Are you learning Italian and want to avoid saying things like “Io è fame” [I is hungry] when your stomach is rumbling? You’re in the right place! This test will help you discover if you can already order a coffee without making the barista raise an eyebrow, or if you still risk creating awkward situations.
Spoiler: Some sentences are correct, others… well, better not say them around!
Italian Verbs from Beginner to Advanced Level
How Does It Work?
For each sentence, stop for a moment and ask yourself: “Is it correct or not?” Then discover your level!
Your result:
- 0-6 points: Adventurous Beginner – better order at the restaurant by pointing at the menu!
- 7-14 points: Promising Intermediate – you’re starting to get it, keep going!
- 15-20 points: Impressive Advanced – Italians mistake you for one of them!
LEVEL 1: SURVIVAL IN ITALY
Exercise 1
“Scusi, io è vegetariano. Nel menù c’è qualcosa senza carne?”
…
HELP! CRITICAL ERROR!
What’s Wrong?
At the restaurant you just said “io è vegetariano“ [I is vegetarian]… The waiter looks at you puzzled! The verb “essere” [to be] in the first person singular is “sono” [am], not “è” [is]. That form is used for lui/lei [he/she].
CORRECT VERSION: “Scusi, io sono vegetariano. Nel menù c’è qualcosa senza carne?” [Excuse me, I am vegetarian. Is there anything without meat on the menu?]
Trick: Think “io SONO / tu SEI / lui È” [I AM / you ARE / he IS]
Exercise 2
“Ragazzi, ieri sera la pizza da Gino mi ha piaciuto moltissimo!”
…
DOUBLE ERROR! ATTENTION!
What Went Wrong?
There are actually two errors here!
- The verb “piacere” [to like] in the passato prossimo always requires the auxiliary ESSERE [to be], NOT “avere” [to have].
- The past participle must agree with the grammatical subject (la pizza = feminine singular), so “piaciuta” not “piaciuto“.
CORRECT VERSION: “Ragazzi, ieri sera la pizza da Gino mi è piaciuta moltissimo!” [Guys, last night I really liked the pizza at Gino’s!]
The formula for “piacere”: ESSERE (conjugated) + PIACIUTO/A/I/E (agreed with the thing that is liked)
Other correct examples:
- Il film mi è piaciuto [I liked the movie]
- La canzone ti è piaciuta? [Did you like the song?]
- I dolci ci sono piaciuti [We liked the desserts]
- Le foto vi sono piaciute [You liked the photos]
Exercise 3
“Ciao Marco! Tu sei andare alla festa di Lucia sabato scorso?”
…
ATTENTION! RED ALERT!
What Went Wrong?
You basically said “tu sei andare“ [you are to go] instead of “sei andato” [you went]!
With the passato prossimo [present perfect], after the auxiliary (essere/avere), you need the past participle, not the infinitive.
“Andare” [to go] becomes “andato/a” [gone].
CORRECT VERSION: “Ciao Marco! Tu sei andato alla festa di Lucia sabato scorso?” [Hi Marco! Did you go to Lucia’s party last Saturday?]
Attention: With “andare” we always use the auxiliary ESSERE!
Exercise 4
“La mia famiglia abita a Milano da dieci anni e ci troviamo benissimo!”
…
EXCELLENT! TOP-NOTCH ITALIAN!
What Makes This Sentence Perfect?
You nailed the Italian structure for actions that are still ongoing!
When something started in the past and continues now, we use the present tense (abita) + “da” + time.
Remember: “Da dieci anni” [for ten years] = the action is still ongoing!
Exercise 5
“Guarda quelle ragazze! Loro mangia il gelato davanti alla Fontana di Trevi.”
…
BEGINNER MISTAKE!
Where Did You Go Wrong?
“Loro mangia“? No no no! “Loro” [they] is plural, so the verb must be “mangiano“ [eat].
“Mangia” [eats] is only used for lui/lei [he/she] (third person singular).
CORRECT VERSION: “Guarda quelle ragazze! Loro mangiano il gelato davanti alla Fontana di Trevi.” [Look at those girls! They eat ice cream in front of the Trevi Fountain.]
Bonus: In Italy it’s more common to say “prendere un gelato“ [to have an ice cream], not “mangiare” [to eat].
Exercise 6
“Stamattina io è comprato i biglietti per il concerto dei Måneskin!”
…
DOUBLE ERROR! WHAT?
Two Problems to Solve:
1) You said “io è“ instead of “io ho“.
2) “Comprare” [to buy] requires the auxiliary AVERE [to have], not “essere” [to be]!
CORRECT VERSION: “Stamattina io ho comprato i biglietti per il concerto dei Måneskin!” [This morning I bought the tickets for the Måneskin concert!]
Golden rule: Verbs indicating an action (comprare [to buy], mangiare [to eat], bere [to drink], studiare [to study]) almost always take AVERE!
Exercise 7
“Wow! Francesca canta come un angelo ieri al karaoke!”
…
TIME CONFUSION!
What’s the Problem?
You used the present tense “canta“ [sings] but then said “ieri” [yesterday]!
When you talk about yesterday, you must use passato prossimo: “ha cantato” [sang].
The present tense is for habitual things or things happening now.
CORRECT VERSION: “Wow! Francesca ha cantato come un angelo ieri al karaoke!” [Wow! Francesca sang like an angel yesterday at karaoke!]
LEVEL 2: YOU’RE INTEGRATING WELL!
Exercise 8
“A te interessi i film italiani? A me sì, molto!”
…
SNEAKY ERROR!
What’s Wrong?
Verbs like “interessare” [to interest], “piacere” [to like], “mancare” [to miss], “servire” [to need] have a particular construction in Italian! The grammatical subject is NOT the person, but the thing that is liked or interests.
In the sentence “a te interessi” you conjugated the verb as if “tu” [you] were the subject, but actually the subject is “i film” [the films] (plural).
CORRECT VERSION: “A te interessano i film italiani? A me sì, molto!” [Do Italian films interest you? Yes, very much!]
The correct structure:
- Ti interessa la musica? [Does music interest you?]
- Vi interessano i libri di storia? [Do history books interest you?]
Golden rule: With these verbs, conjugate the verb according to the thing that is liked/interests, not the person!
Exercise 9
“Eh, se io avrei più soldi, farei un viaggio in Costiera Amalfitana!”
…
THE MOST COMMON ERROR EVEN AMONG ADVANCED STUDENTS!
The “SE” Trap:
Never, NEVER use the conditional after “se” [if]!
It’s tempting because it’s done in many languages, but in Italian it’s a serious mistake.
After “se” you need the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE, THEN the conditional.
CORRECT VERSION: “Eh, se io avessi più soldi, farei un viaggio in Costiera Amalfitana!” [Well, if I had more money, I would take a trip to the Amalfi Coast!]
FORBIDDEN: Se + conditional
CORRECT: Se + subjunctive
Exercise 10
“Stavo studiando i verbi irregolari quando improvvisamente mi ha chiamato la mia amica italiana per fare aperitivo.”
…
EXCELLENT! TEMPORAL MASTERY!
What Did You Do Right?
You perfectly combined two past actions:
- Imperfetto “stavo studiando” [was studying] = ongoing action, the background of the scene
- Passato Prossimo “ha chiamato” [called] = sudden action that interrupts
In Summary: the imperfetto is the scene, the passato prossimo is the event that happens!
Exercise 11
“Oh no! Siamo partiti la valigia in hotel e ora siamo già in aeroporto!”
…
IMPOSSIBLE CONSTRUCTION!
Where’s the Absurdity?
“Partire la valigia“? The verb “partire” means to leave/go away, not to leave something behind!
If you want to say you forgot the suitcase, you must use “lasciare“ [to leave] or “dimenticare“ [to forget] (which require AVERE as auxiliary).
CORRECT VERSION: “Oh no! Abbiamo lasciato la valigia in hotel e ora siamo già in aeroporto!” [Oh no! We left the suitcase at the hotel and now we’re already at the airport!]
Exercise 12
“Hai visto le chiavi della macchina? Sì, le ho visto sul tavolo stamattina.”
…
HIDDEN ERROR! LET’S DISCOVER IT!
Why Is It Wrong (Even Though It Sounds Good)?
This is a trap for advanced students!
When we use direct object pronouns (lo, la, li, le) before the verb in the present perfect, the past participle agrees with the pronoun.
“Le” refers to le chiavi [the keys] (feminine plural), so the participle must be “viste” [seen].
CORRECT VERSION: “Hai visto le chiavi della macchina? Sì, le ho viste sul tavolo stamattina.” [Have you seen the car keys? Yes, I saw them on the table this morning.]
Compare:
- “Ho visto le chiavi” [I saw the keys] (no agreement without pronoun)
- “Le ho viste” [I saw them] (agreement with the pronoun “le”)
- “L’ho vista” [I saw her/it] (la = singular feminine)
- “Li ho visti” [I saw them] (li = plural masculine)
Exercise 13
“Per passare l’esame di italiano, è necessario che tu fai tanti esercizi di grammatica.”
…
MISSING SUBJUNCTIVE!
What’s Missing?
After expressions like “è necessario che“ [it is necessary that], “è importante che” [it is important that], “bisogna che” [one must that], you MUST use the subjunctive, NOT the indicative! It’s an iron rule in Italian.
CORRECT VERSION: “Per passare l’esame di italiano, è necessario che tu faccia tanti esercizi di grammatica.” [To pass the Italian exam, it is necessary that you do many grammar exercises.]
Subjunctive trigger words: “È necessario/importante/giusto/possibile che…” [It is necessary/important/right/possible that…]
Exercise 14
“È sicuro che il prossimo weekend fa bel tempo e noi andremo al mare!”
…
PERFECT! GRAMMATICAL CERTAINTY!
Why Is It Right NOT to Use the Subjunctive?
Great question!
When you express absolute certainty (“è sicuro che/so che/è chiaro che…” [It’s sure that/I know that/it’s clear that…]), you must use the indicative.
The subjunctive is for doubts, hopes, opinions.
Here you are sure, so indicative in the future!
The golden rule:
- CERTAINTY → Indicative
- DOUBT → Subjunctive
LEVEL 3: YOU’RE ALMOST ITALIAN!
Exercise 15
“Pensavo che Luca fosse già arrivato alla stazione, ma poi ho scoperto che era in ritardo come sempre!”
…
INCREDIBLE! PERFECT SEQUENCE OF TENSES!
What Did You Do That’s Extraordinary?
You used the pluperfect subjunctive (“fosse arrivato” [had arrived]) after a past tense verb (“pensavo” [I thought]).
This is professional-level sequence of tenses!
The pluperfect subjunctive expresses an action that you believed had happened before.
Mental timeline:
- Before: Luca arrives (you thought)
- After: You think
- Reality: He was late
Advanced formula: Pensavo/credevo/immaginavo [I thought/believed/imagined] + che + pluperfect subjunctive
Exercise 16
“Benché lui ha studiato il congiuntivo per settimane, continua a fare errori!”
…
THE IRONY! ERROR ON THE SUBJUNCTIVE!
Where’s the Irony?
You’re talking about the subjunctive but… you forgot to use it! “Benché” [although] is a conjunction that ALWAYS requires the subjunctive.
In this case, past subjunctive because the action of studying is finished.
CORRECT VERSION: “Benché lui abbia studiato il congiuntivo per settimane, continua a fare errori!” [Although he has studied the subjunctive for weeks, he continues to make mistakes!]
Subjunctive signal words: “benché, sebbene, nonostante, affinché, prima che…” [although, even though, despite, so that, before…]
Exercise 17
“Se avessi accettato quel lavoro a Roma tre anni fa, ora vivrei nella Città Eterna!”
…
FANTASTIC! TEXTBOOK HYPOTHETICAL PERIOD!
Why Is It Perfect?
You constructed a perfect fourth-type hypothetical period (mixed):
- Protasis: “Se avessi accettato” [If I had accepted] (pluperfect subjunctive)
- Apodosis: “vivrei” [I would live] (present conditional)
You’re expressing a regret: in the past you didn’t make that choice, and now you imagine what life would be like.
Feeling: It’s the tense of “what if” and regrets (or “thank goodness I didn’t do it!”).
Exercise 18
“Se sarei più coraggiosa, prenderei un anno sabbatico e viaggerei per tutta l’Italia!”
…
THIS IS ALSO A CLASSIC!
The Recurring Problem:
Once again: AFTER “SE” NEVER THE CONDITIONAL!
I know, it’s difficult, but you really need to memorize it.
The correct structure is: se + imperfect subjunctive + present conditional.
CORRECT VERSION: “Se fossi più coraggiosa, prenderei un anno sabbatico e viaggerei per tutta l’Italia!” [If I were braver, I would take a sabbatical year and travel all over Italy!]
Mental exercise: Every time you say “se” [if], automatically think of the subjunctive!
Exercise 19
“Vorrei tanto che tu venissi a trovarmi quando sarò in Italia il mese prossimo!”
…
SPLENDID! REFINED USE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE!
What Makes You So Good?
After “vorrei che” [I would like that] (expression of desire in the conditional), you correctly used the imperfect subjunctive (“venissi” [you came]), even though you’re talking about the future!
In Italian, with this structure, the imperfect subjunctive expresses a future wish.
The formula for wishes: “Vorrei/mi piacerebbe che [I would like that]+ imperfect subjunctive“
Cultural note: This is the elegant way to invite someone without being too direct!
Exercise 20
“Dopo che avrò finito questo test sui verbi, sono andato a festeggiare con una bella carbonara!”
…
CONFUSED TIME TRAVELER!
The Temporal Paradox:
You said “dopo che avrò finito” [after I will have finished] (future perfect), but then “sono andato” [I went] (present perfect). It’s impossible!
If the first event is in the future, the second MUST be too.
You must use the simple future: “andrò” [I will go].
CORRECT VERSION: “Dopo che avrò finito questo test sui verbi, andrò a festeggiare con una bella carbonara!” [After I finish this test on verbs, I will go celebrate with a nice carbonara!]
Reminder: The future perfect indicates a future action that will occur before another future action!
Moment of Truth!
Count your points (1 for each correct answer) and discover your level!
The Verdict:
0-6 Points: COURAGEOUS BEGINNER
“You don’t learn to make pizza on the first try!”
Don’t get discouraged! All great Italian speakers have been here. Focus on:
- Present, present perfect (passato prossimo) and imperfect (imperfetto)
- The difference between ESSERE and AVERE
- Basic conjugation of regular verbs
7-14 Points: ITALIAN IN PROGRESS
“You’re close to ordering a coffee without stress!”
You’re making solid progress! Now it’s time to refine:
- The subjunctive (present and imperfect)
- The conditional (present and past)
- The hypothetical period (all three types!)
- The sequence of tenses
15-20 Points: GRAMMAR MASTER
“Italians ask you which region you’re from!”
Congratulations! You have an impressive command of Italian verbs. To reach perfection:
- Deepen the pluperfect subjunctive
- Explore the simple past and the past perfect
- Study the nuances between the various narrative tenses
- Read classics of Italian literature
Review Table
| Verb Tense | When to Use It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Presente [Present] | Habitual actions, truths, ongoing actions | Io mangio la pizza ogni sabato [I eat pizza every Saturday] |
| Passato Prossimo [Present Perfect] | Completed actions in the recent past | Ieri ho mangiato una pizza [Yesterday I ate a pizza] |
| Imperfetto [Imperfect] | Past habits, descriptions, continuous actions | Quando ero piccolo, mangiavo sempre la pizza [When I was little, I always ate pizza] |
| Futuro Semplice [Simple Future] | Future actions | Domani mangerò la pizza [Tomorrow I will eat pizza] |
| Futuro Anteriore [Future Perfect] | Future action before another future action | Dopo che avrò mangiato, uscirò [After I have eaten, I will go out] |
| Condizionale Presente [Present Conditional] | Wishes, polite requests, hypothetical situations | Mangerei volentieri una pizza [I would gladly eat a pizza] |
| Congiuntivo Presente [Present Subjunctive] | Doubts, hopes, opinions (present/future) | Penso che tu mangi troppa pizza [I think you eat too much pizza] |
| Congiuntivo Imperfetto [Imperfect Subjunctive] | Past doubts, hypothetical situations | Se tu mangiassi meno pizza… [If you ate less pizza…] |
| Congiuntivo Passato [Past Subjunctive] | Doubts about past actions | Penso che lui abbia mangiato la pizza [I think he has eaten the pizza] |
| Congiuntivo Trapassato [Pluperfect Subjunctive] | Doubts about remote past actions | Pensavo che tu avessi già mangiato [I thought you had already eaten] |
After this test, keep practicing with concordance of tenses in the dedicated article.
Do pronominal verbs trip you up and fill you with doubts? Turn confusion into confidence with our exclusive course: “Da «Non ce la faccio più» a «Ora me la cavo»: i verbi pronominali in 30 giorni.” With fun, bite-size lessons and targeted practice, you’ll learn to use them naturally in just one month.
One place to learn Italian
Join the LearnAmo AcademyLoading quiz…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:45 — 75.0MB)
Iscriviti: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podcast Index | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | Altri...
