NOTES
(from Duolingo)
Unlike the imperfetto, which refers to continuous or habitual actions in the past, the passato remoto is a tense that indicates a single action that was completed a long time ago. This tense presents lots of irregularities, and some verbs even have multiple correct conjugations.
In fact, even native speakers find this tense a bit difficult sometimes, and that’s probably why in the spoken language the passato remoto is often replaced by the passato prossimo (ho mangiato, ho bevuto…), which is easier and far more regular. Oddly enough, in southern Italy the exact opposite tends to happen: for some reason many southerners often prefer to use the passato remoto, even when talking about recent events.
So, why learn the passato remoto?
- Just because many native speakers try to avoid it, it doesn’t mean they never use it! Some verbs in particular are very common and very easy to learn.
- It’s without a doubt the most common tense in Italian literature, where events usually take place at some indefinite point in time, or in the distant past from the narrator’s point of view.
- It will definitely take your Italian skills to the next level!
Here’s an example with three different past tenses:
- Lui mi diede un consiglio. [passato remoto] = He gave me advice. Once, a long time ago.
- Lui mi ha dato un consiglio. [passato prossimo] = He gave me advice. Once, maybe recently.
- Lui mi dava consigli. [imperfetto] = He gave me advice, for a period of time. / He used to give me advice.
-ARE | -ERE | -IRE | |
io | parlai | ricevi/etti | partii |
tu | parlasti | ricevesti | partisti |
lui,lei | parlò | ricevé/ette | partì |
noi | parlammo | ricevemmo | partimmo |
voi | parlaste | riceveste | partiste |
loro | parlarono | riceverono/ettero | partirono |
ESSERE | AVERE | DIRE | |
io | fui | ebbi | dissi |
tu | fosti | avesti | dicesti |
lui,lei | fu | ebbe | disse |
noi | fummo | avemmo | dicemmo |
voi | foste | aveste | diceste |
loro | furono | ebbero | dissero |
TIP: You might be wondering, “how should I learn all those other irregular forms outside of Duolingo?” The same way native speakers do: through exposure, and mostly through reading! Luckily, many irregular verbs share the same patterns.
NOTES
(by DuoItalian)
Here are the basic rules on changing the infinitive endings to form the passato remoto:
-ARE Verbs
Drop the infinitive ending and add these endings to the root: -ai, -asti, -ò, -ammo, -aste, -arono
-ERE Verbs
Drop the infinitive ending and add these endings to the root: -ei, -esti, -é, -emmo, -este, -erono
-IRE Verbs
Drop the infinitive ending and add these endings to the root: -ii, -isti, -í, -immo, -iste, -irono
TIP: Many regular -ere verbs have an alternative form in the first person singular, third person singular, and third person plural forms (as seen in the Duolingo examples above).
Here are a few more commonly used irregular verb conjugations for the passato remoto:
FARE | STARE | DARE | |
io | feci | stetti | diedi |
tu | facesti | stesti | desti |
lui,lei | fece | stette | diede |
noi | facemmo | stemmo | demmo |
voi | faceste | steste | deste |
loro | fecero | stettero | diedero |
… and a few of which only SOME of the conjugations are irregular (seen in RED):
VIVERE | SCRIVERE | TENERE | |
io | vissi | scrissi | tenni |
tu | vivesti | scrivesti | tenesti |
lui,lei | visse | scrisse | tenne |
noi | vivemmo | scrivemmo | tenemmo |
voi | viveste | scriveste | teneste |
loro | vissero | scrissero | tennero |
VOCABULARY
(from Duolingo)
fui | I was |
fosti | you were |
fu | he was |
fummo | we were |
foste | you (all) were |
furono | they were |
venni | I came |
venisti | you came |
venne | he came |
venimmo | we came |
veniste | you (all) came |
vennero | they came |
feci | I did, made |
facesti | you did, made |
fece | he did, made |
facemmo | we did, made |
faceste | you (all) did, made |
fecero | they did, made |
parlai | I talked |
parlasti | you talked |
parlò | he talked |
parlammo | we talked |
parlaste | you (all) talked |
parlarono | they talked |
ricevetti | I received |
ricevesti | you received |
ricevette | he received |
ricevemmo | we received |
riceveste | you (all) received |
ricevettero | they received |
partii | I departed |
partisti | you departed |
partì | he departed |
partimmo | we departed |
partiste | you (all) departed |
partirono | they departed |
volli | I wanted |
volesti | you wanted |
volle | he wanted |
volemmo | we wanted |
voleste | you (all) wanted |
vollero | they wanted |
potei | I could |
potemmo | we could |
ebbi | I had |
avesti | you had |
ebbe | he had |
avemmo | we had |
aveste | you (all) had |
ebbero | they had |
andai | I went |
andasti | you went |
he went | he went |
andammo | we went |
andaste | you (all) went |
andarono | they went |
desti | you gave |
trovai | I found |
trovammo | we found |
vidi | I saw |
videro | they saw |
dissi | I said |
misi | I put |
mettesti | you put |
mise | he put |
mettemmo | we put |
metteste | you (all) put |
misero | they put |
presero | they took |
arrivai | I arrived |
pensarono | they thought |
chiesi | I asked |
chiedesti | you asked |
chiese | he asked |
chiedemmo | we asked |
chiedeste | you (all) asked |
chiesero | they asked |
credemmo | we believed |
credettero | they believed |
capii | I understood |
capimmo | we understood |
diventò | he became |
tenne | he kept |
tenemmo | we kept |
lasciai | I left |
decidesti | you decided |
decise | he decided |
aspettai | I waited |
morì | he died |
morii | I died |
guardai | I watched |
aprii | I opened |
aprì | he opened |
seguì | he followed |
offrii | I offered |
cambiarono | they changed |
giocammo | we played |
finì | he finished |
lessi | I read |
leggesti | you read |
scrivesti | you wrote |
scrisse | he wrote |
successe | it happened |
costruì | he built |
perdesti | you lost |
perse | he lost |
provò | he tried |
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