Today we will learn more about Italian ERE verbs. As you may know, in Italian verbs are grouped according to their ending and the classification goes from verbs ending in -are (amare), -ere (vedere) and -ire (aprire).
It is important to remember that Italian verbs ending in ere can have different stresses on their infinitives.
For example, verbs like parEre and sapEre have the stress on the second-to-last syllable, such as the English verb “to vIsit”, while verbs like scrIvere and muOvere have the stress on the third last syllable, such as the English word “hOspital”.
The verb AVERE is one of the most important Italian ERE verbs. It is an irregular verb, and it is not only used to express possession:
- Ho molti problemi (I have many problems)
It is also used to form the Italian passato prossimo (the present perfect in English):
- Ci hanno detto che c’è uno sciopero dei treni (We have been told that there is a train strike)
Another important ERE verb is POTERE, which is used to express ability or even to ask for permission:
- Possiamo finire il lavoro entro una settimana (We can finish the work within a week)
- Posso dirvi una cosa? (Can I tell you something?)
LIST OF MOST COMMON ITALIAN ERE VERBS
ACCADERE(to happen) | AGGIUNGERE(to add) | APPARTENERE(to belong) | AVERE(to have) | BERE(to drink) |
CADERE(to fall) | CHIUDERE(to close) | CONOSCERE(to know) | CREDERE(to believe) | CRESCERE(to grow) |
CUOCERE(to cook/to bake) | DIPENDERE(to depend) | DOVERE(must) | ESSERE(to be) | LEGGERE(to read) |
METTERE(to put) | NASCERE(to be born) | PARERE(to seem) | PERMETTERE(to allow) | PIANGERE(to cry) |
PIOVERE(to rain) | POTERE(can) | PROTEGGERE(to protect) | RICEVERE(to receive) | RIDERE(to laugh) |
SAPERE(to know) | SEDERE(to sit) | SPEGNERE(to turn off) | VIVERE(to live) | VOLERE(to want) |
If you want to learn more about the Italian verbs ending in ARE, you can have a look at our list of Italian ARE verbs.
Before we move on to the conjugation of some Italian ERE verbs, let’s remember their present tense endings and how to conjugate the regular ERE verbs in Italian.
- PRENDERE (to take):
- Io prend-o.
- Tu prend-i.
- Lui/Lei prend-e.
- Noi prend-iamo.
- Voi prend-ete.
- Loro prend-ono.
ITALIAN VERBS ENDING IN ERE – IRREGULAR FORMS
Note that the conjugation of Italian verbs ending in ERE, with all their irregular forms, is anything but boring. Actually, even the infinitives sometimes have a different accentuation!
Two of the most common Italian verbs ending in ERE are ESSERE and AVERE.
ESSERE(to be) | AVERE(to have) |
| Io sono | Io ho |
| Tu sei | Tu hai |
| Lui/Lei è | Lui/Lei ha |
| Noi siamo | Noi abbiamo |
| Voi siete | Voi avete |
| Loro sono | Loro hanno |
Discover more about the Italian verbs essere and avere.
Let’s see how to conjugate other irregular ERE verbs:
POTERE(can) | VOLERE(to want) | DOVERE(must/have to) | SAPERE(to know) |
| Io posso | Io voglio | Io devo | Io so |
| Tu puoi | Tu vuoi | Tu devi | Tu sai |
| Lui/Lei può | Lui/Lei vuole | Lui/Lei deve | Lui/Lei sa |
| Noi possiamo | Noi vogliamo | Noi dobbiamo | Noi sappiamo |
| Voi potete | Voi volete | Voi dovete | Voi sapete |
| Loro possono | Loro vogliono | Loro devono | Loro sanno |
Now let’s see some examples of sentences with these verbs:
- Mi puoi dare un bicchiere d’acqua, per favore? (Can you give me a glass of water, please?)
- Che volete fare stasera? (What do you want to do tonight?)
- Oggi non posso uscire. Devo studiare. (Today I can’t go out. I have to study.)
- Non sappiamo ancora se andremo in vacanza quest’estate. (We still don’t know if we will go on holiday this summer.)
As usual, we hope this lesson about Italian ERE verbs has been useful. Remember that it is very important to put into practice what you learn.
So, don’t forget to do our exercises!
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