These verbs can be divided into five large groups.
1. Verbs indicating decision, affirmation or opinion.
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
accòrgersi | to realize |
accettare | to accept |
affermare | to affirm |
ammettere | to admit |
annunciare | to announce |
apprèndere | to learn |
assicurare | to assure |
capire | to understand |
comunicare | to communicate |
confermare | to confirm |
confessare | to confess |
convenire | to agree |
decidere | to decide |
dichiarare | to declare |
dimenticare | to forget |
dimostrare | to demonstrate |
dire | to say |
escludere | to exclude |
evitare | to avoid |
fingere | to pretend |
giurare | to swear |
ignorare | to ignore |
indovinare | to guess |
infischiarsene | do not care about something |
informare | to inform |
lamentarsi | to complain |
minacciare | to threaten |
narrare | to narrate |
negare | to negate |
occuparsi | to be concerned with |
pensare | to think |
pentirsi | to regret |
raccontare | to tell |
rendersi conto | to realize |
riconoscere | to recognize |
ricordare | to remember |
ricordarsi | to remember |
riferire | to report |
rifiutarsi | to refuse |
ringraziare | to thank |
ripetere | to repeat |
sapere | to know |
smettere | to stop |
sostenere | to defend |
stabilire | to establish |
stancarsi | to get rired of something |
trascurare | to neglect |
trattarsi | to to be a question of |
vergognarsi | to be ashamed of |
2. Verbs indicating indecision, uncertainty, fear and amazement.
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
credere | to believe |
dispiacersi | to be saddened |
dolersi | to be sorry |
dubitare | to doubt |
fantasticare | to fantasize |
illudersi | to delude oneself |
meravigliarsi | to wonder |
rimpiangere | to regret |
rischiare | to risk |
ritenere | to believe |
soffrire | to suffer |
sospettare | to suspect |
stancarsi | to get tired of |
stupirsi | to wonder |
supporre | to suppose |
3. Verbs indicating a request, an attempt or a question
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
cercare | to try |
chiedere | to ask |
domandare | to ask |
ingegnarsi | to do one's best |
interessarsi | to be interested in |
offrire | to offer |
proporre | to propose |
tentare | to attempt |
4. Verbs indicating wait, promise or hope
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
aspettarsi | to expect |
augurarsi | to hope |
attendere | to wait |
aspettare | to wait |
fantasticare | to fantasize |
preoccuparsi | to worry |
proporsi | to plan |
promettere | to promise |
ripromettersi | to have in mind |
sperare | to hope |
sognare | to dream |
5. Verbs indicating an ending
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
cessare | to stop |
finire | to stop, to end |
lasciar perdere | to forget about something |
smettere | to stop |
tralasciare | to avoid |
To this group we can add some verbal expressions formed with
1. AVERE plus a noun:
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
avere bisogno | to need |
avere fretta | to be in a hurry |
avere idea | to think |
avere il diritto | to have the right |
avere intenzione | to intend |
avere l'impressione | to feel |
avere paura | to fear |
avere voglia | to need, to feel like |
averevergogna | to be ashamed |
2. ESSERE plus an adjective:
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
essere lieto | to be happy |
essere contento | to be happy |
essere felice | to be happy |
essere fiero | to be proud |
essere in grado | to be able to |
essere nella posizione | to be in the position of |
3. pronominal:
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
non poterne più | to be exhausted, to be unable to put up with something |
sentirsela | to feel like |
The most common exceptions are:
ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
amare | to love |
desiderare | to wish |
dovere | to have to |
gradire | to appreciate |
intendere | to intend |
osare | to dare |
potere | can |
preferire | to prefer |
sapere | to know |
volere | want |
See also:
Proposizioni che vogliono l'infinito con la preposizione A
Verbs Followed by "A" plus the Infinitive
Espressioni idiomatiche con preposizioni e infinito
For pronoun agreement, see also:
Le coniugazioni chiave.
Pronomi diretti
Pronomi riflessivi
L'uso del si
For a list of reflexive verbs, see Verbi
riflessivi
For a list of impersonal verbs, see Verbi
impersonali
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