Regular -ARE Verbs in Italian

Overview

Regular -ARE verbs are the largest and most productive verb class in Italian. If you can master the -ARE conjugation pattern, you will instantly be able to use hundreds of Italian verbs. This makes them one of the most rewarding grammar points to learn at the A1 level.

The pattern is straightforward: take the infinitive (e.g., parlare — to speak), remove the -are ending to get the stem (parl-), and add the appropriate present tense ending based on who is performing the action. Because these verbs are regular, the endings never change — once you know them, you know them for every -ARE verb.

Many of the most useful everyday Italian verbs belong to this class: parlare (to speak), mangiare (to eat), lavorare (to work), abitare (to live), guardare (to watch), comprare (to buy), cucinare (to cook), and many more.

How It Works

To conjugate a regular -ARE verb, remove the -are ending from the infinitive to find the stem, then add these endings:

Person	Ending	parlare (to speak)	mangiare (to eat)
io	-o	parlo	mangio
tu	-i	parli	mangi
lui/lei/Lei	-a	parla	mangia
noi	-iamo	parliamo	mangiamo
voi	-ate	parlate	mangiate
loro	-ano	parlano	mangiano

Common regular -ARE verbs:

Italian	English
parlare	to speak
mangiare	to eat
abitare	to live (reside)
lavorare	to work
guardare	to watch, to look at
comprare	to buy
cucinare	to cook
ascoltare	to listen
camminare	to walk
studiare	to study
viaggiare	to travel
giocare	to play
chiamare	to call
aspettare	to wait
tornare	to return

Note on spelling: Verbs ending in -iare (mangiare, studiare) do not double the "i" before endings that start with "i." So it is "mangi" (not mangii) and "studi" (not studii).

Verbs ending in -care and -gare (giocare, pagare) add an "h" before endings starting with "i" or "e" to preserve the hard sound: giochi, paghi, giochiamo, paghiamo.

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Parlo italiano e inglese.	I speak Italian and English.	1st person, pronoun dropped
Tu mangi troppo velocemente.	You eat too fast.	2nd person informal
Maria lavora in un ospedale.	Maria works in a hospital.	3rd person with proper noun
Abitiamo a Roma da tre anni.	We have lived in Rome for three years.	1st person plural
Guardate un film stasera?	Are you watching a movie tonight?	2nd person plural
Loro comprano il pane ogni mattina.	They buy bread every morning.	3rd person plural
Cucino la cena alle sette.	I cook dinner at seven.	Daily routine
Ascolti la radio?	Do you listen to the radio?	Question form
I bambini giocano nel parco.	The children play in the park.	3rd person plural, subject stated
Studio medicina all'università.	I study medicine at university.	Pronoun dropped
Chiamiamo un taxi?	Shall we call a taxi?	Suggestion using noi
Aspetta un momento, per favore.	Wait a moment, please.	3rd person = formal "you" (Lei)

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the stem change for -care/-gare verbs

• Wrong: Tu gioci a calcio.
• Right: Tu giochi a calcio.
• Why: Verbs ending in -care and -gare add an "h" before "i" or "e" endings to keep the hard "k" or "g" sound.

Doubling the "i" in -iare verbs

• Wrong: Tu mangii la pasta.
• Right: Tu mangi la pasta.
• Why: When the stem already ends in "i" (mangi-), you do not add another "i" for the tu form.

Stressing the wrong syllable in the loro form

• Wrong: parLAno (stress on second syllable)
• Right: PARlano (stress on first syllable)
• Why: The 3rd person plural (-ano) is always stressed on the third-to-last syllable (the stem), not on the ending. This is one of the trickiest pronunciation points for beginners.

Using the infinitive instead of conjugating

• Wrong: Io parlare italiano.
• Right: Io parlo italiano. (or simply Parlo italiano.)
• Why: Unlike English, Italian requires the verb to be conjugated for each person. The infinitive is not used as a main verb.

Confusing -are, -ere, and -ire endings

• Wrong: Noi parlemo. (mixing -ere endings)
• Right: Noi parliamo.
• Why: Each verb class has its own set of endings. The noi form for -ARE verbs is always -iamo.

Practice Tips

1. Pick five new -ARE verbs each week and write out the full conjugation table by hand. Then use each form in a sentence about your daily life — this connects the grammar to real meaning.
2. Practice the "loro" form stress out loud: say PARlano, MANgiano, LAvorano — training your ear and mouth to put the stress on the stem, not the ending.
3. When you encounter a new Italian verb, check if it ends in -are. If it does, you already know how to conjugate it — try building a sentence immediately.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subject Pronouns — needed to understand who performs the action
• Next steps: Regular -ERE Verbs — the second conjugation pattern
• Next steps: Regular -IRE Verbs — the third conjugation pattern
• Next steps: Potere (can) — a modal verb that builds on verb conjugation
• Next steps: Volere (to want) — another essential modal verb
• Next steps: Simple Future — future tense builds on your knowledge of verb stems