Passato Prossimo vs Imperfetto

This is the most important lesson in the course. Choosing between the passato prossimo and the imperfetto is one of the biggest challenges for learners of Italian — and one of the most rewarding skills to master. The two tenses work together to create rich, natural narratives about the past.

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The Core Distinction

Passato Prossimo	Imperfetto
Completed action	Ongoing / habitual action
What happened	What was happening
A single event	A repeated event
The plot: what moved the story forward	The scene: what set the stage
Has a clear beginning and/or end	No defined beginning or end
A snapshot	A wide-angle lens

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Decision Framework

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is the action completed with a clear beginning, end, or defined duration? → Passato prossimo

   • Ho mangiato una pizza. (I ate a pizza — done.)

2. Was the action ongoing, habitual, or part of the background? → Imperfetto

   • Mangiavo una pizza quando hai chiamato. (I was eating a pizza when you called — in progress.)