🔤 Grammar
Essere — to be
Essere is the most important verb in Italian. It's used for identity, origin, nationality, and describing states. Italians often drop the subject pronoun because the verb ending already shows who's doing the action.
Formal vs. informal 'you'
Tu is informal (friends, family, kids). Lei (capitalized, uses the same form as 'she') is formal — used with strangers, elders, or in professional settings.
Conjugation tables
Essere — present tense
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | sono | I am |
| tu | sei | you are (informal) |
| lui / lei | è | he / she is |
| noi | siamo | we are |
| voi | siete | you all are |
| loro | sono | they are |
💡 Note that io and loro share the same form: sono.
Examples
- Sono italiano.I am Italian.
- Lei è di Roma.She is from Rome.
- Noi siamo amici.We are friends.
Practice
Match each pronoun to the correct form of essere.
Tap a verb below, then tap the pronoun it belongs to — or drag it.
Pronoun
Verb
Match each greeting to its meaning.
Tap a english below, then tap the italian it belongs to — or drag it.
Italian
English