Present tense of regular verbs

What is happening in this table?

• The table shows regular present tense of three verbs: contattare (to contact), chiedere (to ask), capire (to understand).
• You see how the verb form changes with the subject: io, tu, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro.
• Italian usually does not need the pronoun (io, tu, lui…). The ending already shows who does the action.

1. Recognising the present tense endings

For A1 you do not need all conjugation theory. Just learn to recognise the endings you see most often.

• Focus for now on: -o, -i, -a / -e, -iamo, -ate / -ete / -ite, -ano / -ono.
• Understand that some -ire verbs use -isc- in the singular and in loro: capire, preferire, pulire, finire…

2. When can I drop the pronoun?

In Italian the ending normally tells you the subject, so the pronoun is often omitted.

• Normal, natural Italian:
  • Contatto il cliente. (I contact the client.)
  • Capisci il modulo? (Do you understand the form?)
• With pronoun (also correct, but often used only for emphasis or clarity):
  • Io contatto il cliente, non tu.
  • Lui capisce, lei no.

Typical use of pronouns:

• To contrast two people: Io chiedo, lui risponde.
• To make the subject very clear in a new context: Loro contattano il medico.
• With lei as polite "you" (formal): Lei capisce?

Otherwise, you can safely drop io, tu, lui…

3. How to choose the correct form in a sentence

When you complete a gap like Se invii la mail, ___ la risposta, use this quick procedure.

1. Find the subject near the gap.
   • The subject can be a pronoun: io, tu, lui, noi…
   • Or a noun: il cliente, i colleghi, Mario.
2. Match the person and number:
   • io / one speaker → 1st person singular.
   • tu / one person you know well → 2nd person singular.
   • lui, lei, il cliente, Maria → 3rd person singular.
   • noi / "we" → 1st person plural.
   • voi / "you" plural → 2nd person plural.
   • loro, i colleghi, i clienti → 3rd person plural.
3. Choose the ending according to the column in the table.

Example:

• Noi ___ quando parli lentamente.
  • Subject: noi → 1st person plural.
  • Verb: capire, -ire with -isc- type.
  • noi capiamo → correct form.

4. The -isc- verbs: what to watch out for

Verbs like capire use -isc- in some forms, but not all.

• With -isc-: io, tu, lui/lei, loro
  • io capisco
  • tu capisci
  • lui/lei capisce
  • loro capiscono
• No -isc-: noi, voi
  • noi capiamo
  • voi capite

Common mistake:

• *noi capisciamo → noi capiamo
• *voi capiscite → voi capite

5. Zero conditional with “se” in Italian

The book uses many sentences with se (if) and the present tense. This is the "zero conditional": always true, general rules.

• Structure in Italian:
  • Se + present, present

Two very common word orders:

• Se-clause first:
  • Se ho tempo, contatto il cliente.
  • Se vivi in Italia, sei italiano.
• Se-clause second:
  • Contatto il cliente se ho tempo.
  • Sei italiano se vivi in Italia.

Key points:

• Both parts are in the present indicative, not in the future.
• Se + present in Italian often corresponds to English "if + present" with present or sometimes future.
• At A1, keep it simple: use present + present.

6. Typical A1 questions (and short answers)

• Do I always need a subject pronoun?
  No. Use it mainly for emphasis, contrast, or with polite Lei. In most simple sentences you can leave it out.
• How do I know if a verb is an -isc- verb?
  You have to learn them as vocabulary. At A1, remember the common ones you see: capire, preferire, pulire, finire.
• Can I say *tu contatta?
  No. For tu you need the ending -i. → tu contatti.
• Can I say *io contatta?
  No. For io you need the ending -o. → io contatto or simply contatto.

7. Quick self-check: can you already…?

Use this list to verify your understanding. If you can say “yes” to most points, you are ready to move on.

• I can look at a sentence and identify the subject (io, tu, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro or a noun).
• I can choose the correct present tense ending for -are, -ere and -ire verbs (including -isc- for capire).
• I know that usually I do not need the pronoun, because the ending shows the subject.
• I can make a simple if-sentence with se in Italian: Se + present, present.
• I can talk about contact details using these verbs:
  • Io contatto il medico per un appuntamento.
  • Tu chiedi il numero di telefono.
  • Noi capiamo quando parli lentamente.

If one point is not clear yet, go back to the table and say some examples aloud until the pattern feels automatic.