There are several past tenses in Italian. While the imperfetto meaning imperfect and passato prossimo meaning perfect tense take the lion’s share, to take your Italian to the next level, you need to learn how to use all the tenses needed to talk about the past. The main ones are:
| Tense | Basic use(s) |
|---|---|
passato prossimo Mi sono sposata un anno fa. Translation: I got married one year ago. | completed actions in the past, actions that started in the past whose effects continue in the present |
imperfetto Da bambino giocavo sempre a calcio. Translation: As a child, I always played soccer. | background information, habitual/recurring actions in the past |
trapassato prossimo Quando siamo arrivati, lei era appena uscita. Translation: When we arrived, she had just left. | past actions older than other past actions (in the passato prossimo) |
passato remoto Lorenzo de’ Medici nacque nel 1449. Translation: Lorenzo de’ Medici was born in 1449. | completed actions in the past with no connections to the present |
There is also a tense called the trapassato remoto, which is used to talk about past actions older than ones in the passato remoto, and one called the passato progressivo, which can at times be used instead of the imperfetto. Oh, and someitmes you use the present tense to talk about the past.
Sounds overwhelming? No worries, we got you covered! In this post, we’ll examine all past tenses in the indicative mood, either in pairs — sometimes a past tense needs a companion — or singularly. Ready for our journey through the past? Let’s go!
How to use the ‘passato prossimo’ and ‘imperfetto’?
As anticipated, the passato prossimo and imperfetto are the most common past tenses in Italian.
Use the passato prossimo...
to talk about completed events at a specific time in the past
Ieri abbiamo cenato con Sara.Translation: Yesterday we had dinner with Sara.to talk about a past action whose effects continue in the present
Ho appena fatto un bagno caldo.Translation: I just took a warm bath.
Use the imperfetto....
to talk about recurrent or habitual actions in the past
Andavamo a teatro ogni domenica.Translation: We used to go to the theater every Sunday.to talk about ongoing actions in the past with no specific beginning or end
Prima delle e-mail, usavamo il fax.Translation: Before emails, we used the fax machine.to state age, time, date, and weather in the past
Erano le 10 di sera, e faceva freddo.Translation: It was 10 in the evening, and it was coldto make descriptions in the past
L’appartamento era semplice e pulito.Translation: The apartment was simple and clean.
The passato prossimo refers to events and actions that are completed in a specific moment in the past, while the imperfetto is more a descriptive tense. The two may be used together:
to talk about specific past events (passato prossimo) and the circumstances around them (imperfetto)
imperfettopassato prossimoEra domenica mattina, faceva caldo. Mario è entrato e ha gridato: Eccomi!Translation: It was Sunday morning, it was hot. Mario came in and shouted: Here I am!to talk about ongoing actions (imperfetto) and interrupting actions (passato prossimo)
imperfettopassato prossimoMentre dormivo, il gatto è saltato sul letto e mi ha svegliato.Translation: While I was sleeping, the cat jumped on my bed and woke me up.
Check out these lists with time markers for the imperfetto and time markers for the passato prossimo.
How to use the ‘passato remoto’?
The passato remoto meaning historical past is used to talk about completed events with no connections to the present. The remoteness suggested by its name is both chronological and psychological. The passato remoto is generally used to narrate stories and to talk about historical events.
How to use the ‘trapassato prossimo’?
The trapassato prossimo meaning past perfect is used to talk about past events that happened before other past events expressed by the passato prossimo.
How to use the present tense to talk about the past in Italian?
Our journey in the past ends with… the present tense, which is used to talk about actions started in the past and continuing in the present. The time marker to look for is da, which means both “since” and “for.”
- Vivo a Milano dal 2018.Translation: I have lived in Milan since 2018.
- Studio pianoforte da dieci anni.Translation: I have studied piano for ten years.
Check out our article on the Italian present tense to find out more about its use to talk about past facts to make them feel closer to us in time. It’s the so-called historic or narrative present:
Summary
We are at the end of our journey. We have learned that:
The highest frequency past tenses in Italian are the passato prossimo (completed actions) and imperfetto (descriptions or ongoing/recurrent actions).
You can get away without the passato remoto (completed actions in the distant past), but it’s handy to be able to recognize it since it’s often found in fiction and historical accounts.
The trapassato prossimo and trapassato remoto are used to refer to past actions/events older than other past actions/events.
When the action started in the past and continues in the present, you use the present tense.
Time to practice the Italian past tenses!
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