Verb: essere (to be)

Introduction to essere

The verb 'essere' means 'to be' and is one of the two most important verbs in Italian (the other is 'avere', to have). It is highly irregular, meaning you must memorize its forms — they do not follow the regular -are/-ere/-ire pattern. 'Essere' is used to express identity, nationality, profession, origin, physical and personality characteristics, location of people and things, time, and more.

Note on io sono vs loro sono

Notice that 'io sono' (I am) and 'loro sono' (they are) use the same form 'sono'. Context always makes it clear which person is meant. In spoken Italian the sentence structure and surrounding words remove any ambiguity: 'Sono stanco' (I'm tired) versus 'Sono stanchi' (They're tired — note the adjective agrees in number).

Use 1 — Identity and Names

Use 'essere' to state who someone is: their name, their relationship to you, or to identify something. The verb agrees with the subject, not the complement.

• Sono Marco. — I'm Marco.
• Sei la mia amica. — You are my friend.
• Lui è il direttore. — He is the director.
• Loro sono i miei colleghi. — They are my colleagues.

Use 2 — Nationality and Origin

Use 'essere' to express nationality (with a lowercase adjective) and origin (with 'di' + city/country).

• Sono italiano. — I'm Italian. (male speaker)
• Lei è francese. — She is French.
• Siamo di Roma. — We're from Rome.
• Sono di New York. — I'm from New York.
• Voi siete spagnoli? — Are you (all) Spanish?

Use 3 — Profession (No Article!)

When stating someone's profession after 'essere', Italian does NOT use an article. This is different from English. Say 'È medico' (He/She is a doctor), not 'È un medico' — though 'un/una' can be added for emphasis or when an adjective modifies the noun.

• Sono studente. — I'm a student. (male)
• È professoressa. — She's a professor.
• Siamo ingegneri. — We're engineers.
• Sei architetto? — Are you an architect?
• È un bravo avvocato. — He's a good lawyer. (article used because of adjective)

Use 4 — Location

Use 'essere' to say where people or things are located. This corresponds to English 'to be' in sentences like 'The keys are on the table' or 'We are at home'.

• Il libro è sul tavolo. — The book is on the table.
• Siamo a casa. — We are at home.
• Dov'è la stazione? — Where is the train station?
• I bambini sono in giardino. — The children are in the garden.

Use 5 — Characteristics and Descriptions

Use 'essere' with adjectives to describe people, animals, and things. Remember that Italian adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

• La casa è grande. — The house is big.
• Il caffè è caldo. — The coffee is hot.
• Sei molto gentile. — You are very kind.
• Loro sono stanchi. — They are tired.
• Il film è noioso. — The film is boring.

Use 6 — Telling the Time

Use 'essere' to tell the time. For one o'clock use 'È l'una' (singular). For all other hours use the plural 'Sono le...' followed by the number.

• È l'una. — It's one o'clock.
• Sono le due. — It's two o'clock.
• Sono le tre e mezza. — It's half past three.
• Sono le nove di mattina. — It's nine in the morning.
• Che ore sono? — What time is it?