predicare — Italian conjugation
to preach
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 | predico | I preach |
| tu | predichi | you preach |
| lui/lei | predica | he/she/it preaches |
| noi | predichiamo | we preach |
| voi | predicate | you (pl.) preach |
| loro | predicano | they preach |
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 | predicai | I preached |
| tu | predicasti | you preached |
| lui/lei | predicò | he/she/it preached |
| noi | predicammo | we preached |
| voi | predicaste | you (pl.) preached |
| loro | predicarono | they preached |
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 | predicavo |
| tu | predicavi |
| lui/lei | predicava |
| noi | predicavamo |
| voi | predicavate |
| loro | predicavano |
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 | predicherei | I would preach |
| tu | predicheresti | you would preach |
| lui/lei | predicherebbe | he/she/it would preach |
| noi | predicheremmo | we would preach |
| voi | predichereste | you (pl.) would preach |
| loro | predicherebbero | they would preach |
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 | predicherò | I will preach |
| tu | predicherai | you will preach |
| lui/lei | predicherà | he/she/it will preach |
| noi | predicheremo | we will preach |
| voi | predicherete | you (pl.) will preach |
| loro | predicheranno | they will preach |
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 predicato | I have preached |
| tu | hai predicato | you have preached |
| lui/lei | ha predicato | he/she/it has preached |
| noi | abbiamo predicato | we have preached |
| voi | avete predicato | you (pl.) have preached |
| loro | hanno predicato | they have preached |
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 predicato | I had preached |
| tu | avevi predicato | you had preached |
| lui/lei | aveva predicato | he/she/it had preached |
| noi | avevamo predicato | we had preached |
| voi | avevate predicato | you (pl.) had preached |
| loro | avevano predicato | they had preached |
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 predicato |
| tu | avresti predicato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe predicato |
| noi | avremmo predicato |
| voi | avreste predicato |
| loro | avrebbero predicato |
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 predicato | I will have preached |
| tu | avrai predicato | you will have preached |
| lui/lei | avrà predicato | he/she/it will have preached |
| noi | avremo predicato | we will have preached |
| voi | avrete predicato | you (pl.) will have preached |
| loro | avranno predicato | they will have preached |
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 | predichi |
| tu | predichi |
| lui/lei | predichi |
| noi | predichiamo |
| voi | predichiate |
| loro | predichino |
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 | predicassi |
| tu | predicassi |
| lui/lei | predicasse |
| noi | predicassimo |
| voi | predicaste |
| loro | predicassero |
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 | predica |
| lui/lei | predichi |
| noi | predichiamo |
| voi | predicate |
| loro | predichino |
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 predicare |
| lui/lei | non predichi |
| noi | non predichiamo |
| voi | non predicate |
| loro | non predichino |