What is the difference between passato prossimo and imperfetto in Italian?

The passato prossimo is used for completed, one-time events that happened at a specific moment. The imperfetto is used for habits ('used to'), descriptions (of people, weather, time, or age), and actions that were in progress. The two tenses are often combined in a single sentence: the imperfetto sets the scene, while the passato prossimo describes the main event that happened during it.

When do you use the imperfetto in Italian?

Use the imperfetto to describe habitual or repeated past actions ('used to' do something), to describe people, weather, time, or age in the past, and to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress. Common signal words that suggest imperfetto include sempre, di solito, mentre, da bambino/a, and una volta.

How is the Italian imperfetto formed?

The imperfetto is formed with a single word, without an auxiliary verb, using the endings -avo/-avi/-ava/-avamo/-avate/-avano for -are verbs, or -evo/-ivo patterns for -ere and -ire verbs. Essere is the key irregular verb (ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano), while fare, dire, and bere use old stems (facev-, dicev-, bevev-) with otherwise regular endings.

Complete Italian Course · A2

Lesson 9: L'Imperfetto — the Past Habitual Tense

A second past tense, for habits, descriptions, and the background of a story · Regular formation for -are/-ere/-ire · The irregular essere · Imperfetto vs passato prossimo · When Italians say "quando ero piccolo…"

CEFR Level A2A2 · Lesson 1 of 8

Table of Contents

01🎯

Learning Objectives

Welcome to A2! By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

✔Conjugate regular -are, -ere, -ire verbs in the imperfetto

✔Conjugate the irregular verb essere in the imperfetto

✔Use the imperfetto for habitual past actions ("used to")

✔Use the imperfetto to describe people, places, weather, and time in the past

✔Choose correctly between passato prossimo and imperfetto

✔Recognise common imperfetto time expressions

✔Tell a simple story about your childhood in Italian

⏱️ Study time: ~2.5 hours. This is one of the most important grammar points in A2 — the passato prossimo/imperfetto distinction trips up learners for years if it isn't understood clearly now. Take your time with Section 5.

02🧱

Forming the Imperfetto — Regular Verbs

The imperfetto ("imperfect") is Italian's second past tense. Unlike the passato prossimo, it's formed with a single word — no auxiliary verb needed — and it's one of the most regular tenses in the whole language.

🔑 The Pattern

Remove the infinitive ending (-are/-ere/-ire) and add the imperfetto endings. All three conjugations share almost the same endings — only the connecting vowel changes (a / e / i).

Parlare, Leggere, Dormire — Full Conjugation

Pronoun	parlare	leggere	dormire
io	parlavo	leggevo	dormivo
tu	parlavi	leggevi	dormivi
lui/lei/Lei	parlava	leggeva	dormiva
noi	parlavamo	leggevamo	dormivamo
voi	parlavate	leggevate	dormivate
loro	parlavano	leggevano	dormivano

💡 Notice the pattern: -avo/-avi/-ava/-avamo/-avate/-avano for -are verbs, and the near-identical -evo/-ivo pattern for -ere/-ire. The stress always falls on the ending, never the stem — parlàvamo, not párlavamo.

Almost No Irregular Verbs

Unlike the present tense or passato prossimo, the imperfetto has only a handful of irregular verbs. The three you'll meet most are:

Infinitive	Stem	io form👇 Click below 🔊
fare (to do/make)	facev-	facevo
dire (to say)	dicev-	dicevo
bere (to drink)	bevev-	bevevo

💡 These three verbs use their old Latin stems (facere, dicere, bevere) but then take completely regular -ere endings: facevo, facevi, faceva, facevamo, facevate, facevano.

03⭐

Essere — the Irregular Imperfetto

There's really only one verb you need to memorise separately: essere. You'll use it constantly for descriptions.

Essere — Imperfetto

Pronoun	essere	Example
io	ero	Ero stanco. — I was tired.
tu	eri	Eri felice? — Were you happy?
lui/lei/Lei	era	Era una bella giornata. — It was a beautiful day.
noi	eravamo	Eravamo giovani. — We were young.
voi	eravate	Eravate a casa? — Were you (pl.) home?
loro	erano	Erano le tre. — It was three o'clock.

⚠️ Don't confuse ero/era (imperfetto, "I was / it was" as an ongoing state) with sono stato/a (passato prossimo, "I was/have been" as a completed event). Ero a Roma per tre anni sounds odd — Italians would say Sono stato a Roma per tre anni for a completed three-year stay.

04🖼️

When to Use the Imperfetto

The imperfetto has three core jobs. Think of it as the tense for the background of a story, not its main events.

1. Habitual / Repeated Actions ("used to…")

Italian👇 Click below 🔊	English
Da bambino giocavo a calcio.	As a kid I used to play football.
Ogni estate andavamo al mare.	Every summer we would go to the seaside.
Mia nonna cucinava ogni domenica.	My grandmother used to cook every Sunday.

2. Descriptions in the Past (people, places, weather, time, age)

Italian👇 Click below 🔊	English
Faceva freddo quel giorno.	It was cold that day.
Aveva i capelli lunghi.	She had long hair.
Erano le nove di sera.	It was nine in the evening.
Avevo dieci anni.	I was ten years old.

3. An Action in Progress (the "background" of another event)

Italian👇 Click below 🔊	English
Mentre dormivo, ha chiamato Marco.	While I was sleeping, Marco called.
Guardavo la TV quando è entrata.	I was watching TV when she came in.

💡 A useful shortcut: if the English sentence works with "was/were -ing" or "used to," you almost certainly need the imperfetto.

05⚖️

Passato Prossimo vs Imperfetto

This is the single biggest hurdle in A2 Italian. The good news: the core idea is simple, even if mastering it takes practice.

🔑 The Core Distinction

Passato prossimo = a completed action, a specific event, something that happened once at a defined moment.
Imperfetto = an ongoing state, a habit, a description, the scene-setting around the main events.

Side by Side

Passato Prossimo (event)	Imperfetto (background)
Ieri ho mangiato la pizza. (one specific, completed action)	Da piccolo mangiavo la pasta ogni giorno. (a repeated habit)
Ho visto un film ieri sera. (happened once, is finished)	Mentre guardavo il film, ha chiamato mia madre. (ongoing action interrupted by an event)
È entrato nella stanza. (the main event of the story)	La stanza era buia e faceva freddo. (the description surrounding it)

They Often Appear Together

The most natural Italian storytelling mixes both tenses in the same sentence — imperfetto for the scene, passato prossimo for what happened:

Pioveva (imperf. — it was raining) quando siamo usciti (pass. pross. — when we went out).
Ero stanco (imperf. — I was tired) e sono andato a letto presto (pass. pross. — and I went to bed early).

⚠️ Don't think of these as interchangeable "past tense options" — native speakers hear a real difference. Ho avuto paura (I got scared — one moment of fear) is different from Avevo paura (I was scared — an ongoing state).

Verbs That Change Meaning

A handful of verbs don't just change nuance between the two tenses — they change what actually happened. Worth learning as a set:

Verb	Imperfetto (state, unclear outcome)	Passato Prossimo (it happened)
sapere	Sapevo la verità. (I knew the truth)	Ho saputo la verità. (I found out the truth)
conoscere	Conoscevo Marco. (I knew Marco, was acquainted with him)	Ho conosciuto Marco. (I met Marco, for the first time)
potere	Potevo venire. (I could have come — unclear if I did)	Ho potuto venire. (I managed to come — and I did)
dovere	Dovevo studiare. (I was supposed to study — maybe I did, maybe not)	Ho dovuto studiare. (I had to study — and I did)
volere	Volevo dirtelo. (I wanted to tell you — unclear if I did)	Ho voluto dirtelo. (I insisted on telling you — and I did)
essere	Ero a Roma. (I was in Rome — an ongoing state)	Sono stato a Roma. (I was/have been to Rome — a completed stay or visit)

💡 Notice the pattern: imperfetto describes a state that existed, with no information about what happened next. Passato prossimo means the state led to an outcome — it was acted on, resolved, or completed.

06⏳

Time Expressions for the Imperfetto

Certain time words are strong signals that the imperfetto is coming — learn to recognise them.

always

sempre

habitual marker

often

spesso

habitual marker

usually

di solito

habitual marker

every day

ogni giorno

habitual marker

while

mentre

background action

as a child

da bambino/a

childhood habit

at that time

a quei tempi

past state

once

una volta

nostalgic recall

💡 Compare with passato prossimo markers you already know: ieri, la settimana scorsa, un'ora fa, improvvisamente — those point to one completed moment, the opposite of the words above.

07🗣️

Dialogues

Scene 1 — Talking About Childhood

SOFIA

Dove abitavi da bambina?

Where did you live as a child?

MARCO

Abitavo in un piccolo paese vicino a Firenze. C'era una piazza bellissima e giocavo sempre lì con i miei amici.

I lived in a small town near Florence. There was a beautiful square and I always used to play there with my friends.

SOFIA

Che bello! Com'era la scuola?

How lovely! What was school like?

MARCO

Era piccola, solo due classi. La maestra si chiamava Signora Rossi ed era molto severa!

It was small, only two classrooms. The teacher was called Mrs. Rossi and she was very strict!

Scene 2 — What Happened Yesterday (mixing both tenses)

LUCA

Ieri sono andato al parco. Faceva un caldo terribile.

Yesterday I went to the park. It was terribly hot.

ANNA

Cosa facevi mentre eri lì?

What were you doing while you were there?

LUCA

Leggevo un libro sotto un albero quando ho visto Sofia. Abbiamo parlato per un'ora.

I was reading a book under a tree when I saw Sofia. We talked for an hour.

ANNA

Che coincidenza! Non la vedevi da molto tempo, no?

What a coincidence! You hadn't seen her in a long time, right?

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08🇮🇹

Cultural Notes: Nostalgia & Storytelling

Quando Ero Piccolo…

Italians love telling stories about the past — grandparents especially. The phrase "Quando ero piccolo/a…" ("When I was little…") opens countless family conversations, almost always followed by a string of imperfetto verbs describing how things used to be: what people ate, how towns looked, what daily life felt like before modern conveniences.

This isn't just grammar trivia — it reflects a real cultural habit of comparing "how things were" (com'era una volta) to today, often with a mix of nostalgia and gentle exaggeration. Learning to use the imperfetto naturally will let you take part in exactly this kind of conversation, which comes up constantly in real Italian life.

09✏️

Exercises & Practice

Exercise 1 — Conjugate the Imperfetto 🧱

Write the correct imperfetto form:

1. io / abitare →

2. tu / scrivere →

3. lui / finire →

4. noi / avere →

5. voi / giocare →

6. loro / credere →

Show Answers

1. abitavo 2. scrivevi 3. finiva

4. avevamo 5. giocavate 6. credevano

Exercise 2 — Essere in the Imperfetto ⭐

Fill in the correct form of essere:

1. Io stanco ieri sera.

2. Tu a scuola con me?

3. Lei molto simpatica da giovane.

4. Noi in vacanza a luglio.

5. Voi compagni di classe?

6. Le due di notte .

Show Answers

1. ero 2. eri 3. era

4. eravamo 5. eravate 6. erano

Exercise 3 — Passato Prossimo or Imperfetto? ⚖️

Choose the correct tense and write the verb form:

1. Ieri (io / mangiare) una pizza intera. (one completed event)

2. Da bambino (io / mangiare) sempre pasta al pomodoro. (habit)

3. (Noi / guardare) la TV quando è arrivato Luca. (ongoing, interrupted)

4. L'anno scorso (loro / andare) in Sicilia. (one trip, completed)

5. Quando ero piccola, (essere) molto timida. (past description)

Show Answers

1. ho mangiato (passato prossimo — one finished action)

2. mangiavo (imperfetto — repeated habit)

3. Guardavamo (imperfetto — action in progress)

4. sono andati (passato prossimo — completed trip)

5. ero (imperfetto — description of a past state)

Exercise 4 — Translate to Italian 🌍

1. When I was young, I lived in Milan.

2. It was raining while we were walking.

3. My grandfather always told great stories.

4. Yesterday I saw an old friend at the market.

5. We were tired, so we went home early.

Show Answers

1. Quando ero giovane, abitavo a Milano.

2. Pioveva mentre camminavamo.

3. Mio nonno raccontava sempre delle belle storie.

4. Ieri ho visto un vecchio amico al mercato.

5. Eravamo stanchi, quindi siamo andati a casa presto.

10🗺️

Lesson Mind Map — Recap

Formation

-avo / -evo / -ivo

parlavo, leggevo

stress always on ending

Essere (irregular)

ero, eri, era…

for descriptions

Era una bella giornata.

Uses

habits, descriptions,

actions in progress

Giocavo sempre lì.

Time Expressions

sempre, di solito, mentre

da bambino, una volta

habitual-past signals

Other Irregulars

fare → facevo

dire → dicevo, bere → bevevo

old Latin stems, regular endings

PP vs Imperfetto

event vs background

completed vs ongoing

often used together

Culture: Nostalgia

"Quando ero piccolo…"

family storytelling

com'era una volta

Dialogues

Childhood memories

Mixing PP + imperfetto

"Cosa facevi mentre…?"

11🃏

Quick-Review Flashcards

Tap to reveal:

parlavo

I was talking / used to talk — imperfetto of parlare

ero / eri / era

I was / you were / he-she-it was — irregular imperfetto of essere

facevo

I was doing/making — irregular stem facev- + regular -ere endings

mentre

while — signals an action in progress, paired with imperfetto

di solito

usually — a strong imperfetto (habitual) marker

Da bambino…

As a child… — classic opener for imperfetto storytelling

12📚

Resources & Homework

🃏

Anki — Imperfetto Endings

Build cards for all three conjugation patterns, plus essere and the three irregular stems (fare, dire, bere).

✍️

Write Your Childhood

Write 8+ sentences about what you used to do as a child — where you lived, what you played, what school was like.

🎙️

Interview a Family Member

If you know an Italian speaker, ask "Com'era la vita quando eri giovane?" — even in English first, then try translating the answers.

📖

Spot the Tense

Find a short Italian text online (news, blog) and underline every passato prossimo and imperfetto verb you can find.

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Tonight's Homework

Memorise the imperfetto endings for all three conjugations plus essere
Rewrite 5 of today's passato prossimo examples correctly into imperfetto, and vice versa
Write a short paragraph (6+ sentences) mixing passato prossimo and imperfetto naturally
Practice the two dialogues aloud, paying attention to which tense each verb uses and why

Key Takeaways — What You Learned Today

The imperfetto is formed with a single word — no auxiliary verb — using endings -avo/-avi/-ava/-avamo/-avate/-avano (-are) or -evo/-ivo patterns (-ere/-ire)
Essere is the key irregular verb: ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano
Fare, dire, bere use old stems (facev-, dicev-, bevev-) but otherwise regular endings
Use the imperfetto for habits ("used to"), descriptions (people, weather, time, age), and actions in progress
Use the passato prossimo for completed, one-time events at a specific moment
The two tenses often appear together in one sentence: imperfetto sets the scene, passato prossimo gives the main event
Watch for imperfetto signal words: sempre, di solito, mentre, da bambino/a, una volta
Italians love imperfetto-driven storytelling — "Quando ero piccolo…" is a real cultural habit, not just a textbook phrase

Ottimo lavoro! 🎉

You've just learned one of the trickiest — and most useful — parts of Italian grammar. The passato prossimo/imperfetto distinction will keep sharpening the more you read, listen, and write, so don't worry if it doesn't feel automatic yet.

Lesson 10 will cover: Comparatives (più...di, meno...di) · Superlatives (il più, -issimo) · Irregular comparative forms (migliore, peggiore) · Comparing people, places, and things.

← A2 Home Lesson 10 →