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Intermediate

The Imperfect (imperfetto)

Background and habits

Ongoing or habitual past

Background, descriptions, repeated actions.

📊 Imperfect endings (parlare)
Pronoun Form
io parlavo
tu parlavi
lui parlava
noi parlavamo
voi parlavate
loro parlavano
💬 Examples
Mangiavo.
I was eating / I used to eat.
📝 Ongoing / habitual past
Faceva freddo.
It was cold.
📝 Description of a state
Very regular endings

-avo / -evo / -ivo across the three groups.

💬 Examples
scrivere → scrivevo
to write → I was writing
📝 -evo (-ere)
dormire → dormivo
to sleep → I was sleeping
📝 -ivo (-ire)
Imperfetto vs passato prossimo

imperfetto = background; passato prossimo = completed event.

💬 Examples
Dormivo quando ha telefonato.
I was sleeping when he called.
📝 Background + interrupting event
Da bambino giocavo a calcio.
As a child I used to play football.
📝 Habitual past