sapere imperfect tense conjugation
Sapere (to know (fact/how to)) in the imperfect tense: sapevo, sapevi, sapeva, sapevamo, sapevate, sapevano.
Imperfetto Imperfect
| io | |
|---|---|
| tu | |
| lui/lei | |
| noi | |
| voi | |
| loro |
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).
Sapere is regular here, so it is a good model for other verbs of the same class.
Sapere in a sentence
- So parlare due lingue.I know how to speak two languages.
- Non sapevo che tu fossi qui.I didn't know you were here.
Irregular; means knowing facts/skills, contrasted with 'conoscere' (to know people/places).
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of sapere?
Sapere in the Italian imperfect tense: io sapevo, tu sapevi, lui/lei sapeva, noi sapevamo, voi sapevate, loro sapevano.
Is sapere irregular in the imperfect tense?
No. In the imperfect tense sapere takes the regular endings for its verb class, so sapevo follows the same pattern as any regular verb.
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 sapere conjugation, all tenses →
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