Regular -are verbs form the largest group of Italian verbs. To conjugate them in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending -are to get the stem, then add the appropriate personal ending. For example: parlare → stem parl- → parlo, parli, parla, parliamo, parlate, parlano.
| Person | Ending | parlare example |
|---|---|---|
| io | -o | parlo |
| tu | -i | parli |
| lui / lei | -a | parla |
| noi | -iamo | parliamo |
| voi | -ate | parlate |
| loro | -ano | parlano |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| parlare | to speak |
| mangiare | to eat |
| lavorare | to work |
| studiare | to study |
| guardare | to watch |
| abitare | to live |
| ascoltare | to listen |
| comprare | to buy |
| giocare | to play |
| cucinare | to cook |
Two groups of -are verbs have spelling adjustments. First, verbs ending in -care or -gare add an -h- before endings starting with i or e, to preserve the hard consonant sound: giocare → tu giochi, noi giochiamo; pagare → tu paghi, noi paghiamo. Second, verbs ending in -iare drop the stem -i- before endings that also start with i, to avoid a double -ii-: mangiare → tu mangi (NOT mangii); studiare → tu studi (NOT studii).
The -o ending always signals the first person (io) — it is the most distinctive ending. The -iamo ending is shared by all three verb groups (-are, -ere, -ire), so noi is always -iamo regardless of verb type. The loro form is always stressed on the third-to-last syllable: PARlano, MANgiano. For -care/-gare verbs, remember: add h before i or e to keep the hard sound.
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The 'io' Form
10 questions
The 'tu' Form
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io and tu – Mixed
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Identify the Subject
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io Form in Sentences
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tu Form in Sentences
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Vocabulary: io and tu Forms
10 questions
Error Correction: io and tu
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Context Sentences: io and tu
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Group 1 Review: io and tu
10 questions
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The 'lui/lei' Form
10 questions
The 'noi' Form
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lui/lei in Context
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noi in Context
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lui/lei and noi – Mixed
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Identify the Subject: lui/lei or noi
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Translation: lui/lei and noi
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io, tu, lui/lei, noi – Mixed
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Context Sentences: lui/lei and noi
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Group 2 Review: lui/lei and noi
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The 'voi' Form
10 questions
The 'loro' Form
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voi and loro – Mixed
10 questions
Identify the Subject: voi or loro
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voi and loro in Context Sentences
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All Six Persons
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Translation: voi and loro
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Complete the Paradigm
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Context Sentences: voi and loro
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Group 3 Review: voi and loro
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The -care/-gare Spelling Rule
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-iare Verbs: No Double -i
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Spelling Rules: -care/-gare and -iare Mixed
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-care/-gare: All Persons
10 questions
Spelling Error Correction
10 questions
Special Verbs in Context
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When to Add -h-
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Translation: Special Spelling Verbs
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Special Verbs: All Persons
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Group 4 Review: Special Spelling Verbs
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Negative Forms
10 questions
Mixed: All Persons
10 questions
Question Forms
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Full Sentence Translation
10 questions
Noun Subjects: Matching the Verb
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Mixed Vocabulary: -are Verbs
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Positive and Negative: Spot the Difference
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Complete the Conversation
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Comprehensive Mix: All -are Rules
10 questions
Final Review: Regular -are Verbs
10 questions