Regular -ERE Verbs in Italian

Overview

Regular -ERE verbs form the second conjugation in Italian. They follow a predictable pattern: remove the -ere ending from the infinitive and add the appropriate personal endings. Once you learn the pattern, you can conjugate dozens of common Italian verbs.

This conjugation group includes many high-frequency verbs you will use daily: scrivere (to write), leggere (to read), vivere (to live), prendere (to take), and vedere (to see). Mastering -ERE verbs at the A1 level gives you the tools to express a wide range of actions.

Unlike -ARE verbs, -ERE verbs have a slightly different set of endings. The stress pattern can also shift — some -ERE verbs stress the -e- of the infinitive (like vedére), while others stress the syllable before it (like scrívere). This does not affect the conjugation, but it matters for pronunciation.

How It Works

To conjugate a regular -ERE verb in the present tense, remove -ere from the infinitive to get the stem, then add the endings:

Person	Ending	scrivere (to write)	leggere (to read)
io	-o	scrivo	leggo
tu	-i	scrivi	leggi
lui/lei/Lei	-e	scrive	legge
noi	-iamo	scriviamo	leggiamo
voi	-ete	scrivete	leggete
loro	-ono	scrivono	leggono

Common regular -ERE verbs:

Verb	Meaning
scrivere	to write
leggere	to read
vivere	to live
prendere	to take
vedere	to see
credere	to believe
ricevere	to receive
vendere	to sell
ripetere	to repeat
mettere	to put
correre	to run
decidere	to decide
chiudere	to close
rispondere	to answer

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Scrivo una lettera.	I write a letter.	1st person — pronoun dropped
Tu leggi il giornale ogni mattina.	You read the newspaper every morning.	Habitual action
Lui prende il caffè al bar.	He has coffee at the café.	"Prendere" = to have (food/drink)
Noi viviamo a Roma.	We live in Rome.	Stem: viv- + -iamo
Voi vedete il mare?	Do you all see the sea?	Question form
Loro scrivono molte email.	They write many emails.	3rd person plural: -ono
Maria legge un libro interessante.	Maria reads an interesting book.	Name replaces pronoun
Chiudo la porta.	I close the door.	Stem: chiud-
Vendiamo la macchina vecchia.	We are selling the old car.	Present tense for current action
Ripeti la domanda, per favore.	Repeat the question, please.	Informal imperative = tu form
Loro non credono a questa storia.	They do not believe this story.	Negation with "non" before verb
Corriamo nel parco.	We run in the park.	Stem: corr-
Lei risponde al telefono.	She answers the phone.	"Rispondere a" = answer (takes "a")
Decido di partire domani.	I decide to leave tomorrow.	"Decidere di" + infinitive

Common Mistakes

Confusing -ARE and -ERE endings

• Wrong: Lui scriv*a una lettera.*
• Right: Lui scrive una lettera.
• Why: The 3rd person singular of -ERE verbs ends in -e, not -a (which belongs to -ARE verbs).

Using -ono instead of -ano for the 3rd person plural

• Wrong: Loro parl*ono italiano.*
• Right: Loro parlano italiano.
• Why: Conversely, do not apply the -ERE ending -ono to -ARE verbs. Each conjugation group has its own 3rd person plural ending: -ano (ARE), -ono (ERE), -ono (IRE).

Forgetting spelling changes with "g" and "c"

• Wrong: Io lego (for leggere)
• Right: Io leggo.
• Why: Verbs like leggere keep the double "g" throughout the conjugation. The spelling preserves the hard /g/ sound.

Mixing up "prendere" usage

• Wrong: Prendo un taxi meaning "I grab a taxi physically"
• Right: Prendo un taxi. (I take/catch a taxi.)
• Why: "Prendere" is very versatile in Italian — it covers "to take," "to have" (food/drink), and "to catch" (transport). Do not limit it to its English literal meaning.

Stressing the wrong syllable

• Wrong: Pronouncing scrívono as scrivóno
• Right: scrívono — stress on the first syllable
• Why: In the loro form, the stress stays on the stem, not on the ending. This applies to all -ERE verbs: léggono, vívono, préndono.

Practice Tips

1. Pick five -ERE verbs and conjugate them fully in writing each day. Say each form aloud, paying attention to where the stress falls — especially the loro form, where stress stays on the stem (scrivono, leggono).
2. Build simple sentences about your daily routine using -ERE verbs: what you read, write, see, take, and decide. This reinforces conjugation in meaningful context rather than rote memorization.
3. Compare -ERE endings side by side with -ARE endings. Noticing the differences (3rd singular: -a vs -e; 3rd plural: -ano vs -ono) helps prevent mixing them up.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subject Pronouns — you need to know the pronouns to conjugate verbs
• Related: Regular -ARE Verbs — the first conjugation, for comparison
• Related: Regular -IRE Verbs — the third conjugation