When to Use the Imperfetto

Now that you know how to conjugate the imperfetto, the crucial question is: when do you use it? The imperfetto has specific roles that distinguish it from the passato prossimo. Understanding these roles is the key to natural-sounding Italian.

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The Core Concept

Think of the imperfetto as a wide-angle lens that captures ongoing scenes, backgrounds, and states. It does not focus on events as completed units — instead, it shows what was happening, what things were like, or what someone used to do.

By contrast, the passato prossimo is a snapshot: it captures a single, completed event.

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Use 1: Habitual Actions in the Past

The imperfetto describes actions that were repeated regularly:

• Ogni mattina mi svegliavo alle sei. — Every morning I used to wake up at six.
• Da bambina, andavo a scuola in bicicletta. — As a child, I used to go to school by bicycle.
• Mangiavamo sempre fuori il venerdì sera. — We always used to eat out on Friday evenings.
• Il sabato giocavamo a calcio nel parco. — On Saturdays we used to play football in the park.