osservare — Italian conjugation
to observe
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 | osservo | I observe |
| tu | osservi | you observe |
| lui/lei | osserva | he/she/it observes |
| noi | osserviamo | we observe |
| voi | osservate | you (pl.) observe |
| loro | osservano | they observe |
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 | osservai | I observed |
| tu | osservasti | you observed |
| lui/lei | osservò | he/she/it observed |
| noi | osservammo | we observed |
| voi | osservaste | you (pl.) observed |
| loro | osservarono | they observed |
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 | osservavo |
| tu | osservavi |
| lui/lei | osservava |
| noi | osservavamo |
| voi | osservavate |
| loro | osservavano |
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 | osserverei | I would observe |
| tu | osserveresti | you would observe |
| lui/lei | osserverebbe | he/she/it would observe |
| noi | osserveremmo | we would observe |
| voi | osservereste | you (pl.) would observe |
| loro | osserverebbero | they would observe |
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 | osserverò | I will observe |
| tu | osserverai | you will observe |
| lui/lei | osserverà | he/she/it will observe |
| noi | osserveremo | we will observe |
| voi | osserverete | you (pl.) will observe |
| loro | osserveranno | they will observe |
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 osservato | I have observed |
| tu | hai osservato | you have observed |
| lui/lei | ha osservato | he/she/it has observed |
| noi | abbiamo osservato | we have observed |
| voi | avete osservato | you (pl.) have observed |
| loro | hanno osservato | they have observed |
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 osservato | I had observed |
| tu | avevi osservato | you had observed |
| lui/lei | aveva osservato | he/she/it had observed |
| noi | avevamo osservato | we had observed |
| voi | avevate osservato | you (pl.) had observed |
| loro | avevano osservato | they had observed |
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 osservato |
| tu | avresti osservato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe osservato |
| noi | avremmo osservato |
| voi | avreste osservato |
| loro | avrebbero osservato |
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 osservato | I will have observed |
| tu | avrai osservato | you will have observed |
| lui/lei | avrà osservato | he/she/it will have observed |
| noi | avremo osservato | we will have observed |
| voi | avrete osservato | you (pl.) will have observed |
| loro | avranno osservato | they will have observed |
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 | osservi |
| tu | osservi |
| lui/lei | osservi |
| noi | osserviamo |
| voi | osserviate |
| loro | osservino |
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 | osservassi |
| tu | osservassi |
| lui/lei | osservasse |
| noi | osservassimo |
| voi | osservaste |
| loro | osservassero |
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 | osserva |
| lui/lei | osservi |
| noi | osserviamo |
| voi | osservate |
| loro | osservino |
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 osservare |
| lui/lei | non osservi |
| noi | non osserviamo |
| voi | non osservate |
| loro | non osservino |