Purpose
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate regular -ERE and -IRE verbs in the present tense, including the -ISC- pattern unique to many -IRE verbs.
Lesson Explanation
-ERE verbs, modeled on credere (to believe):
credo, credi, crede, crediamo, credete, credono -IRE verbs come in two genuinely distinct patterns. The simpler one, modeled on dormire (to sleep):
dormo, dormi, dorme, dormiamo, dormite, dormono A second, genuinely common -IRE pattern inserts -isc- before the ending in all forms except noi and voi — a feature with no equivalent in Spanish or French -ir verbs. Modeled on capire (to understand):
capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo, capite, capiscono There is no reliable rule for which -ire verbs take -isc- and which don’t — it must genuinely be memorized per verb. Other common -isc- verbs: finire (to finish), preferire (to prefer), pulire (to clean).
Note that unlike Spanish, where -er and -ir share nearly all endings, Italian -ere and -ire diverge more in the voi form (-ete vs. -ite) while sharing the same -ono ending for loro.
Practice Questions
1. Conjugate “credere” (to believe) for “io.”
View Answer
Credo.
2. Conjugate “dormire” (to sleep) for “tu.”
View Answer
Dormi.
3. What genuinely distinctive insertion does a second group of -ire verbs make?
View Answer
-isc-.
4. In which two forms is “-isc-” NOT inserted?
View Answer
Noi and voi.
5. Conjugate “capire” (to understand) for “io,” including “-isc-.”
View Answer
Capisco.
6. Conjugate “capire” for “noi” — does it include “-isc-“?
View Answer
Capiamo — no “-isc-.”
7. Is there a reliable rule for predicting which -ire verbs take “-isc-“?
View Answer
No, it must be memorized per verb.
8. Write the Italian verb meaning “to finish.”
View Answer
Finire.
9. Write the Italian verb meaning “to prefer.”
View Answer
Preferire.
10. What “voi” ending do -ere verbs take?
View Answer
-ete.
11. What “voi” ending do -ire verbs take?
View Answer
-ite.
12. Conjugate “credere” for “loro.”
View Answer
Credono.