Regular Passato Remoto
- Whereas the Passato Prossimo is used to define a completed action
in the recent past, the Passato Remoto is used for
completed actions in the far (remote) past.
- The Passato Remoto is the main narrative past tense
in Italian.
- The Passato Remoto may be used in conversations,
but not normally in letters.
| parlare |
vendere |
finire |
| parlai |
vendei |
finii |
| parlasti |
vendesti |
finisti |
| parlò |
vendè |
finì |
| parlammo |
vendemmo |
finimmo |
| parlaste |
vendeste |
finiste |
| parlarono |
venderono |
finirono |
Irregular Passato Remoto
- Most verbs that are irregular in the passato remoto are -ere
verbs
- These verbs are only irregular in certain forms,
viz:, 1st person singular
3rd person singular
3rd person plural
- These verbs have a pattern to their irregularity, with an irregular
stem and endings
- i
-e (NB - NO accent)
-ero
| decidere |
vedere |
scrivere |
| decisi |
vidi |
scrissi |
| decidesti |
vedesti |
scrivesti |
| decise |
vide |
scrisse |
| decidemmo |
vedemmo |
scrivemmo |
| decideste |
vedeste |
scriveste |
| decisero |
videro |
scrissero |
Also note:
| essere |
avere |
| fui |
ebbi |
| fosti |
avesti |
| fu |
ebbe |
| fummo |
avemmo |
| foste |
aveste |
| furono |
ebbero |
Also note these exceptional exceptions:
| dare |
stare |
| diedi |
stetti |
| desti |
stesti |
| diede |
stette |
| demmo |
stemmo |
| deste |
steste |
| diedero |
stettero |
Finally, note that for contracted infinitives, bere, condurre, dire and
fare, the longer form of the infinitive is the stem for
the regular parts.
|
