Common irregular present verbs

This guide explains the most common irregular verbs in the Italian present indicative (il presente indicativo). You will learn what "irregular" means in Italian, when to use the present tense, the main patterns of irregularity, and many clear examples to help you recognize and use these verbs correctly.

When do I use the present indicative in Italian?

The present indicative (presente indicativo) is used to talk about:
- actions happening now: "Mangio ora." (I am eating now.)
- habitual actions: "Vado a scuola ogni giorno." (I go to school every day.)
- general truths: "L'acqua bolle a 100 °C." (Water boils at 100 °C.)
- scheduled or near-future events: "Domani parto." (I leave tomorrow.)
- states and conditions: "Sto bene." (I feel well.)

Note: Italian also uses "stare + gerund" (sto mangiando) for an ongoing action similar to the English progressive, but the simple present is used very often instead: "Mangio" can mean "I eat" or "I am eating" depending on context.

What does "irregular" mean for Italian present verbs?

An irregular present verb does not follow the regular endings or stem patterns of the three main conjugation groups (-are, -ere, -ire). Irregularities can be:
- completely irregular verbs with unique stems (e.g., essere, avere)
- stem changes in some persons (e.g., io vengo / loro vengono)
- insertion of -isc- in some -ire verbs (capire → capisco)
- orthographic changes to keep pronunciation (-care/-gare)
- verbs that are only used in certain persons or behave as impersonals (piacere)

Below you find models, types, and many examples so you can identify and practice the patterns.

How the regular present looks (quick reference)

Regular endings:
- -are: io parlo, tu parli, lui/lei parla, noi parliamo, voi parlate, loro parlano
Example: "Parlare" → io parlo (I speak)
- -ere: io credo, tu credi, lui/lei crede, noi crediamo, voi credete, loro credono
Example: "Credere" → io credo (I believe)
- -ire: io dormo, tu dormi, lui/lei dorme, noi dormiamo, voi dormite, loro dormono
Example: "Dormire" → io dormo (I sleep)

These are the patterns irregular verbs deviate from. Now look at the common irregular types.

Common types of irregular verbs (with examples)

Completely irregular high-frequency verbs

Essere (to be)
io sono, tu sei, lui/lei è, noi siamo, voi siete, loro sono
Examples:
- "Sono italiano." — I am Italian.
- "Sei pronto?" — Are you ready?
- "È tardi." — It is late.
- "Siamo al lavoro." — We are at work.
- "Siete d'accordo?" — Do you agree?
- "Sono le sette." — It's seven o'clock.

Avere (to have)
io ho, tu hai, lui/lei ha, noi abbiamo, voi avete, loro hanno
Examples:
- "Ho due fratelli." — I have two brothers.
- "Hai tempo?" — Do you have time?
- "Ha molta esperienza." — He/she has a lot of experience.
- "Abbiamo fame." — We are hungry (literally: we have hunger).
- "Hanno una casa al mare." — They have a seaside house.

Note: In Italian you use avere for age: "Ho trent'anni." = "I am thirty years old."

Andare (to go)
io vado, tu vai, lui/lei va, noi andiamo, voi andate, loro vanno
Examples:
- "Vado al lavoro alle otto." — I go to work at eight.
- "Andiamo al cinema stasera." — We are going to the cinema tonight.
- "Dove vanno?" — Where are they going?

Fare (to do, to make)
io faccio, tu fai, lui/lei fa, noi facciamo, voi fate, loro fanno
Examples:
- "Faccio la spesa ogni sabato." — I do the shopping every Saturday.
- "Che cosa fai?" — What are you doing?
- "Fanno un regalo a Maria." — They are giving Maria a present.

Stare (to stay / to be [well/ill])
io sto, tu stai, lui/lei sta, noi stiamo, voi state, loro stanno
Examples:
- "Sto bene, grazie." — I am well, thanks.
- "Stai attento!" — Be careful!
- "Stanno a casa oggi." — They are staying at home today.

Dare (to give)
io do, tu dai, lui/lei dà, noi diamo, voi date, loro danno
Examples:
- "Ti do il mio numero." — I'll give you my number.
- "Danno il benvenuto agli ospiti." — They welcome the guests.

Dire (to say / to tell)
io dico, tu dici, lui/lei dice, noi diciamo, voi dite, loro dicono
Examples:
- "Ti dico la verità." — I tell you the truth.
- "Cosa dice il giornale?" — What does the newspaper say?

Modal verbs and 'sapere' (common irregulars)

Modal verbs are used with another verb in the infinitive and are essential in everyday speech.

Potere (can / to be able)
io posso, tu puoi, lui/lei può, noi possiamo, voi potete, loro possono
Examples:
- "Posso entrare?" — May I come in?
- "Non possono venire stasera." — They can't come tonight.

Volere (to want)
io voglio, tu vuoi, lui/lei vuole, noi vogliamo, voi volete, loro vogliono
Examples:
- "Voglio un caffè." — I want a coffee.
- "Vuoi venire con noi?" — Do you want to come with us?

Dovere (to have to / must / should)
io devo, tu devi, lui/lei deve, noi dobbiamo, voi dovete, loro devono
Examples:
- "Devo studiare per l'esame." — I have to study for the exam.
- "Dobbiamo partire adesso." — We must leave now.
Note: An older/literary alternative for the first person is "debbo", but "devo" is far more common.

Sapere (to know a fact / how to)
io so, tu sai, lui/lei sa, noi sappiamo, voi sapete, loro sanno
Examples:
- "So la risposta." — I know the answer.
- "Sai suonare il piano?" — Do you know how to play the piano?

Difference with 'conoscere':
- "Sapere" = to know facts or how to do something: "So dov'è la stazione." — I know where the station is.
- "Conoscere" = to be familiar with people/places: "Conosco bene Roma." — I know Rome well.

Verbs with -isc- insertion (many -ire verbs)

Some -ire verbs insert -isc- in the singular forms and in the third person plural. The pattern is: io -isc-o, tu -isc-i, lui/lei -isc-e, noi -iamo, voi -ite, loro -isc-ono.

Capire (to understand)
io capisco, tu capisci, lui/lei capisce, noi capiamo, voi capite, loro capiscono
Examples:
- "Capisco l'esercizio." — I understand the exercise.
- "Non capiscono il problema." — They don't understand the problem.

Finire (to finish)
io finisco, tu finisci, lui/lei finisce, noi finiamo, voi finite, loro finiscono
Examples:
- "Finisco il lavoro alle cinque." — I finish work at five.

Preferire (to prefer)
io preferisco, tu preferisci, lui/lei preferisce, noi preferiamo, voi preferite, loro preferiscono
Examples:
- "Preferisco il tè al caffè." — I prefer tea to coffee.

Common -isc- verbs: capire, finire, preferire, pulire, spedire, costruire, restituire, unire.
Note: Many -ire verbs do not use -isc- (e.g., dormire, aprire, sentire). You must learn which take -isc-.

First-person 'go' verbs and similar stems

Some verbs change the stem (or add a consonant) in the first person singular and sometimes in other forms. Learn the patterns rather than treating each form separately.

Venire (to come)
io vengo, tu vieni, lui/lei viene, noi veniamo, voi venite, loro vengono
Examples:
- "Vengo subito." — I'm coming right away.
- "Vengono con noi domani." — They come with us tomorrow.

Uscire (to go out)
io esco, tu esci, lui/lei esce, noi usciamo, voi uscite, loro escono
Examples:
- "Esco stasera con gli amici." — I'm going out tonight with friends.
- "Usciamo spesso il sabato." — We go out often on Saturdays.

Salire (to go up / to get on a vehicle)
io salgo, tu sali, lui/lei sale, noi saliamo, voi salite, loro salgono
Examples:
- "Salgo le scale." — I go up the stairs.
- "Salgono sul treno alle sette." — They get on the train at seven.

Tenere (to hold / to keep)
io tengo, tu tieni, lui/lei tiene, noi teniamo, voi tenete, loro tengono
Examples:
- "Tengo il tuo libro." — I keep/hold your book.
- "Tengono la porta aperta." — They hold the door open.

Pattern note: many verbs that end in -ng- in the root (tengo, pongo, valgo) show this change in io and loro (pongo/pongono, valgo/valgono). Derived verbs follow the same pattern.

Orthographic changes to preserve pronunciation (-care / -gare)

Some verbs must add an "h" in certain forms to keep the hard sound of c or g before i or e.

Examples:
- Giocare (to play): io gioco, tu giochi, lui/lei gioca, noi giochiamo, voi giocate, loro giocano
- "Gioco a calcio." — I play soccer.
- "Giochiamo insieme." — We play together.
- Pagare (to pay): io pago, tu paghi, lui/lei paga, noi paghiamo, voi pagate, loro pagano
- "Pago il conto." — I pay the bill.
- "Paghiamo in contanti." — We pay in cash.

Rule: For verbs ending in -care or -gare, insert an "h" in forms where the ending begins with i or e (to keep the hard /k/ or /g/ sound): tu paghi, noi paghiamo, tu giochi, noi giochiamo.

Impersonal verbs (piacere and similar)

Some verbs are used mainly in third-person forms and use indirect object pronouns. The verb agrees with what is liked or is missing, not with the person.

Piacere (to be pleasing / to like)
- Mi piace il gelato. — I like ice cream. (literally: Ice cream is pleasing to me.)
- Mi piacciono i libri. — I like books. (plural agreement)
- Ti piace cantare? — Do you like to sing? (infinitive: piace singular)

Remember: With nouns use piace (singular) or piacciono (plural) according to the thing that is pleasing.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

1. Confusing essere and stare
- Use "essere" for identity and characteristics: "Sono insegnante." — I am a teacher.
- Use "stare" for states, health, or staying somewhere: "Sto male" — I feel ill; "Sto a casa" — I'm staying at home.
Note: Some overlap exists ("Sono a casa" is also correct), but "stare" is usual for temporary states like health.

2. Using the wrong verb after modal verbs
- Modal verbs (potere, volere, dovere) are followed by the infinitive without "di" or "a":
- Correct: "Voglio mangiare." — I want to eat.
- Wrong: "Voglio di mangiare."

3. Forgetting agreement with 'piacere'
- Wrong: "Mi piace i libri."
- Correct: "Mi piacciono i libri."

4. Missing -isc- where needed
- Wrong: "Io capo questa frase." (incorrect)
- Correct: "Io capisco questa frase." (capire → capisco)

5. Spelling mistakes with -care/-gare verbs
- Wrong: "Tu goci al computer." (wrong spelling)
- Correct: "Tu giochi al computer." (add 'h' to keep hard 'g')

Tips to learn and remember irregular verbs

- Start with the most frequent irregulars: essere, avere, andare, fare, stare, dire, venire, uscire, potere, volere, dovere, sapere.
- Learn verbs in short, useful phrases ("Ho fame", "Vado a casa", "Posso aiutare").
- Memorize the io-form and the loro-form patterns (many verbs change there).
- Group verbs by pattern (all -isc- verbs together, all -care/-gare verbs together).
- Pay attention to modal verbs: they are used constantly in conversation.
- Read and listen to authentic Italian and notice irregular forms repeatedly; context helps retention.

Glossary (short and practical)

- Present indicative (presente indicativo): the main present tense used for current actions, habits, facts.
- Infinitive: the basic verb form (parlare, vedere, dormire).
- Stem: the base of the verb before the ending (parl- in parlare).
- Ending: the final part that marks person and number (-o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano).
- Modal verb: a verb that modifies another verb (potere, volere, dovere).
- Impersonal verb: a verb mainly used in third person with an indirect object pronoun (piacere).
- Orthographic change: a spelling change to preserve pronunciation (e.g., adding 'h' in tu giochi).

Summary

Irregular present verbs in Italian fall into a few regular patterns: totally irregular high-frequency verbs, modal verbs, -isc- insertion in many -ire verbs, first-person stem changes (often -go forms), and orthographic adjustments to keep pronunciation. Learn the most frequent verbs first, practice their common phrases, and notice patterns (like -isc- or -go) rather than treating every form as unique.

If you want, I can provide a printable list of the top 20 irregular verbs with conjugation tables or a compact cheat-sheet of patterns to study.