dire imperfect tense conjugation
Dire (to say/tell) in the imperfect tense: dicevo, dicevi, diceva, dicevamo, dicevate, dicevano.
Imperfetto Imperfect
| io | regular: divo |
|---|---|
| tu | regular: divi |
| lui/lei | regular: diva |
| noi | regular: divamo |
| voi | regular: divate |
| loro | regular: divano |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the imperfect tense
The imperfetto describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions and descriptions: “Da bambino giocavo a calcio.”
How it is formed
Regular endings: -are → avo, avi, ava, avamo, avate, avano; -ere → evo…; -ire → ivo…. Essere is irregular (ero, eri, era…); fare, dire and bere use their old stems (facevo, dicevo, bevevo).
Dire is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give divo, divi, diva, divamo, divate, divano.
Dire in a sentence
- Dico sempre la verità.I always tell the truth.
- Ieri gli ho detto la verità.Yesterday I told him the truth.
Irregular, stem 'dic-'; past participle 'detto'.
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of dire?
Dire in the Italian imperfect tense: io dicevo, tu dicevi, lui/lei diceva, noi dicevamo, voi dicevate, loro dicevano.
Is dire irregular in the imperfect tense?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: io dicevo (regular would be divo); tu dicevi (regular would be divi); lui/lei diceva (regular would be diva); noi dicevamo (regular would be divamo); voi dicevate (regular would be divate); loro dicevano (regular would be divano).
When do you use the Italian imperfect tense?
The imperfetto describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions and descriptions: “Da bambino giocavo a calcio.”
How is the imperfect tense formed?
Regular endings: -are → avo, avi, ava, avamo, avate, avano; -ere → evo…; -ire → ivo…. Essere is irregular (ero, eri, era…); fare, dire and bere use their old stems (facevo, dicevo, bevevo).
Full dire conjugation, all tenses →
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