compensare — Italian conjugation
to compensate
Indicative
Present (Presente) Regular
The presente covers habits, ongoing situations, and plans about to start — much like English “I study” and “I am studying”. One present tense does both in Italian.
Lavora da casa tre giorni a settimana.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | compenso | I compensate |
| tu | compensi | you compensate |
| lui/lei | compensa | he/she/it compensates |
| noi | compensiamo | we compensate |
| voi | compensate | you (pl.) compensate |
| loro | compensano | they compensate |
Simple past (Passato remoto) Regular
The passato remoto tells a completed, narrative past, especially in the south and in literature. The passato prossimo is the normal spoken past in the north, so you choose register and region, not a difference in time alone.
Quella sera arrivò tardi, senza alibi.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | compensai | I compensated |
| tu | compensasti | you compensated |
| lui/lei | compensò | he/she/it compensated |
| noi | compensammo | we compensated |
| voi | compensaste | you (pl.) compensated |
| loro | compensarono | they compensated |
Imperfect (Imperfetto) Regular
The imperfetto is for incomplete past actions, context, and repeated or habitual situations without a clear end. The passato prossimo, not the remoto, is its usual “event” partner in speech.
Da bambina passavo le estati al mare.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | compensavo |
| tu | compensavi |
| lui/lei | compensava |
| noi | compensavamo |
| voi | compensavate |
| loro | compensavano |
Conditional (Condizionale) Regular
The condizionale is for polite “would you…”, first-condition hypotheticals, and reported future from a past point of view. The classic if-chain is se + imperfetto → condizionale.
Potresti alzare un poco la voce?
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | compenserei | I would compensate |
| tu | compenseresti | you would compensate |
| lui/lei | compenserebbe | he/she/it would compensate |
| noi | compenseremmo | we would compensate |
| voi | compensereste | you (pl.) would compensate |
| loro | compenserebbero | they would compensate |
Future (Futuro semplice) Regular
The futuro semplice is for predictions and far decisions. In speech you often hear the present (with a time adverb) or a paraphrase, and a famous trick is the futuro di probabilità for a present guess: saranno le tre.
Domani partiremo all'alba.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | compenserò | I will compensate |
| tu | compenserai | you will compensate |
| lui/lei | compenserà | he/she/it will compensate |
| noi | compenseremo | we will compensate |
| voi | compenserete | you (pl.) will compensate |
| loro | compenseranno | they will compensate |
Present perfect (Passato prossimo) Regular
The passato prossimo is the workhorse preterit-like past in the north and in everyday Italian: avere/essere + participle, essere for reflexives, motion, and other change-of-state patterns.
Siamo andati a piedi, poi abbiamo preso l'autobus.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | ho compensato | I have compensated |
| tu | hai compensato | you have compensated |
| lui/lei | ha compensato | he/she/it has compensated |
| noi | abbiamo compensato | we have compensated |
| voi | avete compensato | you (pl.) have compensated |
| loro | hanno compensato | they have compensated |
Pluperfect (Trapassato prossimo) Regular
The trapassato prossimo is “further in the past than another past” — the Italian pluperfect. It pairs with a main past clause to mark sequence.
Avevamo già mangiato quando suonò il telefono.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | avevo compensato | I had compensated |
| tu | avevi compensato | you had compensated |
| lui/lei | aveva compensato | he/she/it had compensated |
| noi | avevamo compensato | we had compensated |
| voi | avevate compensato | you (pl.) had compensated |
| loro | avevano compensato | they had compensated |
Conditional perfect (Condizionale passato) Regular
The condizionale passato is for unreal or missed past results and often appears with se + trapassato prossimo in the protasis.
Avrei accettato, se mi avessero avvisato in tempo.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | avrei compensato |
| tu | avresti compensato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe compensato |
| noi | avremmo compensato |
| voi | avreste compensato |
| loro | avrebbero compensato |
Future perfect (Futuro anteriore) Regular
The futuro anteriore says something will already be over before a still-later future, or, like the French, can express a logical guess about a past result.
Entro le cinque, avrà già lasciato l'ufficio.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | avrò compensato | I will have compensated |
| tu | avrai compensato | you will have compensated |
| lui/lei | avrà compensato | he/she/it will have compensated |
| noi | avremo compensato | we will have compensated |
| voi | avrete compensato | you (pl.) will have compensated |
| loro | avranno compensato | they will have compensated |
Subjunctive
Present subjunctive (Congiuntivo presente) Regular
The congiuntivo presente is required after many verbs and fixed phrases of will, fear, purpose, and doubt. Impersonal and semi-impersonal triggers (è importante che) also force the subjunctive mood.
Penso che sia la scelta giusta.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | compensi |
| tu | compensi |
| lui/lei | compensi |
| noi | compensiamo |
| voi | compensiate |
| loro | compensino |
Imperfect subjunctive (Congiuntivo imperfetto) Regular
The congiuntivo imperfetto is the past of the congiuntivo system after a past matrix clause and in se + congi. imperf. → condizionale with unreal conditions.
Se avessi più tempo, viaggerei ogni mese.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | compensassi |
| tu | compensassi |
| lui/lei | compensasse |
| noi | compensassimo |
| voi | compensaste |
| loro | compensassero |
Other forms
Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo) Regular
The affirmative imperativo reuses the tu form as 3sg for -are verbs, while other conjugations use the normal tu present. It is the direct command register.
Raccontami com'è andata l'esame.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| tu | compensa |
| lui/lei | compensi |
| noi | compensiamo |
| voi | compensate |
| loro | compensino |
Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Regular
Negative commands use non + full infinitive in modern Italian, which is a distinctive rule compared to other Romance languages. Polite or indirect “please don’t” can still soften the tone in context.
Non aprire quella finestra, per favore.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| tu | non compensare |
| lui/lei | non compensi |
| noi | non compensiamo |
| voi | non compensate |
| loro | non compensino |