sperimentare — Italian conjugation
to experiment
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 | sperimento | I experiment |
| tu | sperimenti | you experiment |
| lui/lei | sperimenta | he/she/it experiments |
| noi | sperimentiamo | we experiment |
| voi | sperimentate | you (pl.) experiment |
| loro | sperimentano | they experiment |
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 | sperimentai | I experimented |
| tu | sperimentasti | you experimented |
| lui/lei | sperimentò | he/she/it experimented |
| noi | sperimentammo | we experimented |
| voi | sperimentaste | you (pl.) experimented |
| loro | sperimentarono | they experimented |
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 | sperimentavo |
| tu | sperimentavi |
| lui/lei | sperimentava |
| noi | sperimentavamo |
| voi | sperimentavate |
| loro | sperimentavano |
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 | sperimenterei | I would experiment |
| tu | sperimenteresti | you would experiment |
| lui/lei | sperimenterebbe | he/she/it would experiment |
| noi | sperimenteremmo | we would experiment |
| voi | sperimentereste | you (pl.) would experiment |
| loro | sperimenterebbero | they would experiment |
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 | sperimenterò | I will experiment |
| tu | sperimenterai | you will experiment |
| lui/lei | sperimenterà | he/she/it will experiment |
| noi | sperimenteremo | we will experiment |
| voi | sperimenterete | you (pl.) will experiment |
| loro | sperimenteranno | they will experiment |
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 sperimentato | I have experimented |
| tu | hai sperimentato | you have experimented |
| lui/lei | ha sperimentato | he/she/it has experimented |
| noi | abbiamo sperimentato | we have experimented |
| voi | avete sperimentato | you (pl.) have experimented |
| loro | hanno sperimentato | they have experimented |
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 sperimentato | I had experimented |
| tu | avevi sperimentato | you had experimented |
| lui/lei | aveva sperimentato | he/she/it had experimented |
| noi | avevamo sperimentato | we had experimented |
| voi | avevate sperimentato | you (pl.) had experimented |
| loro | avevano sperimentato | they had experimented |
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 sperimentato |
| tu | avresti sperimentato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe sperimentato |
| noi | avremmo sperimentato |
| voi | avreste sperimentato |
| loro | avrebbero sperimentato |
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 sperimentato | I will have experimented |
| tu | avrai sperimentato | you will have experimented |
| lui/lei | avrà sperimentato | he/she/it will have experimented |
| noi | avremo sperimentato | we will have experimented |
| voi | avrete sperimentato | you (pl.) will have experimented |
| loro | avranno sperimentato | they will have experimented |
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 | sperimenti |
| tu | sperimenti |
| lui/lei | sperimenti |
| noi | sperimentiamo |
| voi | sperimentiate |
| loro | sperimentino |
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 | sperimentassi |
| tu | sperimentassi |
| lui/lei | sperimentasse |
| noi | sperimentassimo |
| voi | sperimentaste |
| loro | sperimentassero |
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 | sperimenta |
| lui/lei | sperimenti |
| noi | sperimentiamo |
| voi | sperimentate |
| loro | sperimentino |
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 sperimentare |
| lui/lei | non sperimenti |
| noi | non sperimentiamo |
| voi | non sperimentate |
| loro | non sperimentino |