Lesson 15.2: Irregular Present Tense Verbs – The Wild Ones 🎭🔥 #
Just when you thought Italian verbs made sense… enter the irregulars.
They’re the cool kids of the grammar world: no rules, no patterns, just vibes. 😎
But don’t worry — you’ll see them all the time, so it’s worth learning how to handle them.
The Usual Suspects #
Here are four of the most common irregular verbs in the present tense:
1. Essere – to be #
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | sono |
| tu | sei |
| lui/lei | è |
| noi | siamo |
| voi | siete |
| loro | sono |
Examples:
- Io sono felice. → I am happy.
- Loro sono studenti. → They are students.
2. Avere – to have #
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | ho |
| tu | hai |
| lui/lei | ha |
| noi | abbiamo |
| voi | avete |
| loro | hanno |
Examples:
- Ho un gatto. → I have a cat.
- Abbiamo fame. → We are hungry. (Literally: We have hunger.)
3. Andare – to go #
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | vado |
| tu | vai |
| lui/lei | va |
| noi | andiamo |
| voi | andate |
| loro | vanno |
Examples:
- Dove vai? → Where are you going?
- Vado al lavoro. → I’m going to work.
4. Fare – to do / to make #
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| io | faccio |
| tu | fai |
| lui/lei | fa |
| noi | facciamo |
| voi | fate |
| loro | fanno |
Examples:
- Faccio colazione. → I have breakfast.
- Cosa fai oggi? → What are you doing today?
👀 Geoff & Viktor vs. The Irregulars #
Viktor: Dove vai?
Viktor: Where are you going?
Geoff: Vado al mercato. Ho fame!
Geoff: I’m going to the market. I’m hungry!
Viktor: Fai la spesa?
Viktor: Are you doing the shopping?
Geoff: Sì! E sono un uomo molto organizzato.
Geoff: Yes! And I am a very organized man.
Viktor: Vedremo…
Viktor: We’ll see…
Tips to Remember #
- These verbs are used all the time, so you’ll memorize them naturally
- Practice them in short phrases
- Make your own mini-dialogues with friends (or houseplants)
Coming up next: Exercise 15.2 — Let’s tame these wild verbs one by one.