How to use "-Are" in Italian?
Italian “-ARE” Verbs Made Simple 🇮🇹

Many of the most common Italian verbs end in -are. This group is called the first conjugation, and once you learn the pattern, you can use dozens of verbs right away.

-ARE verbs
parlare (to speak) · lavorare (to work) · mangiare (to eat) · comprare (to buy)

The good news? Most -are verbs follow the same rules. You only change the ending — the meaning stays clear.

How “-ARE” Verbs Work

First, remove -are from the verb. Then add a new ending depending on who is doing the action.

comprare → compr-
(to buy)
Italian English Example
io compro I buy Compro pane ogni mattina.
tu compri you buy Tu compri sempre il caffè.
lui / lei compra he / she buys Lei compra scarpe nuove.
noi compriamo we buy Compriamo tutto al mercato.
voi comprate you (plural) buy Comprate molti regali.
loro comprano they buy Comprano vestiti italiani.
The “-ARE” Pattern
Endings for regular -are verbs
io → -o
tu → -i
lui / lei → -a
noi → -iamo
voi → -ate
loro → -ano

Once you know this pattern, you can use many verbs without memorizing new rules.

More Common “-ARE” Verbs
Verb Meaning Example
parlare to speak Parlo italiano un po’.
lavorare to work Lavoriamo a Milano.
mangiare to eat Mangiano pizza spesso.
studiare to study Studio italiano ogni giorno.
pagare to pay Paghiamo il conto insieme.
camminare to walk Cammino al lavoro.
Speaking Naturally

In real Italian, the subject pronoun is often dropped because the verb ending already tells us who is speaking.

(Io) lavoro — I work
(Noi) mangiamo — we eat
(Loro) parlano — they speak
Beginner Tip 💚
If you can conjugate one -are verb, you can conjugate dozens. Practice by swapping verbs, not endings.
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