dipendere — Italian conjugation

to be dependent on, to depend on, to rely on

Frequency#336IrregularAuxiliaryessere

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.

PronounItalianEnglish
iodipendoI am dependent on
tudipendiyou are dependent on
lui/leidipendehe/she/it is dependent on
noidipendiamowe are dependent on
voidipendeteyou (pl.) are dependent on
lorodipendonothey are dependent on

Simple past (Passato remoto) Irregular

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.

PronounItalianEnglish
iodipesiI was dependent on
tudipendestiyou were dependent on
lui/leidipesehe/she/it was dependent on
noidipendemmowe were dependent on
voidipendesteyou (pl.) were dependent on
lorodipeserothey were dependent on

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.

PronounItalian
iodipendevo
tudipendevi
lui/leidipendeva
noidipendevamo
voidipendevate
lorodipendevano

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?

PronounItalianEnglish
iodipendereiI would be dependent on
tudipenderestiyou would be dependent on
lui/leidipenderebbehe/she/it would be dependent on
noidipenderemmowe would be dependent on
voidipenderesteyou (pl.) would be dependent on
lorodipenderebberothey would be dependent on

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.

PronounItalianEnglish
iodipenderòI will be dependent on
tudipenderaiyou will be dependent on
lui/leidipenderàhe/she/it will be dependent on
noidipenderemowe will be dependent on
voidipendereteyou (pl.) will be dependent on
lorodipenderannothey will be dependent on

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.

PronounItalianEnglish
iosono dipeso/aI have been dependent on
tusei dipeso/ayou have been dependent on
lui/leiè dipeso/ahe/she/it has been dependent on
noisiamo dipesi/ewe have been dependent on
voisiete dipesi/eyou (pl.) have been dependent on
lorosono dipesi/ethey have been dependent on

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.

PronounItalianEnglish
ioero dipeso/aI had been dependent on
tueri dipeso/ayou had been dependent on
lui/leiera dipeso/ahe/she/it had been dependent on
noieravamo dipesi/ewe had been dependent on
voieravate dipesi/eyou (pl.) had been dependent on
loroerano dipesi/ethey had been dependent on

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.

PronounItalian
iosarei dipeso/a
tusaresti dipeso/a
lui/leisarebbe dipeso/a
noisaremmo dipesi/e
voisareste dipesi/e
lorosarebbero dipesi/e

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.

PronounItalianEnglish
iosarò dipeso/aI will have been dependent on
tusarai dipeso/ayou will have been dependent on
lui/leisarà dipeso/ahe/she/it will have been dependent on
noisaremo dipesi/ewe will have been dependent on
voisarete dipesi/eyou (pl.) will have been dependent on
lorosaranno dipesi/ethey will have been dependent on

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.

PronounItalian
iodipenda
tudipenda
lui/leidipenda
noidipendiamo
voidipendiate
lorodipendano

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.

PronounItalian
iodipendessi
tudipendessi
lui/leidipendesse
noidipendessimo
voidipendeste
lorodipendessero

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.

PronounItalian
tudipendi
lui/leidipenda
noidipendiamo
voidipendete
lorodipendano

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.

PronounItalian
tunon dipendere
lui/leinon dipenda
noinon dipendiamo
voinon dipendete
loronon dipendano