Regular -ARE Conjugation

The -ARE verb group is the largest and most productive family of verbs in Italian. Most new verbs that enter the language (such as cliccare, to click) follow the -ARE pattern, so mastering this conjugation gives you access to hundreds of verbs immediately.

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How -ARE Conjugation Works

Every regular -ARE verb follows the same simple process:

1. Remove the -are ending from the infinitive to find the stem
2. Add the appropriate present tense ending for the subject

For example, with the verb parlare (to speak):

• Infinitive: parlare
• Stem: parl-
• Conjugated: io parlo, tu parli, etc.

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Italian Subject Pronouns

Before we conjugate, let us review the Italian subject pronouns:

Pronoun	English Equivalent
io	I
tu	you (informal singular)
lui / lei / Lei	he / she / you (formal)
noi	we
voi	you (plural)
loro	they

Tip: In everyday Italian, subject pronouns are frequently omitted because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is. Parlo italiano is perfectly natural — you do not need to say io.

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The -ARE Present Tense Endings

Subject Pronoun	Ending	Example with parlare	Translation
io	-o	parlo	I speak
tu	-i	parli	you speak
lui / lei / Lei	-a	parla	he/she speaks, you (formal) speak
noi	-iamo	parliamo	we speak
voi	-ate	parlate	you all speak
loro	-ano	parlano	they speak

Tip: The io form always ends in -o for all regular verbs in the present tense, regardless of whether the verb is -ARE, -ERE, or -IRE. The noi form always ends in -iamo.

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Common Regular -ARE Verbs

Here are some of the most frequently used regular -ARE verbs:

Infinitive	English	Example Sentence
parlare	to speak	Parlo italiano ogni giorno.
mangiare	to eat	Mangiamo la pizza a cena.
lavorare	to work	Lavora in un ufficio.
studiare	to study	Studi matematica?
comprare	to buy	Comprano frutta fresca.
cucinare	to cook	Mia madre cucina molto bene.
abitare	to live (reside)	Abitiamo a Roma.
chiamare	to call	Chiamo il mio amico.
guardare	to watch / to look at	Guardiamo la televisione la sera.
ascoltare	to listen	Lei ascolta musica classica.
portare	to carry / to wear	Porto una giacca blu.
trovare	to find	Trovo sempre un buon ristorante.

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Full Conjugation Tables

parlare (to speak)

	Singular	Plural
1st person	io parlo	noi parliamo
2nd person	tu parli	voi parlate
3rd person	lui/lei parla	loro parlano

lavorare (to work)

	Singular	Plural
1st person	io lavoro	noi lavoriamo
2nd person	tu lavori	voi lavorate
3rd person	lui/lei lavora	loro lavorano

studiare (to study)

	Singular	Plural
1st person	io studio	noi studiamo
2nd person	tu studi	voi studiate
3rd person	lui/lei studia	loro studiano

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Spelling Notes for -ARE Verbs

Some -ARE verbs have minor spelling adjustments to preserve pronunciation:

Verbs ending in -CARE and -GARE

These verbs add an h before endings that start with -i or -e to keep the hard "k" or "g" sound:

Verb	tu form	noi form
cercare (to look for)	cerchi	cerchiamo
pagare (to pay)	paghi	paghiamo
giocare (to play)	giochi	giochiamo

Verbs ending in -IARE

When the stem already ends in -i, you do not double the i in the tu form:

Verb	tu form	NOT
mangiare (to eat)	mangi	mangii
cominciare (to begin)	cominci	comincii
studiare (to study)	studi	studii

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Pronunciation Tips

• The stress in most conjugated forms falls on the second-to-last syllable: PAR-lo, par-LIA-mo
• In the loro form, the stress stays on the stem, not on the ending: PAR-la-no, LA-vo-ra-no
• This makes the loro form a common pronunciation challenge for beginners

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When to Use the Present Tense

The Italian present tense (presente indicativo) is used for:

1. Habitual actions: Mangio pasta ogni giorno. (I eat pasta every day.)
2. Current states: Abito a Milano. (I live in Milan.)
3. General truths: L'acqua bolle a cento gradi. (Water boils at 100 degrees.)
4. Actions happening right now: Che cosa guardi? (What are you watching?)
5. Near future with a time expression: Domani parto per Roma. (Tomorrow I leave for Rome.)

Tip: Unlike English, Italian does not have a separate continuous form. Parlo can mean "I speak", "I am speaking", or "I do speak", depending on context.

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Practice Sentences

Translate these sentences into Italian using -ARE verbs:

1. I work in a hospital. → Lavoro in un ospedale.
2. We eat at eight o'clock. → Mangiamo alle otto.
3. She studies Italian every day. → Studia italiano ogni giorno.
4. They buy fresh bread. → Comprano pane fresco.
5. Do you (informal) listen to the radio? → Ascolti la radio?
6. You all cook very well. → Cucinate molto bene.
7. He looks for his keys. → Cerca le sue chiavi.
8. I pay with a credit card. → Pago con la carta di credito.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It Is Wrong	Correct Form
Io mangio (always using pronoun)	Pronouns are usually omitted	Mangio
Tu mangii	Do not double the -i in -IARE verbs	Tu mangi
Io cerco, tu cerci	-CARE verbs need h before i/e	Tu cerchi
Loro parlàno (stress on -a-)	Stress stays on the stem: PÀR-la-no	Loro parlano

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Summary

• Remove -are from the infinitive to find the stem
• Add the endings: -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano
• Watch for spelling adjustments in -CARE/-GARE verbs (add h) and -IARE verbs (no double i)
• Subject pronouns are usually omitted in Italian
• The present tense covers habitual actions, current states, general truths, and near-future events