programmare — Italian conjugation
to program
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 | programmo | I program |
| tu | programmi | you program |
| lui/lei | programma | he/she/it programs |
| noi | programmiamo | we program |
| voi | programmate | you (pl.) program |
| loro | programmano | they program |
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 | programmai | I programmed |
| tu | programmasti | you programmed |
| lui/lei | programmò | he/she/it programmed |
| noi | programmammo | we programmed |
| voi | programmaste | you (pl.) programmed |
| loro | programmarono | they programmed |
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 | programmavo |
| tu | programmavi |
| lui/lei | programmava |
| noi | programmavamo |
| voi | programmavate |
| loro | programmavano |
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 | programmerei | I would program |
| tu | programmeresti | you would program |
| lui/lei | programmerebbe | he/she/it would program |
| noi | programmeremmo | we would program |
| voi | programmereste | you (pl.) would program |
| loro | programmerebbero | they would program |
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 | programmerò | I will program |
| tu | programmerai | you will program |
| lui/lei | programmerà | he/she/it will program |
| noi | programmeremo | we will program |
| voi | programmerete | you (pl.) will program |
| loro | programmeranno | they will program |
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 programmato | I have programmed |
| tu | hai programmato | you have programmed |
| lui/lei | ha programmato | he/she/it has programmed |
| noi | abbiamo programmato | we have programmed |
| voi | avete programmato | you (pl.) have programmed |
| loro | hanno programmato | they have programmed |
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 programmato | I had programmed |
| tu | avevi programmato | you had programmed |
| lui/lei | aveva programmato | he/she/it had programmed |
| noi | avevamo programmato | we had programmed |
| voi | avevate programmato | you (pl.) had programmed |
| loro | avevano programmato | they had programmed |
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 programmato |
| tu | avresti programmato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe programmato |
| noi | avremmo programmato |
| voi | avreste programmato |
| loro | avrebbero programmato |
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 programmato | I will have programmed |
| tu | avrai programmato | you will have programmed |
| lui/lei | avrà programmato | he/she/it will have programmed |
| noi | avremo programmato | we will have programmed |
| voi | avrete programmato | you (pl.) will have programmed |
| loro | avranno programmato | they will have programmed |
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 | programmi |
| tu | programmi |
| lui/lei | programmi |
| noi | programmiamo |
| voi | programmiate |
| loro | programmino |
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 | programmassi |
| tu | programmassi |
| lui/lei | programmasse |
| noi | programmassimo |
| voi | programmaste |
| loro | programmassero |
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 | programma |
| lui/lei | programmi |
| noi | programmiamo |
| voi | programmate |
| loro | programmino |
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 programmare |
| lui/lei | non programmi |
| noi | non programmiamo |
| voi | non programmate |
| loro | non programmino |