variare — Italian conjugation
to vary
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 | vario | I vary |
| tu | vari | you vary |
| lui/lei | varia | he/she/it varies |
| noi | variamo | we vary |
| voi | variate | you (pl.) vary |
| loro | variano | they vary |
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 | variai | I varied |
| tu | variasti | you varied |
| lui/lei | variò | he/she/it varied |
| noi | variammo | we varied |
| voi | variaste | you (pl.) varied |
| loro | variarono | they varied |
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 | variavo |
| tu | variavi |
| lui/lei | variava |
| noi | variavamo |
| voi | variavate |
| loro | variavano |
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 | varierei | I would vary |
| tu | varieresti | you would vary |
| lui/lei | varierebbe | he/she/it would vary |
| noi | varieremmo | we would vary |
| voi | variereste | you (pl.) would vary |
| loro | varierebbero | they would vary |
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 | varierò | I will vary |
| tu | varierai | you will vary |
| lui/lei | varierà | he/she/it will vary |
| noi | varieremo | we will vary |
| voi | varierete | you (pl.) will vary |
| loro | varieranno | they will vary |
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 variato | I have varied |
| tu | hai variato | you have varied |
| lui/lei | ha variato | he/she/it has varied |
| noi | abbiamo variato | we have varied |
| voi | avete variato | you (pl.) have varied |
| loro | hanno variato | they have varied |
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 variato | I had varied |
| tu | avevi variato | you had varied |
| lui/lei | aveva variato | he/she/it had varied |
| noi | avevamo variato | we had varied |
| voi | avevate variato | you (pl.) had varied |
| loro | avevano variato | they had varied |
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 variato |
| tu | avresti variato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe variato |
| noi | avremmo variato |
| voi | avreste variato |
| loro | avrebbero variato |
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 variato | I will have varied |
| tu | avrai variato | you will have varied |
| lui/lei | avrà variato | he/she/it will have varied |
| noi | avremo variato | we will have varied |
| voi | avrete variato | you (pl.) will have varied |
| loro | avranno variato | they will have varied |
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 | vari |
| tu | vari |
| lui/lei | vari |
| noi | variamo |
| voi | variate |
| loro | varino |
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 | variassi |
| tu | variassi |
| lui/lei | variasse |
| noi | variassimo |
| voi | variaste |
| loro | variassero |
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 | varia |
| lui/lei | vari |
| noi | variamo |
| voi | variate |
| loro | varino |
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 variare |
| lui/lei | non vari |
| noi | non variamo |
| voi | non variate |
| loro | non varino |