Quick Guide: Mastering the Imperfetto in Italian

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Understanding the Imperfetto

The imperfetto is one of the most commonly used tenses in Italian to describe actions in the past. It is especially handy when talking about habitual actions, descriptions, or ongoing actions in the past that don’t have a clear beginning or end.

When to Use the Imperfetto:

  • Habitual actions in the past (something you used to do regularly).
  • Descriptions (of weather, time, people, feelings).
  • Ongoing actions in the past (when something else happened).

Formation of the Imperfetto

To form the imperfetto, take the root of the verb (from the infinitive form, remove the “-are,” “-ere,” or “-ire” ending) and add the appropriate endings.

Conjugation Endings:

Pronoun

-are Endings

-ere Endings

-ire Endings

Io

-avo

-evo

-ivo

Tu

-avi

-evi

-ivi

Lui/Lei

-ava

-eva

-iva

Noi

-avamo

-evamo

-ivamo

Voi

-avate

-evate

-ivate

Loro

-avano

-evano

-ivano

Examples of the Imperfetto in Action:

  1. Io guardavo la TV ogni sera.
    (I used to watch TV every evening.)
  2. Quando ero piccolo, giocavo sempre a calcio.
    (When I was young, I always played soccer.)
  3. Eravamo felici quel giorno.
    (We were happy that day.)
  4. Lei cucinava mentre io studiavo.
    (She was cooking while I was studying.)

Why Italians Use the Imperfetto Often

The imperfetto is already capable of describing actions that were happening in the past, so many Italians will often default to it. For example, to say:

  • Guardavo la TV quando mi hai chiamato.
    (I was watching TV when you called me.)

The imperfetto here is sufficient to show that the action of watching TV was ongoing when the call happened. However, in spoken language, people sometimes use the passato progressivo when they want to emphasize that something was specifically in progress at a given moment:

  • Stavo guardando la TV quando mi hai chiamato.
    (I was watching TV when you called me.)

Imperfetto vs Passato Progressivo

While both tenses can describe actions that were ongoing in the past, the imperfetto is more general and widely used in everyday speech. The passato progressivo tends to be reserved for moments when the speaker wants to place emphasis on the ongoing nature of the action at a specific point in time.

The Imperfetto tense in Italian is essential when describing actions that occurred in the past with a sense of continuity, repetition, or an ongoing process. It often corresponds to the English progressive past or the expression “used to.”

Imperfetto of ‘Essere’ (To Be)

The verb essere is one of the most common and irregular verbs in Italian. In the imperfetto, it expresses states of being, descriptions, or continuous actions in the past:

  • Io ero – I was
  • Tu eri – You were
  • Lui/Lei era – He/She was
  • Noi eravamo – We were
  • Voi eravate – You all were
  • Loro erano – They were

This verb, like others in the imperfetto, does not refer to a specific moment but rather to a continuous state. For example:

  • Quando ero bambino, amavo la natura.
    (When I was a child, I used to love nature.)

Imperfetto of ‘Avere’ (To Have)

Similarly, avere in the imperfetto is used for descriptions of possession or age in the past:

  • Io avevo – I had
  • Tu avevi – You had
  • Lui/Lei aveva – He/She had
  • Noi avevamo – We had
  • Voi avevate – You all had
  • Loro avevano – They had

For example:

  • Quando avevo 10 anni, giocavo spesso a calcio.
    (When I was 10 years old, I often played football.)

Imperfetto for Repetitive or Continuous Actions

The imperfetto is also used to describe habitual or repeated actions in the past:

  • Ogni estate andavamo al mare.
    (Every summer we used to go to the beach.)

In this case, andavamo describes a regular activity that happened over a period of time.

Contrast with Passato Prossimo

While the imperfetto is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions, the passato prossimo is employed for actions that are completed and specific in time.

Passato Prossimo of ‘Indossare’ (To Wear)

  • Io indossavo vs. Io ho indossato:
    • Io indossavo un vestito blu ogni domenica.
      (I used to wear a blue dress every Sunday.)
    • Ieri ho indossato un vestito blu per una festa.
      (Yesterday I wore a blue dress for a party.)

As you can see, indossavo refers to a repeated action in the past, while ho indossato indicates a specific moment when the action happened.

When to Use Imperfetto vs. Passato Prossimo

Some common phrases and situations help you decide between the two tenses:

  • Imperfetto:
    • Mentre (while): Mentre guardavo la TV, mi hanno chiamato.
      (While I was watching TV, they called me.)
    • Sempre (always), Spesso (often): Spesso giocavo con i miei amici.
      (I often played with my friends.)
    • Descriptions: Era una giornata bellissima.
      (It was a beautiful day.)
  • Passato Prossimo:
    • Una volta (once): Una volta ho visitato Roma.
      (Once I visited Rome.)
    • Ieri (yesterday), Sabato scorso (last Saturday):
      Ieri ho fatto un picnic.
      (Yesterday I had a picnic.)

Examples of Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo

Let’s look at some sentences to illustrate the differences:

  1. Quando abitavo a Milano, facevo sempre tardi la notte. (Imperfetto) (When I lived in Milan, I always stayed out late at night.)
  2. Una volta, ho preparato gli spaghetti alla milanese e sono piaciuti a tutti. (Passato Prossimo) (Once, I made Milanese-style spaghetti, and everyone liked it.)
  3. Quando eravamo alla Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, siamo rimasti incantati dalla sua bellezza. (Mixed: Imperfetto for description, Passato Prossimo for a specific action) (When we were at the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, we were enchanted by its beauty.)

Exercises: Passato Prossimo or Imperfetto?

For each sentence below, choose the correct tense and conjugate the verb.

  1. Quando io (abitare) __________ a Roma, (andare) __________ sempre a scuola in autobus.
  2. Ieri, mentre io (studiare) __________, mia madre (preparare) __________ la cena.
  3. Quando (essere) __________ bambino, mi (piacere) __________ giocare a calcio con i miei amici.
  4. Sabato scorso noi (andare) __________ al parco e (fare) __________ un picnic.
  5. Una volta, io (visitare) __________ il Colosseo e (essere) __________ molto emozionato.

Key Vocabulary for Imperfetto & Passato Prossimo

  • Sorridere – Smiling
  • Guardare – Looking
  • Ammirare – Admiring
  • Compiti – Homework
  • Cenare – To dine

Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences (Back to the Past!)

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the imperfetto.

  1. Quando ero bambino, io __________ (giocare) sempre con i miei amici.
  2. Maria __________ (leggere) un libro interessante ogni sera.
  3. Noi __________ (andare) al mare ogni estate.
  4. Tu __________ (mangiare) la pasta ogni domenica?
  5. Loro __________ (guardare) la TV quando è arrivato il postino.

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks (Describe the Scene!)

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the imperfetto.

  1. Il sole __________ (splendere) e gli uccelli __________ (cantare).
  2. Mentre noi __________ (cucinare), la radio __________ (suonare).
  3. Lei __________ (studiare) molto quando era giovane.
  4. Ogni inverno, loro __________ (andare) a sciare in montagna.
  5. Io __________ (scrivere) una lettera quando il telefono __________ (squillare).

Exercise 3: Habitual or Ongoing? (Recognize the Imperfetto)

Indicate whether each sentence is describing a habitual action or an ongoing action in the past.

  1. Ogni domenica, noi andavamo a pranzo dai nonni.
    (We went to lunch at our grandparents’ house every Sunday.)
  2. Mentre io studiavo, mia sorella guardava la TV.
    (While I was studying, my sister was watching TV.)
  3. Quando ero piccolo, mangiavo sempre il gelato dopo scuola.
    (When I was little, I always ate ice cream after school.)
  4. Loro parlavano spesso di politica.
    (They often talked about politics.)

Exercise 4: Translate into Italian (Put It into Practice!)

Translate the following sentences into Italian using the imperfetto.

  1. When I was young, I used to go to the park every day.
  2. They were playing soccer when it started to rain.
  3. We were studying when the teacher came in.
  4. He was working late every evening.
  5. She was reading a book while I was cooking.

Exercise 5: Imperfetto or Passato Progressivo?

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form—either the imperfetto or the passato progressivo.

  1. Io __________ (dormire) quando mi hai telefonato.
    (I was sleeping when you called me.)
  2. Loro __________ (mangiare) quando è arrivata la pizza.
    (They were eating when the pizza arrived.)
  3. Tu __________ (leggere) un libro mentre io __________ (studiare).
    (You were reading a book while I was studying.)
  4. Noi __________ (correre) quando ha iniziato a piovere.
    (We were running when it started to rain.)

Answers

Exercise 1:

  1. giocavo
  2. leggeva
  3. andavamo
  4. mangiavi
  5. guardavano

Exercise 2:

  1. splendeva, cantavano
  2. cucinavamo, suonava
  3. studiava
  4. andavano
  5. scrivevo, squillava

Exercise 3:

  1. Habitual
  2. Ongoing
  3. Habitual
  4. Habitual

Exercise 4:

  1. Quando ero giovane, andavo al parco ogni giorno.
  2. Stavano giocando a calcio quando ha iniziato a piovere.
  3. Stavamo studiando quando l’insegnante è entrato/a.
  4. Lavorava fino a tardi ogni sera.
  5. Lei leggeva un libro mentre io cucinavo.

Exercise 5:

  1. stavo dormendo
  2. stavano mangiando
  3. stavi leggendo, stavo studiando
  4. stavamo correndo

Tips from BUILD YOUR BEST:

  • The imperfetto is incredibly versatile and can be used to describe ongoing actions, habits, and descriptions in the past.
  • If you want to emphasize that something was specifically in progress at a particular moment, the passato progressivo is your go-to form.

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo Overview

The Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo are two fundamental past tenses in Italian that differ in their usage and the type of action they describe.

  • Imperfetto is used to describe actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past, often corresponding to “used to” or the past progressive form in English. It expresses continuity, repeated actions, feelings, or situations that lasted over a period of time.
  • Passato Prossimo, on the other hand, is used for actions that have been completed at a specific moment in the past, emphasizing the completion or result of an action.

Imperfetto (Essere & Avere)

Essere:

  • Ero - I was
  • Eri - You were
  • Era - He/She/It was
  • Eravamo - We were
  • Eravate - You (all) were
  • Erano - They were

Avere:

  • Avevo - I had
  • Avevi - You had
  • Aveva - He/She/It had
  • Avevamo - We had
  • Avevate - You (all) had
  • Avevano - They had

Passato Prossimo vs Imperfetto

  1. Imperfetto describes an action in progress or a repeated action:
    • Quando ero bambino (When I was a child), amavo la natura (I used to love nature).
  2. Passato Prossimo refers to a specific completed action:
    • Quando avevo 15 anni, ho iniziato ad amarlo (When I was 15, I started to love it).

Use of Mentre and Quando

  • Mentre means “while” and is typically used with the Imperfetto to describe two simultaneous actions:
    • Mentre studiavo, ascoltavo la musica (While I was studying, I was listening to music).
  • Quando means “when” and can be used with both Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo depending on the context:
    • Quando ero bambino, abitavo a Milano (When I was a child, I lived in Milan) – Imperfetto.
    • Quando sono arrivato, ho visto Marco (When I arrived, I saw Marco) – Passato Prossimo.

Appendix of Exercises

Exercise A: Choose Between Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo

  1. Quando io (abitare) ____________ a Milano, (fare) ____________ sempre tardi la notte.
    • Correct Answer: abitavo, facevo
  2. Una volta io (preparare) ____________ gli spaghetti alla milanese e (piacere) ____________ a tutti.
    • Correct Answer: ho preparato, sono piaciuti
  3. Dopo cena (noi, andare) ____________ quasi sempre a fare una passeggiata in centro.
    • Correct Answer: andavamo

Exercise B: Mentre or Quando?

  1. ____________ (Mentre/Quando) studiavo, il telefono ha squillato.
    • Correct Answer: Mentre
  2. ____________ (Mentre/Quando) ero piccolo, vivevo in campagna.
    • Correct Answer: Quando

Exercise C: Complete the Sentence with the Correct Tense

  1. Mentre (io, studiare) ____________, (ascoltare) ____________ la radio.
    • Correct Answer: studiavo, ascoltavo
  2. Quando (noi, essere) ____________ bambini, (giocare) ____________ spesso insieme.
    • Correct Answer: eravamo, giocavamo

Exercise D: Conjugation Practice

Conjugate the verbs in the Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo.

  1. Indossare:
    • Imperfetto: indossavo, indossavi, indossava…
    • Passato Prossimo: ho indossato, hai indossato, ha indossato…
  2. Andare:
    • Imperfetto: andavo, andavi, andava…
    • Passato Prossimo: sono andato/a, sei andato/a…

This appendix is designed to give learners a structured approach to mastering the Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo tenses with a special focus on key words like mentre and quando to ensure a deeper understanding of how Italians express actions in the past.

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