investigare — Italian conjugation
to investigate, to examine
Indicative
Present (Presente) Irregular
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 | investigo | I investigate |
| tu | investighi | you investigate |
| lui/lei | investiga | he/she/it investigates |
| noi | investighiamo | we investigate |
| voi | investigate | you (pl.) investigate |
| loro | investigano | they investigate |
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 | investigai | I investigated |
| tu | investigasti | you investigated |
| lui/lei | investigò | he/she/it investigated |
| noi | investigammo | we investigated |
| voi | investigaste | you (pl.) investigated |
| loro | investigarono | they investigated |
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 | investigavo |
| tu | investigavi |
| lui/lei | investigava |
| noi | investigavamo |
| voi | investigavate |
| loro | investigavano |
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 | investigherei | I would investigate |
| tu | investigheresti | you would investigate |
| lui/lei | investigherebbe | he/she/it would investigate |
| noi | investigheremmo | we would investigate |
| voi | investighereste | you (pl.) would investigate |
| loro | investigherebbero | they would investigate |
Future (Futuro semplice) Irregular
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 | investigherò | I will investigate |
| tu | investigherai | you will investigate |
| lui/lei | investigherà | he/she/it will investigate |
| noi | investigheremo | we will investigate |
| voi | investigherete | you (pl.) will investigate |
| loro | investigheranno | they will investigate |
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 investigato | I have investigated |
| tu | hai investigato | you have investigated |
| lui/lei | ha investigato | he/she/it has investigated |
| noi | abbiamo investigato | we have investigated |
| voi | avete investigato | you (pl.) have investigated |
| loro | hanno investigato | they have investigated |
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 investigato | I had investigated |
| tu | avevi investigato | you had investigated |
| lui/lei | aveva investigato | he/she/it had investigated |
| noi | avevamo investigato | we had investigated |
| voi | avevate investigato | you (pl.) had investigated |
| loro | avevano investigato | they had investigated |
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 investigato |
| tu | avresti investigato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe investigato |
| noi | avremmo investigato |
| voi | avreste investigato |
| loro | avrebbero investigato |
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 investigato | I will have investigated |
| tu | avrai investigato | you will have investigated |
| lui/lei | avrà investigato | he/she/it will have investigated |
| noi | avremo investigato | we will have investigated |
| voi | avrete investigato | you (pl.) will have investigated |
| loro | avranno investigato | they will have investigated |
Subjunctive
Present subjunctive (Congiuntivo presente) Irregular
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 | investighi |
| tu | investighi |
| lui/lei | investighi |
| noi | investighiamo |
| voi | investighiate |
| loro | investighino |
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 | investigassi |
| tu | investigassi |
| lui/lei | investigasse |
| noi | investigassimo |
| voi | investigaste |
| loro | investigassero |
Other forms
Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo) Irregular
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 | investiga |
| lui/lei | investighi |
| noi | investighiamo |
| voi | investigate |
| loro | investighino |
Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Irregular
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 investigare |
| lui/lei | non investighi |
| noi | non investighiamo |
| voi | non investigate |
| loro | non investighino |