firmare — Italian conjugation
to sign
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 | firmo | I sign |
| tu | firmi | you sign |
| lui/lei | firma | he/she/it signs |
| noi | firmiamo | we sign |
| voi | firmate | you (pl.) sign |
| loro | firmano | they sign |
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 | firmai | I signed |
| tu | firmasti | you signed |
| lui/lei | firmò | he/she/it signed |
| noi | firmammo | we signed |
| voi | firmaste | you (pl.) signed |
| loro | firmarono | they signed |
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 | firmavo |
| tu | firmavi |
| lui/lei | firmava |
| noi | firmavamo |
| voi | firmavate |
| loro | firmavano |
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 | firmerei | I would sign |
| tu | firmeresti | you would sign |
| lui/lei | firmerebbe | he/she/it would sign |
| noi | firmeremmo | we would sign |
| voi | firmereste | you (pl.) would sign |
| loro | firmerebbero | they would sign |
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 | firmerò | I will sign |
| tu | firmerai | you will sign |
| lui/lei | firmerà | he/she/it will sign |
| noi | firmeremo | we will sign |
| voi | firmerete | you (pl.) will sign |
| loro | firmeranno | they will sign |
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 firmato | I have signed |
| tu | hai firmato | you have signed |
| lui/lei | ha firmato | he/she/it has signed |
| noi | abbiamo firmato | we have signed |
| voi | avete firmato | you (pl.) have signed |
| loro | hanno firmato | they have signed |
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 firmato | I had signed |
| tu | avevi firmato | you had signed |
| lui/lei | aveva firmato | he/she/it had signed |
| noi | avevamo firmato | we had signed |
| voi | avevate firmato | you (pl.) had signed |
| loro | avevano firmato | they had signed |
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 firmato |
| tu | avresti firmato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe firmato |
| noi | avremmo firmato |
| voi | avreste firmato |
| loro | avrebbero firmato |
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 firmato | I will have signed |
| tu | avrai firmato | you will have signed |
| lui/lei | avrà firmato | he/she/it will have signed |
| noi | avremo firmato | we will have signed |
| voi | avrete firmato | you (pl.) will have signed |
| loro | avranno firmato | they will have signed |
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 | firmi |
| tu | firmi |
| lui/lei | firmi |
| noi | firmiamo |
| voi | firmiate |
| loro | firmino |
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 | firmassi |
| tu | firmassi |
| lui/lei | firmasse |
| noi | firmassimo |
| voi | firmaste |
| loro | firmassero |
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 | firma |
| lui/lei | firmi |
| noi | firmiamo |
| voi | firmate |
| loro | firmino |
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 firmare |
| lui/lei | non firmi |
| noi | non firmiamo |
| voi | non firmate |
| loro | non firmino |