Your first 13 Italian irregular verbs

When learning Italian, irregular verbs can feel a bit tricky—but mastering the right ones early can make a big difference! By starting with the 13 verbs listed here, you’re setting yourself up to communicate well in everyday situations. Each of these verbs is not only common but also forms the backbone of many essential phrases and expressions in Italian. This means that even though they’re a little more complex, learning them now will make your Italian flow more naturally and confidently.

Why These Verbs?

I have selected 13 verbs among the most commonly used verbs in Italian. Here is my list for you

1. avere (to have)
2. essere (to be)
3. uscire (to go out)
4. fare (to do/make)
5. andare (to go)
6. venire (to come)
7. dire (to say/tell)
8. dare (to give)
9. stare (to stay/be)
10. bere (to drink)
11. rimanere (to remain/stay)
12. salire (to go up)
13. tenere (to hold/keep)

But why are these especially valuable?

• Frequent Use in Conversation: These verbs come up constantly in everyday Italian. From asking about someone’s state (“Come stai?”) to discussing your plans (“Dove vai stasera?”), you’ll find these verbs forming the core of daily interactions.
• Essential Grammar Foundations: Irregular verbs often don’t follow standard conjugation patterns, so getting comfortable with them early gives you confidence with future irregular verbs. It’s worth memorising them since they set you up to recognise other irregular patterns later. To help you memorising them we have grouped them according to patterns, so we are listing them first individually and then together so that you can see the pattern.
• Building Blocks for Complex Expressions: Many idiomatic phrases in Italian use these verbs in ways that don’t always translate directly into English, which makes it exciting to learn the Italian way of expressing ideas. For example, “fare colazione” (to have breakfast) or “stare attento” (to pay attention) are more intuitive when you know these verbs.

The 13 Verbs and How to Use Them

Here’s a quick guide to each verb along with some examples and conjugations in the present tense.

Please note that if you have yet to study the Italian regular verbs, we recommend you start with these first. HERE is our lesson on regular verbs.

1. Avere (to have)

Used for possession, age, and expressions.

Examples:

1. Ho un giardino (I have a garden)
2. Ho vent’anni (I am 20 years old)
3. Ho freddo (I’m cold)

The verb avere is fundamental not only for the functions expressed above, but also in a range of everyday expressions in Italian that differ from English. For example, while in English we say, “I am hungry” or “I am cold,” in Italian, these expressions use avere. So, “I’m hungry” translates to (ho fame).

Here are some essential expressions using avere:

• Avere fame – to be hungry
  Example: Ho fame, andiamo a mangiare! – “I’m hungry, let’s go eat!”
• Avere sete – to be thirsty
  Example: Hai sete? Vuoi un bicchiere d’acqua? – “Are you thirsty? Do you want a glass of water?”
• Avere caldo/freddo – to be hot/cold
  Example: Lei ha caldo, quindi apre la finestra. – “She is hot, so she opens the window.”
• Avere sonno – to be sleepy
  Example: Dopo una lunga giornata, ho molto sonno. – “After a long day, I am very sleepy.”
• Avere paura (di) – to be afraid (of)
  Example: I bambini hanno paura del buio. – “The children are afraid of the dark.”
• Avere fretta – to be in a hurry
  Example: Marco ha fretta, quindi non si ferma a parlare. – “Marco is in a hurry, so he doesn’t stop to chat.”

2. Essere (to be)

The verb essere is one of the most fundamental verbs in Italian. It’s essential for expressing identity, origin, characteristics, professions, and emotions. Essere is also used as an auxiliary verb to form the past tense with intransitive verbs and to form all other compound verbs.

Here are some key ways to use essere:

• To indicate identity or profession
  Example: Sono insegnante. – “I am a teacher.”
  Example: Lui è studente. – “He is a student.”
• To express origin or nationality
  Example: Sono di Londra. – “I am from London.”
  Example: Siamo italiani. – “We are Italian.”
• To describe physical or personality characteristics
  Example: Lei è alta e snella. – “She is tall and slim.”
  Example: Loro sono simpatici. – “They are nice.”
• To express temporary states or feelings
  Example: Oggi sono felice. – “Today I am happy.”
  Example: Sei stanco? – “Are you tired?”
• As an auxiliary verb in the past tense for intransitive verbs
  In Italian, essere is used to form the passato prossimo (past tense) for intransitive verbs, especially those that describe movement or change in state.
  Example: Sono andato al cinema. – “I went to the cinema.”
  Example: È arrivata tardi. – “She arrived late.”

3. Uscire (to go out)

Uscire is essential for talking about going out, leaving a place, or to describe plans with friends.

Example: Esco con amici stasera. – “I’m going out with friends tonight.”

Example: Quando esci dall’ufficio? – “When are you leaving the office?”

Example: Domenica usciamo a fare una passeggiata. – “On Sunday, we’re going out for a walk.”

4. Fare (to do, to make)

The two main meanings of fare are to do and to make, however, fare is one of the most versatile verbs in Italian, appearing in numerous expressions that cover actions, tasks, and even the weather.

It’s essential for discussing daily routines and common activities. From everyday tasks like shopping to expressions about the weather, going for a walk, or having a meal, fare is indispensable in conversational Italian.

Here are some expressions

Fare la spesa (to do the grocery shopping):

Example: Sabato, faccio la spesa. – “I’m doing the grocery shopping.”

Fare una passeggiata (to go for a walk)

Example: Facciamo una passeggiata. – “Let’s take a walk.”

Fare colazione (to have breakfast)

Example: Faccio colazione alle otto. – “I have breakfast at eight.”

Fare caldo/freddo (to be hot/cold used for the weather)

Example: Fa caldo oggi. – “It’s hot today.”

Fare attenzione (to pay attention)

Example: Fai attenzione! – “Be careful!”

If you’d like to have a little fun, watch THIS very short video related to one use of fare.

5. Andare (to go)

Andare is indispensable for discussing movement and destinations.

Examples:

• Vado a Roma domani. – “I’m going to Rome tomorrow.”
• Andiamo al cinema stasera? – “Shall we go to the cinema tonight?”
• Domani vado a fare una passeggiata. – “Tomorrow I’m going for a walk.”

6. Venire (to come)

Venire is commonly used when talking about movement towards the speaker’s current location or when inviting someone to join.

Examples:

Vieni a cena da me? – “Are you coming for dinner at my place?”

Sto venendo a casa tua. – “I’m coming to your house.”

Vieni con noi al concerto? – “Are you coming with us to the concert?”

7. Dire (to say, to tell)

Dire is a key verb for conversations and expressions involving saying, telling, or expressing thoughts and opinions.

Examples:

Dico sempre la verità. – “I always tell the truth.”

Cosa stai dicendo? – “What are you saying?”

Cosa dici di questa idea? – “What do you say about this idea?”

8. Dare (to give)

Dare is used both in direct contexts, such as physically giving something, and in idiomatic expressions. It’s also helpful in polite requests.

Examples

Ti do questo libro molto interessante – I’ll give you this very interesting book.

Gli ho dato il mio numero di telefono. – I gave him my phone number

Expressions:

Dare un’occhiata – To take a look

Dare il benvenuto – To welcome

Dare una mano – To lend a hand

Here is one example: Mi dai una mano? – Can you give me a hand?

9. Stare (to stay, to be)

Stare is commonly used to indicate a state of being or location and is crucial in forming the present continuous tense in Italian.

A few examples:

Come stai? – “How are you?”

Stiamo a casa stasera. – “We’re staying home tonight.”

To form the present continuous:

Sto studiando. – I am studying

State imparando l’italiano. – You’re learning Italian

10. Bere (to drink)

Some examples:

Bevo un caffè ogni mattina. – “I drink a coffee every morning.”

Cosa vuoi bere? – “What do you want to drink?”

Bevi mai il tè? – “Do you ever drink tea?”

Beviamo insieme un bicchiere di vino. – “Let’s have a glass of wine together.”

11. Rimanere (to remain, to stay)

Rimanere is used to talk about staying, remaining somewhere.

Here are some examples:

Rimango a casa stasera. – I’m staying home tonight

Rimani qui con me. – Stay here with me

Vuoi rimanere per cena? – Do you want to stay for dinner?

12. Salire (to go up, to get in/on)

The general meaning of salire is to go up but it can also mean to board.

Examples (to go up):

Salgo al primo piano. – I’m going up to the first floor

Sali su questa scala. – Go up this staircase

Some examples (to board):

Salgo sull’autobus. – I’m getting on the bus

Salire in macchina. – To get in the car

13. Tenere (to hold, to keep)

Tenere is important for expressing holding or keeping something in a physical or metaphorical sense.

However, please note that when it comes to keeping a promise, we use mantenere instead. Mantenere is conjugated similarly to tenere (io mantengo, tu mantieni, etc.).

Examples:

Puoi tenere questo libro? – Can you hold this book?

Tienimi la mano. – Hold my hand

Expressions:

Tienilo per te. – Keep it to yourself

Tips for Learning These Verbs

1. Practice Conjugations Regularly: Each verb has its own set of conjugations. Practice them in the present tense first, since this is most commonly used in conversations.
2. Use Flashcards for Quick Review: Flashcards can help you memorise irregular forms and get familiar with each verb’s unique pattern.
3. Make Short Sentences: Practice making sentences with each verb. This will help solidify them in your memory and get you comfortable using them in real conversations.
4. Create a Verb Journal: Write each verb’s conjugation along with a few sentences you create. This way, you have a personalised reference of each verb in action. Be creative, use funny juxtapositions or unsual examples to make them even more memorable.
5. Group them together according to their conjugations pattens: I have grouped some of these verbs together to give you some examples. Analyse the verbs in the tables below and highlight the similarities between them. This will help with memorisation.

Conclusion

Learning these 13 irregular verbs will open the door to expressing yourself more naturally in Italian, giving you a solid base from which to grow. They’ll help you navigate the essentials of conversation, from asking about someone’s day to sharing your own plans. Enjoy the process of practising them, and remember that every new sentence you create is a step towards speaking Italian more fluently!