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.
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.
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.
Signal words: sempre (always), spesso (often), di solito (usually), ogni giorno/settimana/anno, da bambino/a, a volte (sometimes)
Use 2: Descriptions and States in the Past
The imperfetto describes what things looked like, felt like, or were like:
Physical descriptions
- La casa era grande e aveva un giardino. — The house was big and had a garden.
- Il cielo era azzurro e il mare era calmo. — The sky was blue and the sea was calm.
- Portava un vestito rosso. — She was wearing a red dress.
Emotional/mental states
- Ero felice. — I was happy.
- Aveva paura del buio. — He was afraid of the dark.
- Non sapevamo cosa fare. — We did not know what to do.
Physical states
- Avevo fame e sete. — I was hungry and thirsty.
- Ero stanco/a morto/a. — I was dead tired.
- Mi faceva male la testa. — My head was hurting.
Use 3: Weather, Time, and Age
These are always expressed with the imperfetto (unless referring to a sudden or bounded weather event):
Weather
- Faceva caldo. — It was hot.
- Pioveva a dirotto. — It was raining heavily.
- Nevicava da ore. — It had been snowing for hours.
- C'era il sole. — The sun was out.
Time
- Erano le tre del pomeriggio. — It was three in the afternoon.
- Era mezzanotte. — It was midnight.
Age
- Avevo quindici anni. — I was fifteen years old.
- Quando avevo vent'anni, vivevo a Firenze. — When I was twenty, I lived in Florence.
Use 4: Ongoing Actions (Background)
The imperfetto shows what was already happening when something else occurred:
- Leggevo un libro quando ha suonato il telefono. — I was reading a book when the phone rang.
- Mentre dormivamo, è scoppiato un temporale. — While we were sleeping, a storm broke out.
- Cucinavo quando Marco è arrivato. — I was cooking when Marco arrived.
Pattern: Imperfetto (ongoing) + passato prossimo (interruption)
Use 5: Two Simultaneous Ongoing Actions
When two actions were happening at the same time in the past, both use the imperfetto:
- Mentre io studiavo, mia sorella guardava la TV. — While I was studying, my sister was watching TV.
- Lui leggeva e lei scriveva. — He was reading and she was writing.
- I bambini giocavano mentre i genitori parlavano. — The children were playing while the parents were talking.
Pattern: Mentre + imperfetto + imperfetto
Use 6: Polite Requests and Softened Statements