Italian ⋙ Italian A1

Hello again! This is Italian grammar for beginners! We continue to assist you in learning Italian, and today we will be discussing how to use the verb “essere.”

Among the most important verbs in the Italian language is the verb essere (to be). Due to the high frequency of usage among native speakers, this verb is recognized as the most commonly occurring word in Italian.
"Essere" is also an irregular verb. If we want to use it, then we must learn all its forms. We can use it in two capacities: as a linking verb and as an auxiliary verb (with avere) in the formation of complex grammatical verb forms. In this article, we will learn how to conjugate and use the verb "essere," along with some examples.

Present Tense

Here's a summary of its conjugation in the present tense:

Subject + Essere (It.)	To be (Eng.)
Io sono	I am
Tu sei	You are
Lui / Lei è	He/She/It is
Noi siamo	We are
Voi siete	You are
Loro sono	They are

Examples:

Usage of Essere

1. Identity: "Essere" is used for talking about who one is in terms of profession, nationalities, etc.
Examples:

2. Characteristics: The verb describes the inherent qualities or characteristics of the person or thing being described.
Examples:

3. Location: "Essere" means where something or somebody is located.
Examples:

4. Time: We use it to express the time, especially with the 24-hour clock.
Example:

5. Feelings and States: "Essere" helps us to express feelings, emotions, or states of being.
Examples:

6. Existence: When we talk about the existence of somebody or something.
Examples:

7. Compound Tenses: "Essere" is also used as an auxiliary verb to make various compound tenses, such as the passato prossimo (present perfect) tense.
Example:
In this sentence, "sono andato/a" is the passato prossimo form of "essere" (io sono) combined with the past participle of the verb andare (andato/a). We will talk about it later.

Common expressions with "Essere"

Below are some common phrases using "essere," which you can use when speaking Italian:

1. Sono di... (I am from...).
Example:

2. Sono felice / triste / arrabbiato/a (I am happy / sad / angry).
Example:

3. Sono stanco/a / affamato/a (I am tired / hungry).
Example:

4. Sono alto/a / basso/a (I am tall / short).
Example:

5. Sono italiano/a / francese / americano/a (I am Italian / French / American)
Example:

6. Sono uno studente / un'architetto / un medico (I am a student / an architect / a doctor).
Example:

7. Sono in ritardo / in anticipo (I am late / early)
Example:

8. Sono qui / là (I am here / there).
Example:

9. Sono d'accordo / in disaccordo (I agree / disagree)
Example:

Conjugation

Let's focus here on the conjugation of this important verb.

Summary

Let's summarize everything we discussed above!
You learned the verb "essere" as well as examples of its use in the lesson. Pay attention to the new words and phrases you came across in the lesson:

Try to remember the new words. We will see you in the next lesson, which will deal with the very important Italian verb avere (to have). Good luck!

Did you understand everything? Check yourself!