Tag Archives: Italian verb essere

The Italian Verb Avere The Italian verb avere means to have and, given this definition, is an essential Italian verb to know. Avere serves an important function alone and also as an “assistant,” or auxiliary verb, for compound verbs (created from two or more verbs). For now, we will focus on the present tense of avere. “I have, you have, he/she has,” will be used often when conversing in Italian, and all present tense forms of this verb should be memorized and readily available for use. Avere is an irregular verb in all present tense conjugations, except for the voi form; …

Italian Linking Verb Essere “To be, or not to be…” is one of the most famous lines ever written in the English language.  But that phrase would not be possible without a verb to express the very idea that we exist.  Think of how many times a day we say, “I am” or “he is” or “we are” — all forms of the English infinitive verb “to be.”   In Italian, the verb essere means to be.  Essere in the present tense is a linking verb, as it connects the subject in the beginning of the sentence with specific information …