fare imperfect tense conjugation
Fare (to do/make) in the imperfect tense: facevo, facevi, faceva, facevamo, facevate, facevano.
Imperfetto Imperfect
| io | regular: favo |
|---|---|
| tu | regular: favi |
| lui/lei | regular: fava |
| noi | regular: favamo |
| voi | regular: favate |
| loro | regular: favano |
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).
Fare is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give favo, favi, fava, favamo, favate, favano.
Fare in a sentence
- Faccio i compiti ogni giorno.I do homework every day.
- Ieri ho fatto una torta.Yesterday I made a cake.
Irregular stem 'facc-/fec-'; used in many idioms like 'fare freddo'.
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of fare?
Fare in the Italian imperfect tense: io facevo, tu facevi, lui/lei faceva, noi facevamo, voi facevate, loro facevano.
Is fare irregular in the imperfect tense?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: io facevo (regular would be favo); tu facevi (regular would be favi); lui/lei faceva (regular would be fava); noi facevamo (regular would be favamo); voi facevate (regular would be favate); loro facevano (regular would be favano).
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).
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