dormite | finite |
| Loro They |
-ono | loro dormono | loro finiscono |
Imperfetto (imperfect)
This tense is ideal for actions that were happening when an action occurred or recurred in the past.
- Dormivo e non ho sentito il telefono. = I was asleep and didn’t hear the phone.
- Quando studiava, dormiva nel pomeriggio. = When he was studying, he (always) slept in the afternoon.
| Suffix | Imperfect (was sleeping/used to sleep) |
|
| Io I |
-ivo | dormivo |
| Tu You, informal |
-ivi | dormivi |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
-iva | dormiva |
| Noi We |
-ivamo | dormivamo |
| Voi You (plural) |
-ivate | dormivate |
| Loro They |
-ivano | dormivano |
Passato prossimo (compound past)
Use the passato prossimo when you talk about an action that happened in the past, and it’s now completed.
- Ieri sera ho dormito bene. = I slept well last night.
It’s a compound tense, so you always have to use the auxiliary verbs essere (to be) or avere (to have) at the simple present indicative + the main verb at the past participle.
| Auxiliary + Participle | Compound Past (slept) |
|
| Io I |
ho/sono + past participle | ho dormito |
| Tu You (informal) |
hai/sei + past participle | hai dormito |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
ha/è + past participle | ha dormito |
| Noi We |
abbiamo/siamo + past participle | abbiamo dormito |
| Voi You (plural) |
avete/siete + past participle | avete dormito |
| Loro They |
hanno/sono + past participle | hanno dormito |
Trapassato prossimo (past perfect)
This tense is used for actions that were completed before another past action.
- Quando sono arrivato, avevano finito il lavoro. = When I arrived, they had already finished the work.
The trapassato prossimo is formed with the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb avere (to have) or essere (to be) + the past participle of the main verb.
| Auxiliary + Participle | Past Perfect (slept) |
|
| Io I |
avevo/ero + past participle | avevo dormito |
| Tu You (informal) |
avevi/eri + past participle | avevi dormito |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
aveva/era + past participle | aveva dormito |
| Noi We |
avevamo/eravamo + past participle | avevamo dormito |
| Voi You (plural) |
avevate/eravate + past participle | avevate dormito |
| Loro They |
avevano/erano + past participle | avevano dormito |
Passato remoto (simple past/remote past)
You can use this tense for every action in the distant past. So, if you are talking about something that happened in your childhood (or just last year), then use the simple past.
- Mia zia partì per l’Italia quando ero piccolo. = My aunt left for Italy when I was little.
Nowadays, most Italians replace it with other past tenses:
- Mia zia è partita per l’Italia quando ero piccolo. = My aunt left for Italy when I was little.
This tense is still used in everyday conversations in certain areas like Tuscany and Naples and in literary contexts.
| Suffix | Simple Past (slept) |
|
| Io I |
-ii | dormii |
| Tu You (informal) |
-isti | dormisti |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
-ì | dormì |
| Noi We |
-immo | dormimmo |
| Voi You (plural) |
-iste | dormiste |
| Loro They |
-irono | dormirono |
Trapassato remoto (remote past perfect)
You will rarely hear the trapassato remoto in daily conversations, but it’s still used in literary contexts for actions completed before another action in the past.
Form it with the remote past of the verb avere (to have) or essere (to be), followed by the past participle of the main verb.
| Auxiliary + Participle | Remote Past Perfect (had slept) |
|
| Io I |
ebbi/fui + past participle | ebbi dormito |
| Tu You (informal) |
avesti/fosti + past participle | avesti dormito |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
ebbe/fu + past participle | ebbe dormito |
| Noi We |
avemmo/fummo + past participle | avemmo dormito |
| Voi You (plural) |
aveste/foste + past participle | aveste dormito |
| Loro They |
ebbero/furono + past participle | ebbero dormito |
Futuro semplice (future simple)
This works as easily as the future tense in English.
- Domani dormirò fino a tardi. = Tomorrow I will sleep till late.
| Suffix | Future Simple (will sleep) |
|
| Io I |
-irò | dormirò |
| Tu You (informal) |
-irai | dormirai |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
-irà | dormirà |
| Noi We |
-iremo | dormiremo |
| Voi You (plural) |
-irete | dormirete |
| Loro They |
-iranno | dormiranno |
Futuro anteriore (future perfect)
The future perfect tense describes actions that will be completed at a certain point in the future.
- Avrete finito il corso prima dell’estate. = You will have finished the course before summer.
Form this tense by using the future form of the auxiliary verb avere (to have) or essere (to be) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
| Auxiliary + Participle | Future Perfect (will have slept) |
|
| Io I |
avrò/sarò + past participle | avrò dormito |
| Tu You, informal |
avrai/sarai + past participle | avrai dormito |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
avrà/sarà + past participle | avrà dormito |
| Noi We |
avremo/saranno + past participle | avremo dormito |
| Voi You (plural) |
avrete/sarete + past participle | avrete dormito |
| Loro They |
avranno/saranno + past participle | avranno dormito |
Modo condizionale (conditional mood) of -IRE Italian verbs
The condizionale expresses hypothetical actions, and it’s also helpful for making polite requests or expressing wishes.
Presente (present)
Use the present conditional to translate English sentences with “would.”
- Dormirei un’ora in più se potessi. = I would sleep an extra hour if I could.
| Suffix | Conditional Present (would sleep) |
|
| Io I |
-irei | dormirei |
| Tu You, informal |
-iresti | dormiresti |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
-irebbe | dormirebbe |
| Noi We |
-iremmo | dormiremmo |
| Voi You (plural) |
-ireste | dormireste |
| Loro They |
-irebbero | dormirebbero |
Passato (Past)
You can construct it with the present conditional of auxiliary verbs avere (to have) or essere (to be) + the past participle of the main verb. The result is similar to “would have” in English.
- Avrei dormito un’ora in più se avessi potuto. = I would have slept an extra hour if I could.
| Auxiliary + Participle | Conditional Past (would have slept) |
|
| Io I |
avrei/sarei + past participle | avrei dormito |
| Tu You, informal |
avresti/saresti + past participle | avresti dormito |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
avrebbe/sarebbe + past participle | avrebbe dormito |
| Noi We |
avremmo/saremmo + past participle | avremmo dormito |
| Voi You, plural |
avreste/sareste + past participle | avreste dormito |
| Loro They |
avrebbero/sarebbero + past participle | avrebbero dormito |
Modo congiuntivo (subjunctive mood) of -IRE verbs
The subjunctive conveys doubt, emotions, wishes, and possibilities. It typically appears in sentences or subordinate clauses, introduced by the conjunction che (that).
A common mistake, even among Italians, is using the suffixes of the indicative when forming the subjunctive. In fact, the suffixes are quite similar, and the present subjunctive has also the form with “-isc-”, just like the indicative.
So always think about the purpose of your sentence when choosing the right verb mood. If it’s a statement or a real fact, use the indicative; if it’s something hypothetical or a wish, use the subjunctive.
Presente (present)
The presente congiuntivo is often used after expressions like spero che (I hope that) or è possibile che (it’s possible that).
- Spero che tu dorma stanotte. = I hope that you sleep tonight.
| Suffix | Present Subjunctive (that I sleep) |
Present Subjunctive (that I finish) |
|
| Io I |
-a | che io dorma | che io finisca |
| Tu You, informal |
-a | che tu dorma | che tu finisca |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
-a | che lui/lei dorma | che lui/lei finisca |
| Noi We |
-iamo | che noi dormiamo | che noi finiamo |
| Voi You, plural |
-iate | che voi dormiate | che voi finiate |
| Loro They |
-ano | che loro dormano | che loro finiscano |
Passato (past)
The past subjunctive is used in subordinate sentences to describe an action that precedes the action in the primary phrase. It’s formed using the present subjunctive of the auxiliary verb avere (to have) or essere (to be) followed by the past participle of the main verb. It’s also introduced by che (that), just like the present tense.
- Spero che tu abbia dormito bene. = I hope that you slept well.
| Auxiliary + Participle | Past Subjunctive (that I slept) |
|
| Io I |
abbia/sia + past participle | che io abbia dormito |
| Tu You, informal |
abbia/sia + past participle | che tu abbia dormito |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
abbia/sia + past participle | che lui/lei abbia dormito |
| Noi We |
abbiamo/siamo + past participle | che noi abbiamo dormito |
| Voi You (plural) |
abbiate/siate + past participle | che voi abbiate dormito |
| Loro They |
abbiano/siano + past participle | che loro abbiano dormito |
Imperfetto (imperfect)
The imperfetto expresses a hope or wish, something that is possible but not certain. It often pairs with se (if), vorrei/mi piacerebbe che (I would like/love that):
- Se dormissi di più, starei meglio. = If I slept more, I would feel better.
- Vorrei che tu finissi i compiti. = I would like you to finish your homework.
| Suffix | Imperfect Subjunctive (that I would sleep) |
|
| Io I |
-issi | che io dormissi |
| Tu You, informal |
-issi | che tu dormissi |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
-isse | che lui/lei dormisse |
| Noi We |
-issimo | che noi dormissimo |
| Voi You, plural |
-iste | che voi dormiste |
| Loro They |
-issero | che loro dormissero |
Trapassato (past perfect subjunctive)
The trapassato is a compound tense that you can use to express a desire regarding the past, and it is now impossible.
- Speravo che tu avessi dormito bene. = I hoped that you would have slept well.
| Auxiliary + Participle | Past Perfect Subjunctive (that I had slept) |
|
| Io I |
avessi/fossi + past participle | che io avessi dormito |
| Tu You, informal |
avessi/fosse + past participle | che tu avessi dormito |
| Lui/Lei He/She/You, formal |
avesse/fosse + past participle | che lui/lei avesse dormito |
| Noi We |
avessimo/fossimo + past participle | che noi avessimo dormito |
| Voi You, plural |
aveste/foste + past participle | che voi aveste dormito |
| Loro They |
avessero/fossero + past participle | che essi avessero dormito |
Imperativo (imperative) of -IRE verbs
The imperativo (imperative) is used to give direct commands, make requests, or offer suggestions.
- Dormi adesso! = Sleep now!
Since it’s a verb to give commands, it doesn’t conjugate with the pronouns “I” and “we.” Depending on the context, this mood may sound slightly aggressive, so be careful with the tone of your voice.
| Imperative of Dormire (to sleep) |
Imperative of Finire (to finish) |
|
| Io I |
– | – |
| Tu You, informal |
dormi (sleep!) | finisci (finish!) |
| Lei You, formal |
dorma (sleep!) | la finisca (finish it/stop it) |
| Noi We |
– | – |
| Voi You, plural |
dormiamo (let’s sleep!) | finiamo (let’s finish!) |
| Loro They |
dormite (you all sleep!) | finite (you all finish!) |
Key takeaways for -IRE verbs in Italian
Mastering verbs is all about finding your personal learning style. Whether you enjoy practicing with verbs you connect with or memorizing specific endings, making it fun is key. Practice brings improvement, so don’t stress. Start with these three essential points and proficiency will come naturally.
- Two patterns to remember: Regular -IRE verbs follow two main conjugation patterns. Some verbs conjugate just by changing the suffix, while others add “-isc-” before the suffix.
- Compound tenses with auxiliaries: Use the auxiliary verbs essere (to be) or avere (to have) to form compound tenses. The auxiliary verb is conjugated by person and tense, while the main verb remains in the participle form.
- Practice makes perfect: Repetition and regular use are key to mastering -IRE verbs. Use resources like Rosetta Stone App, you’ll find stories, phrasebooks, and more features to accelerate your learning as you master these conjugations.
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