The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice
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About this ebook
Focused on the needs of advanced beginners to advanced students, The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice will transform the way you look at Italian grammar--from a set of easily forgotten rules to stepping stones toward accurate and confident communication. Combining concise review with extensive practice, this book provides the ultimate way to polish your Italian-language skills.
The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice offers:
- Clear, concise explanations of all the grammar topics, illustrated with examples from everyday life
- More than 350 exercises with an answer key to help you master Italian grammar and vocabulary
- Vocabulary boxes providing the terms and expressions that will increase your ability to express yourself
- Cultural notes enhancing the effectiveness of the grammar exercises while acquainting learners with contemporary Italy
Expand your knowledge of grammar parts such as:
The present tense of irregular verbs * Passato prossimo * Gerunds * Gender of nouns * The pronoun ne * Possessive adjectives * Prefixes * Cardinal numbers * Imperatives * and much more
Read more from David M. Stillman
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The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice - David M. Stillman
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Per Ronni, mia moglie
dolce guida e cara
Dante Alighieri, Paradiso XXIII, 34
David M. Stillman
Per mia madre Paola, mio padre Roberto
e mia sorella Claudia,
che hanno sempre creduto nei miei sogni
Tiziano Cherubini
Contents
Preface
I Verbs—Forms and Uses
1 The Present Tense of Regular Verbs 3
An Introduction to Conjugation
First-Conjugation Verbs
Second-Conjugation Verbs
Third-Conjugation Verbs: Group I
Third-Conjugation Verbs: Group II
Uses of the Present Tense
2 The Present Tense of Irregular Verbs
Essere and avere
Andare and fare
Dovere, potere, and volere
Venire and tenere
Uscire and morire
Dare and stare
Bere, condurre, and dire
Rimanere, salire, spegnere, and valere
Sapere
Expressions with Irregular Verbs
Two Obsolete Verbs
3 The Passato Prossimo
Formation of the Past Participle
Auxiliaries with the Passato Prossimo
Uses of the Passato Prossimo
4 The Imperfect Tense; The Imperfect Tense vs. the Passato Prossimo
Formation of the Imperfect Tense
Basic Uses of the Imperfect Tense
The Imperfect Contrasted with the Passato Prossimo
Special Uses of the Imperfect Tense
5 The Future and Conditional Tenses
Formation of the Future Tense
Basic Uses of the Future Tense
The Future of Conjecture and Probability
Other Uses of the Future Tense
Formation of the Conditional Tense
Uses of the Conditional Tense
6 The Imperative
The Informal Imperative
The Formal Imperative
The noi Imperative
Irregular Imperatives
7 Reflexive Verbs
The Conjugation of Reflexive Verbs
Transitive Verbs vs. Reflexive Verbs
The Infinitive of Reflexive Verbs
The Passato Prossimo of Reflexive Verbs
The Passato Prossimo with dovere, potere, and volere and Reflexive Verbs
Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs
The Imperative of Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive Verbs: Special Cases
8 Other Compound Tenses
The Pluperfect (Past Perfect) Tense
The Future Perfect Tense
The Conditional Perfect Tense
Sequence of Tenses in Indirect Discourse
9 The Passato Remoto and Trapassato Remoto
Formation of the Passato Remoto
Use of the Passato Remoto
Formation of the Trapassato Remoto
Use of the Trapassato Remoto
10 Participles
The Past Participle
The Gerund
11 The Passive Voice
Formation of the Passive Voice
Other Constructions with Passive Meaning
12 The Infinitive
The Functions of the Infinitive
II Nouns and Their Modifiers; Pronouns
13 Nouns and Articles
Nouns and Definite and Indefinite Articles
The Plural of Nouns
The Partitive Article
The Gender of Nouns
Uses of the Articles
Prepositions Combined with the Definite Article
14 Adjectives
Agreement of Adjectives
Position of Adjectives
Irregular Adjectives
Comparison of Adjectives, Adverbs, Nouns, and Verbs
Intensifying Adjectives and Absolute Superlatives
Expressions with Comparative Structures
Adjective + Preposition + Infinitive
15 Object Pronouns
Direct Object Pronouns
Indirect Object Pronouns
The Pronouns ci and vi
The Pronoun ne
Double Object Pronouns
Summary of the Placement of Object Pronouns
Stressed Pronouns
16 Possessive and Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns
Possession
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive Pronouns
Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative Pronouns
III Other Elements of the Sentence
17 Numbers; Time; Dates
Cardinal Numbers
Ordinal Numbers
Idioms and Expressions with Numbers
Expressing Centuries
Telling Time
Days of the Week and Months of the Year
The Date
18 Adverbs
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs Not Derived from Adjectives
Position of Adverbs
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of Place
Adverbial Expressions
Adverbs in -oni
19 Interrogative Sentences
Question Formation
More on Question Words
Exclamations
20 Negative and Indefinite Words
Negative Words and Sentences
Indefinite Words and Sentences
Idiomatic Uses of Negative and Indefinite Words
21 Prepositions
The Preposition a
The Preposition di
The Preposition da
The Preposition in
The Preposition con
The Preposition su
The Preposition sotto
The Prepositions fra and tra
The Preposition per
Other Prepositions
IV The Complex Sentence and Other Aspects of Usage
22 Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses
The Relative Pronoun che
The Relative Pronoun cui
The Relative Pronouns il quale, la quale, i quali, le quali
Relative Pronouns Expressing Whose,
Where,
and When
Relative Pronouns Without Antecedents
23 The Present Subjunctive
Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions
The Subjunctive
Uses of the Present Subjunctive in Noun Clauses
24 The Subjunctive in Adjective and Adverb Clauses
Adjective Clauses
Adverb Clauses
25 The Imperfect Subjunctive
Formation of the Imperfect Subjunctive
Uses of the Imperfect Subjunctive in Subordinate Clauses
Conditional Sentences: Part 1
26 Compound Subjunctive Tenses
Formation of the Present Perfect Subjunctive
Uses of the Present Perfect Subjunctive
Formation of the Past Perfect Subjunctive
Uses of the Past Perfect Subjunctive
Conditional Sentences: Part 2
27 Word Formation
Prefixes
Suffixes
Example Prefixes and Suffixes: Regola as a Root
Compound Words
28 Potential Pitfalls
How to Say to Know
: sapere and conoscere
How to Say to Leave
: partire, lasciare, uscire, and andarsene
How to Say to Be
: essere and stare
How to Say to Like
and to Miss
: piacere and mancare
Answer Key
Index
Preface
A different language is a different vision of life.
—Federico Fellini
Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.
—Roger Bacon
The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice is designed to provide advanced beginners, intermediate students, and advanced learners of Italian with a powerful tool for review and progress in the language. This book presents clear, concise, and well-organized grammar explanations with examples that reflect everyday usage, often in the form of conversational exchanges. These presentations of structure are easy to understand, and the examples will encourage learners to see the study of grammar as a stepping-stone to communication.
Each grammar section contains engaging, contextualized exercises with instructions in Italian to help set the scene and prepare you for the task at hand. Vocabulary lists provide a review of the vocabulary common to most first- and second-year Italian textbooks, as well as new words and phrases essential for the exercise, thus increasing your vocabulary and enhancing your ability to express yourself on a variety of topics. Exercises reflect authentic, everyday language usage and touch on all areas of modern life, including business, professional life, and technology.
The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice has 28 chapters divided into four parts:
I Verbs—Forms and Uses
II Nouns and Their Modifiers; Pronouns
III Other Elements of the Sentence
IV The Complex Sentence and Other Aspects of Usage
Note culturali are featured throughout the book. These cultural notes enhance the effectiveness of the grammar exercises by providing an authentic Italian context in which to practice, as well as acquainting users of the textbook with contemporary Italy. To further your progress, we have also included a chapter on word formation and a chapter that aims to help you eliminate potential pitfalls—the most common errors made by English-speaking learners of Italian. The Answer Key at the end of the book allows you to check your work as you progress through the exercises.
A unique feature of The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice are the Note linguistiche for students who come to their study of Italian after having studied Spanish or French. These sections highlight important points of contrast between Italian and the other Romance languages, thus helping learners avoid common errors deriving from their knowledge of French and Spanish.
The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice is ideal for learners working on their own and as an ancillary for students using a textbook in a classroom setting. Chapters may be covered in any order, permitting learners and teachers to individualize grammar practice.
Practical, inviting, and easy to use, The Ultimate Italian Review and Practice will help you acquire knowledge that will increase your confidence in using and comprehending Italian in a wide variety of contexts and situations, and that will prepare you for professional work involving the language—as well as for visits to Italy.
David M. Stillman, PhD
Tiziano Cherubini, MA
I
Verbs—Forms and Uses
1
The Present Tense of Regular Verbs
An Introduction to Conjugation
Verbs are presented in conjugation paradigms that summarize the forms that the verbs have in each tense. Verbs are said to have three persons: the speaker, the person spoken to, and a third person, referring neither to the speaker nor the person spoken to. Italian, like English, has two numbers: singular and plural. The pattern used in the presentation of verb forms can be summarized by introducing the subject pronouns.
The persons of the verb and their corresponding pronouns in English are as follows.
The persons of the verb and their corresponding pronouns in Italian are as follows.
Differences Between English and Italian
English has only one form for you; Italian has four. Tu is a singular form and is informal; it is used to address one person with whom you have an informal relationship: a family member, a close friend, a fellow student, etc. Voi is the plural of tu and is used to address two or more people with whom you have an informal relationship. To address someone with whom you have a formal relationship, Italian uses the pronoun Lei. Lei meaning you is distinguished from lei meaning she in writing by beginning with an uppercase L, even in the middle of a sentence.
In formal Italian, Loro is the plural of Lei and is used to address two or more people with whom you have a formal relationship. The L of Loro meaning you is capitalized in writing to distinguish it from loro meaning they.
In contemporary Italian, voi serves as the plural of both tu and Lei, while Loro is limited to elevated or bureaucratic style.
In literary, formal, or archaic Italian, you may encounter the pronouns egli/esso he, ella/essa she, essi they (masculine), and esse they (feminine).
In English, subject pronouns must be used with verbs. In Italian, however, the forms of the verb change to show who the subject is, and pronouns are used only for emphasis or contrast.
Italian verbs are divided into three groups, called conjugations. Each conjugation has a characteristic ending in its infinitive form.
When the infinitive ending is removed, the stem of the verb remains.
The second and third conjugations have subgroups as well.
Regular verbs of each of the three conjugations follow set patterns.
Stress in Italian Verbs
The stress pattern of present-tense verb forms is not indicated by Italian spelling.
The singular forms and the third-person plural forms are stressed on the stem: parlo, parli, parla, parlano. The noi and voi forms are stressed on the endings: parliamo, parlate. (The stressed vowel is underlined in this book as a help to students; it is not used in Italian spelling.)
The singular and third-person plural forms of most present-tense Italian verbs are stressed on the syllable before the ending: aiuto, ammiri, analizza, prenotano. However, a considerable number of verbs are stressed two syllables back from the ending. This irregularity is not shown in Italian spelling; it is indicated in the verb lists of this book by underlining the stressed vowel of the io form in parentheses after the infinitive.
accelerare (io accelero) to accelerate
The remaining forms of the present tense can be deduced from the form in parentheses: acceleri, accelera, acceleriamo, accelerate, accelerano.
First-Conjugation Verbs
Verbs of the first conjugation (-are verbs) are conjugated like parlare to speak.
Useful First-Conjugation Verbs
abbandonare to abandon
abbassare to lower, pull down; to turn down (the radio), dim (a light)
abbinare to combine, link
accelerare (io accelero) to accelerate
aiutare to help
allenare to exercise, train
alzare to raise
amare to love
ammirare to admire
analizzare to analyze
annoiare to bore, annoy, bother
annotare to jot down
apprezzare to value, appreciate
arredare to furnish
arrestare to arrest
arrivare to arrive
ascoltare to listen to
aspettare to wait for
attraversare to cross
aumentare to increase
ballare to dance
brindare to propose/make a toast
buttare to throw
camminare to walk
cantare to sing
celebrare (io celebro) to celebrate
cenare to have dinner, dine
chiamare to call
circondare to surround
combinare to arrange, settle, plan
comprare to buy
consegnare to hand over, deliver
conservare to keep, preserve
considerare (io considero) to consider
contare to count
controllare to check, inspect
creare to create
cucinare to cook
depositare (io deposito) to deposit, leave
desiderare (io desidero) to desire
digitare (io digito) to type
disegnare to sketch, draw, outline; to design
disturbare to bother, trouble, disturb
diventare to become
domandare to ask (for)
dubitare (io dubito) to doubt
durare to last
entrare to come/go in
esitare (io esito) to hesitate
evitare (io evito) to avoid
fermare to stop
firmare to sign
fissare to establish, fix, settle
frequentare to attend, frequent
fumare to smoke
funzionare to function, work (of a machine)
girare to turn, spin
giurare to swear
governare to govern
gridare to shout
guadagnare to earn
guardare to look at
guidare to drive
immaginare (io immagino) to imagine
imparare to learn
incassare to cash; to take in money
indossare to put on, wear
indovinare to guess
ingrassare to get fat, put on weight
inquinare to pollute, contaminate
insegnare to teach
intervistare to interview
invitare to invite
lavare to wash
lavorare to work
lottare to struggle, fight, wrestle
mandare to send
migliorare to improve
misurare to measure
mostrare to show
notare to notice
nuotare to swim
ordinare (io ordino) to order
organizzare to organize
paragonare to compare
parlare to speak
partecipare (io partecipo) to participate
passare to pass; to spend time
pattinare (io pattino) to skate; to skid
pensare to think
perdonare to pardon, forgive
pesare to weigh; to be heavy
piantare to plant; to abandon, dump
portare to carry, bear; to take (someone somewhere); to wear
pranzare to have lunch
prenotare to reserve, book
preparare to prepare
presentare to present, introduce
prestare to lend, loan
provare to try, test; to experience
raccomandare to recommend
raccontare to tell about, narrate
rappresentare to represent
recitare (io recito) to act
regalare to give as a gift
respirare to breathe
ricordare to remember; to remind
ripassare to review (for exams, etc.)
riposare to rest
ritornare to return
rubare to steal
saltare to jump
salutare to greet, say hello to
scherzare to joke, jest
scusare to excuse, forgive
sembrare to seem
sistemare to arrange, fix, set up
sognare to dream
sopportare to stand, bear, endure
sorpassare to pass, go beyond
sparare to shoot, fire
spaventare to frighten
sperare to hope
spostare to move, shift, displace
squillare to ring
stampare to print
stirare to iron
suonare to sound; to play (an instrument)
superare (io supero) to exceed, surpass, outdo
telefonare (io telefono) to telephone
tentare to try; to tempt
tirare to pull
tornare to return
trovare to find
urlare to scream, howl
versare to pour
vietare to prohibit, forbid
visitare (io visito) to visit
volare to fly
votare to vote
First-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -care and -gare
First-conjugation verbs whose stems end in -c or -g are regular in speech, but appear to be irregular in writing. These apparent irregularities can be predicted by the rules of Italian orthography.
The sounds /k/ and /g/ are written as follows in Italian.
Thus, verbs whose infinitives end in -care or -gare need to add h before the endings of the tu and noi forms.
Useful First-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -care and -gare
annegare to drown
bloccare to block
caricare (io carico) to load
cercare to look for
comunicare (io comunico) to communicate
dedicare (io dedico) to dedicate
dimenticare (io dimentico) to forget
distaccare to detach
divulgare to divulge
drogare to drug
educare (io educo) to bring up; to educate
elencare to list (names); to enumerate
fabbricare (io fabbrico) to manufacture
fantasticare (io fantastico) to daydream
giocare to play
giudicare (io giudico) to judge
identificare (io identifico) to identify
imbarcare to board; to put on board
impiegare to use; to hire
interrogare (io interrogo) to question
investigare (io investigo) to investigate
lastricare (io lastrico) to pave
leccare to lick
legare to tie (up)
litigare (io litigo) to quarrel, argue
lusingare to flatter
mancare to be lacking
masticare (io mastico) to chew
navigare (io navigo) to sail, navigate
obbligare (io obbligo) to force, oblige
pagare to pay
peccare to sin
pescare to fish
pregare to pray, ask, beg
pubblicare (io pubblico) to publish
recare to bring about, cause
sbarcare to land, disembark
sbrigare to accomplish, finish (a task)
scaricare (io scarico) to download
seccare to dry; to annoy
slogare to dislocate, sprain
soffocare (io soffoco) to suffocate
stancare to tire
toccare to touch
traslocare to move (change residence)
truccare to apply makeup (to someone)
zoppicare (io zoppico) to limp
First-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -ciare, -giare, and -sciare
The sounds /ch/ as in church, /j/ as in joy, and /sh/ as in show are written as follows in Italian.
The i written before a, o, and u is not pronounced; it merely indicates the sound of the preceding consonant.
When the tu and noi present-tense endings are added to the stem of one of these verbs, only one i is written. Study the conjugations of baciare, viaggiare, and lasciare.
This single-i rule applies after both single and double c and g: baci, baciamo; abbracci, abbracciamo; mangi, mangiamo; viaggi, viaggiamo.
Useful First-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -ciare, -giare, and -sciare
abbracciare to hug, embrace
allacciare to tie, fasten
annunciare to announce
appoggiare to support; to lean (something) against
arrangiare to arrange
assaggiare to try, taste
associare to associate
baciare to kiss
bocciare to reject, fail
cacciare to hunt; to expel
cominciare to begin
danneggiare to damage, hurt
ghiacciare to freeze, turn to ice
incominciare to begin
incoraggiare to encourage
intrecciare to weave, intertwine
lanciare to throw, toss; to launch
lasciare to let; to leave (behind)
mangiare to eat
noleggiare to rent
parcheggiare to park
pareggiare to balance, make even
passeggiare to walk, take a walk
rinunciare to renounce, quit
rovesciare to knock over
scacciare to chase/drive away
schiacciare to crush
scocciare to bother, annoy
viaggiare to travel
First-Conjugation Verbs with Stems Ending in -i
Most verbs whose stems end in -i are stressed on the vowel before the i in the singular and third-person plural forms.
When the tu and noi endings are added to the stem of one of these verbs, only one i is written. In a few verbs with stems ending in -i, the i is the stem vowel, constitutes a syllable, and is stressed. In these verbs, the tu form is written with two is, and both are pronounced.
In this book, the stressed i is underlined as a help to students; it is not used in Italian spelling.
Useful First-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -iare
affiliare to affiliate
alleviare to alleviate
arrabbiare to make angry
assomigliare to resemble, look like
avviare (io avvio) to start up, set in motion
copiare to copy
fischiare to whistle; to boo, hiss
incendiare to set on fire
iniziare to begin
inviare (io invio) to send
licenziare to fire, dismiss, discharge
macchiare to stain, spot
negoziare to negotiate
odiare to hate
picchiare to hit, beat
raddoppiare to double
rimorchiare to tow
ringraziare to thank
rischiare to risk
risparmiare to save (money, time)
sbagliare to make a mistake
sparecchiare to clear the table
studiare to study
svegliare to awaken
tagliare to cut
umiliare to humiliate
viziare to spoil (a child)
Forme plurali. Scrivi il corrispettivo plurale di ogni verbo e sottolinea la vocale accentata della forma plurale.
1. taglia
2. canti
3. sveglio
4. spera
5. inizio
6. entri
7. mangia
8. controlla
9. incoraggi
10. aiuta
Forme singolari. Scrivi il corrispettivo singolare di ogni verbo e sottolinea la vocale accentata della forma singolare.
1. spaventano
2. fischiate
3. lanciamo
4. svegliano
5. danneggiamo
6. ringraziate
7. giocano
8. sciate
9. incominciamo
10. variate
11. preghiamo
12. pubblicate
13. sbarchiamo
14. toccate
15. dimenticate
Prima persona singolare. Scrivi la prima persona singolare (io) di ogni verbo all’infinito e sottolinea la vocale accentata.
1. parcheggiare
2. soffocare
3. litigare
4. lusingare
5. indovinare
6. accelerare
7. intervistare
8. pattinare
9. dimenticare
10. annoiare
11. avviare
12. zoppicare
13. arrivare
14. arredare
15. considerare
Cosa fanno oggi? Scrivi cosa fanno oggi queste persone unendo gli elementi dati e coniugando il verbo al presente.
1. i nonni / lavorare in giardino
2. la nonna / piantare dei fiori
3. il nonno / tagliare l’erba
4. Luca / pattinare sul marciapiede
5. tu / giocare ai giochi elettronici
6. papà / parcheggiare la macchina
7. io e Laura / noleggiare un film
8. noi / fantasticare sul nostro avvenire
9. il gatto / rovesciare un vaso di fiori
10. tu / studiare per l’esame di chimica organica
11. mia sorella / comprare del formaggio
12. noi / scaricare articoli in italiano
13. i vicini / pranzare sul balcone
14. voi / ascoltare un nuovo CD
15. tu / mangiare un panino
Anche loro. Rispondi alle domande come nell’esempio. Ricorda che anche (also) precede il soggetto della frase e che anche + io diventa anch’io.
1. La polizia investiga sulla rapina in banca (bank robbery). E voi?
2. Loro inviano molti pacchi. Ed io?
3. Noi lasciamo il lavoro. Ed io?
4. Loro giocano al biliardo. E voi?
5. Io impiego mezz’ora per andare al lavoro. E voi?
6. Voi recitate bene. E la ragazza?
7. Lui scia a Cortina d’Ampezzo. Ed io?
8. Io ripasso gli appunti. E loro?
9. Noi carichiamo un programma sul computer. E tu?
10. Gianna copia l’indirizzo. Ed io?
Fra amici. Riformula le domande usando il pronome tu.
1. Quando inizia (Lei) il dibattito?
2. Lega (Lei) il pacco con lo spago o con il nastro?
3. (Lei) pubblica molti articoli scientifici?
4. Perché non prenota (Lei) i posti a teatro?
5. Perché non risparmia (Lei) un po’ di più?
6. Cosa è successo? Vedo che (Lei) zoppica.
7. Quando torna (Lei) a Roma?
8. Quando incomincia (Lei) le vacanze?
Second-Conjugation Verbs
Second-conjugation (-ere) verbs are conjugated like vendere to sell.
The stress pattern is the same as for -are verbs. The singular and third-person plural forms are stressed on the stem: vendo, vendi, vende, vendono. The noi and voi forms are stressed on the endings: vendiamo, vendete.
Note that three of the six forms have the same endings in the first and second conjugations: parlo ~ vendo, parli ~ vendi, parliamo ~ vendiamo.
Useful Second-Conjugation Verbs
accendere to light, turn on
ammettere to admit
apprendere to learn, find out
ardere to burn
attendere to wait for; to attend to
battere to hit
chiedere to ask
chiudere to close, shut; to quit (a computer application)
coincidere to coincide
combattere to fight
commettere to commit
commuovere to move (emotionally); to touch
comprendere to understand; to include
compromettere to jeopardize
concludere to conclude, finish
condividere to share
confondere to confuse
connettere to connect
consistere to consist
credere to believe
deludere to disappoint
descrivere to describe
dibattere to debate
difendere to defend
dipendere to depend
discutere to discuss; to quarrel
distinguere to distinguish
dividere to divide
esistere to exist
espellere to expel
esplodere to explode
esprimere to express
estendere to extend
fondere to melt; to blend, fuse
incidere to cut into, carve; to affect
includere to include
intendere to intend, mean; to understand
interrompere to interrupt
invadere to invade
iscrivere to enroll, register
mettere to put
mordere to bite
muovere to move
nascondere to hide
offendere to offend, insult
omettere to omit
opprimere to oppress
perdere to lose
permettere to permit, allow
prendere to take
pretendere to claim, demand
procedere to proceed
promettere to promise
proscrivere to ban, proscribe
radere to shave
rendere to give back
reprimere to repress
resistere to resist
riassumere to summarize
ricevere to receive
ridere to laugh
riflettere to reflect, think over
rimettere to put back
rimuovere to remove
ripetere to repeat
riscuotere to collect (money)
risolvere to solve
rispondere to answer
rompere to break
scendere to go down(stairs)
scommettere to bet
sconnettere to disconnect
scorrere to glide, flow; to pass (time)
scrivere to write
scuotere to shake
smettere to stop
soccorrere to help, come to the aid of
sopravvivere to survive
sorprendere to surprise
sorridere to smile
sospendere to call off, stop; to suspend
sovrintendere to supervise
spegnere to extinguish, put out
spendere to spend
spremere to squeeze
stendere to extend, spread out
temere to fear
trascrivere to transcribe
uccidere to kill
vivere to live, be alive
Second-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -cere and -gere
Second-conjugation verbs whose stems end in -c or -g are regular in writing, but have a sound change in the tu, lui, noi, and voi forms. Remember that c and g represent the sounds /ch/ and /j/, respectively, before e and i.
Study the conjugations of convincere to convince and piangere to cry, paying special attention to the sound-symbol correspondences.
The pattern is the same when the verb stem ends in -gg, as in leggere to read.
Verbs like crescere to grow have a /sh/ sound before e and i.
Second-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -gliere and -gnere
Verbs whose infinitives end in -gliere, like togliere to take away, remove, have a /g/ sound in the io and loro forms and a /ly/ sound in the remaining forms. Only one i is written in the tu and noi forms.
Spegnere to extinguish, put out, shut off has a /g/ sound in the io and loro forms and a /ny/ sound in the remaining forms.
Except for verbs ending in -gliere or -gnere, all second-conjugation verbs have predictable written forms.
Useful Second-Conjugation Verbs Ending in -cere, -gere, -gliere, and -gnere
accogliere to welcome, receive
aggiungere to add
avvolgere to wrap up
cingere to surround, encircle
cogliere to pick, gather
coinvolgere to involve, implicate
convincere to convince
correggere to correct
crescere to grow
dipingere to paint
dirigere to direct, manage
distruggere to destroy
eleggere to elect
emergere to emerge
erigere to erect, build
esigere to demand, require
fingere to pretend, feign
giungere to arrive
leggere to read
piangere to cry
porgere to extend (one’s hand, etc.)
proteggere to protect
pungere to prick, sting
raccogliere to pick up, collect
raggiungere to reach, get to
redigere to draft, compile
rivolgere to turn, direct; to address (someone)
scegliere to choose
sconfiggere to defeat
sconvolgere to upset, disturb
spargere to scatter, sprinkle
spegnere to extinguish, put out, shut off
spingere to push
sporgere to jut/stick out
storcere to twist, distort
stringere to grip; to tighten
svolgere to unwind, unroll; to carry out (a plan, study, reform, etc.)
togliere to take away/off, remove
torcere to twist
volgere to turn toward
Some -ere verbs are stressed on the infinitive ending, such as avere, dovere, potere, sapere, vedere, and volere. These verbs are irregular and will be presented in the next