Italian -IRE Verbs
Italian -IRE verbs are the third conjugation, with infinitives like dormire, partire and capire. They split into two groups: verbs like dormire, which add the endings straight to the stem, and verbs like capire, which insert -isc- in some forms.
To conjugate a regular -IRE verb, remove -ire and add the present tense endings -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ite, -ono. With dormire (to sleep) you get dormo, dormi, dorme, dormiamo, dormite, dormono. These endings are almost the same as the -ERE endings; only the voi form is different (dormite, but credete). The other tenses keep the i of the infinitive in the ending: the imperfetto is dormivo, the future is dormirò, and the past participle is dormito.
The second group, the -isc- verbs, adds -isc- between the stem and the ending in four forms of the present tense: io, tu, lui/lei and loro. Capire gives capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo, capite, capiscono. The noi and voi forms have no -isc-, because there the stress falls on the ending. The same split appears in the present subjunctive (che io capisca, che noi capiamo, che loro capiscano) and in the imperative (capisci, capisca, capiscano). In all other tenses, -isc- verbs are exactly like dormire: capivo, capirò, ho capito.
Pronunciation follows the normal Italian spelling rules: sc before o or a sounds like sk (capisco, capiscono, capisca), and sc before e or i sounds like the English sh (capisci, capisce). Nothing in the infinitive tells you which group a verb belongs to. Dormire and finire look alike, but you say dormo and finisco. Learn each new -IRE verb with its io form, and you will always know its group.
Most -IRE verbs take avere (ho dormito, ho capito). Partire takes essere because it is a verb of movement: sono partito or sono partita. A few verbs, like aprire and offrire, have an irregular participle (aperto, offerto). Six common verbs that end in -ire are irregular enough to be on the Italian Irregular Verbs page: dire, venire, uscire, riuscire, salire and morire. Dire comes from the older infinitive dicere, which explains forms like dico, dicevo and dicendo.
Model verb: dormire
Dormire is the model for -IRE verbs without -isc-. Notice the o in the stem stays the same in every form (dormo, dormiamo), the voi form ends in -ite (dormite), and the passato remoto has the endings -ii, -isti, -ì (dormii, dormisti, dormì). The present subjunctive uses -a, like the -ERE verbs: che io dorma, che loro dormano.
| io | dormo |
|---|---|
| tu | dormi |
| lui / lei | dorme |
| noi | dormiamo |
| voi | dormite |
| loro | dormono |
Regular -IRE
These verbs follow dormire with no -isc-: sento, senti, sente, sentiamo, sentite, sentono. Partire, seguire and servire work the same way (parto, segue, servono), and their participles end in -ito (sentito, seguito, servito). Partire takes essere (è partita), while dormire and sentire take avere.
-ISC Verbs
These verbs add -isc- in the io, tu, lui/lei and loro forms of the present indicative and subjunctive: finisco, finisci, finisce, finiamo, finite, finiscono, and che finisca, che finiscano. The tu imperative is also an -isc- form (pulisci, spedisci). Preferire, pulire, spedire and costruire follow the same pattern (preferisco, costruiscono), and in every other tense they behave like dormire (preferivo, spedirò, ho costruito).
Irregular Past Participle (-IRE)
Aprire and offrire are regular in the present tense (apro, apri, apre; offro, offri, offre) but form the past participle in -erto: aperto and offerto. The same pattern appears in coprire (coperto) and soffrire (sofferto). The participle is the only irregular part, so you say ho aperto la finestra and ha offerto il caffè.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the present tense endings of Italian -IRE verbs?
- Regular -IRE verbs take -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ite, -ono (dormo, dormi, dorme, dormiamo, dormite, dormono). The -isc- verbs use the same endings after -isc- in four forms: capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo, capite, capiscono.
- How do I know if an -IRE verb takes -isc-?
- You cannot tell from the infinitive, so learn the io form with each verb. Dictionaries show it, for example finire (finisco) and partire (parto). Common -isc- verbs are capire, finire, preferire, pulire, spedire and costruire.
- Why is it capiamo and not capisciamo?
- The -isc- only appears in forms where the stress falls on the stem: capisco, capisci, capisce, capiscono. In the noi and voi forms the stress falls on the ending, so -isc- is not added: capiamo, capite.
- Do -IRE verbs take essere or avere?
- Most take avere: ho dormito, ho finito, ho sentito. Verbs of movement take essere, so partire gives sono partito or sono partita. Uscire and venire, which are on the irregular page, also take essere.
- Are dire, venire and uscire -IRE verbs?
- Their infinitives end in -ire, but they are irregular: dire gives dico and detto, venire gives vengo and verrò, and uscire gives esco and escono. They are on the Italian Irregular Verbs page with riuscire, salire and morire.