Italian grammar · Beginner (A1)
Essere and avere: to be and to have
The two most important Italian verbs: their present forms, what they're used for, and useful phrases like c'è and ho fame.
The present tense
(to be) and (to have) are irregular, so learn them by heart. They are also the helper verbs for the past tense (the passato prossimo).
The h in , , and is silent: sounds like “o”. Watch the accent: means “is”, but means “and”.
| Person | ||
|---|---|---|
| / / | ||
Using essere
Use to say who or what someone is, where they are from, what they are like and where they are. (there is) and (there are) are also formed with .
- Sono Marta, sono spagnola.I'm Marta, I'm Spanish.
- Luca è di Palermo.Luca is from Palermo.
- Il museo è chiuso il lunedì.The museum is closed on Mondays.
- C'è una farmacia qui vicino?Is there a pharmacy near here?
- Ci sono due camere libere.There are two free rooms.
Using avere
Use for things you have, and also for age and for feelings where English uses “to be”: hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, sleepy, in a hurry.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| I'm thirty (years old) | |
| I'm hungry | |
| I'm thirsty | |
| / | I'm cold / I'm hot |
| I'm sleepy | |
| I'm in a hurry | |
| … | I need… |
- Hai fratelli o sorelle?Do you have brothers or sisters?
- Quanti anni ha Sua figlia?How old is your daughter? (polite)
- Abbiamo fame, andiamo a mangiare.We're hungry, let's go and eat.