A2 · Asking and telling
The forms for tu, noi and voi
The -are verbs swap their final vowel, and only they.
In -are verbs the « you » form ends in -a: parla!, aspetta! The present tense would have parli.
In -ere and -ire verbs it ends in -i, that is, exactly as in the present: prendi!, senti!, finisci!
The forms for noi and voi are identical to the present: andiamo! (« let's go »), venite! English has no separate « let's » verb either, so that one costs nothing.
To one person the negative is non plus the infinitive: Non parlare!, not non parla. English adds « don't » and leaves the verb untouched; here the verb itself is replaced. With noi and voi a plain non is enough: Non andiamo!
Five short verbs have a « you » form of their own, written with an apostrophe: andare → va', dare → da', fare → fa', dire → di', stare → sta'.
Die Form
| speak! | parla! |
| take! | prendi! |
| finish! | finisci! |
| let's go! | andiamo! |
| come! | venite! |
| do not speak! | non parlare! |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
In -are verbs the you form ends in -a, otherwise in -i.
Aspetta un momento e prendi questo.Wait a moment and take this.
noi and voi are identical to the present tense.
Andiamo, è tardi!Let's go, it is late!
Negated, the singular you takes the infinitive.
Non dimenticare le chiavi.Do not forget the keys.
Five verbs have a short you form with an apostrophe.
Va’ a casa e di’ la verità.Go home and tell the truth.
Woran man es erkennt
- -a!
- -i!
- andiamo
- non + Grundform
Beispielsätze
Scusa, aspetta un attimo!Sorry, wait a second!
Non preoccuparti, va tutto bene.Do not worry, everything is fine.
Prendete un caffè con noi.Have a coffee with us.
Senti, ho una domanda.Listen, I have a question.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
« Don't forget » is « forget » with a word in front of it, and that arrangement crosses over intact. Here the negative order to one person replaces the verb: Non dimenticare! Non dimentica is not an order at all — it is a statement, « he does not forget » — so the sentence stays grammatical and stops being a request.
To one person: non plus the plain infinitive.
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