In Italian, irregular verbs (verbi irregolari) are verbs that do not follow the usual conjugation patterns of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs. Some change their stem, while others have endings that are different from the regular forms. Many of the most frequently used Italian verbs are irregular, so learning them is essential for everyday communication. Like regular verbs, they change according to the person and number of the subject, and their present-tense forms can describe actions happening now, habits, or general facts. Unlike regular verbs, however, their forms cannot always be predicted from the infinitive and must often be learned individually.
Common Irregular Verbs
Some of the most useful irregular verbs for beginners are andare (to go), fare (to do, to make), stare (to stay, to be), dare (to give), venire (to come), and uscire (to go out). These verbs are common in everyday situations, such as talking about where you go, what you do, or when you leave home. For example, andare becomes vado with io, showing how the form of an irregular verb can differ from the infinitive. Other verbs have irregular forms only in certain persons. The verb uscire, for instance, changes its stem in the io, tu, lui/lei, and loro forms, while usciamo and uscite follow the regular -ire pattern. This shows that an irregular verb does not necessarily have a different form in every person. The most practical approach is to learn each verb together with its present-tense forms, rather than trying to apply a single rule to all irregular verbs.
Vado a scuola. — I go to school.
Faccio colazione. — I have breakfast.
Stiamo a casa. — We stay at home.
Vieni con noi? — Are you coming with us?
Escono alle otto. — They go out at eight.
Summary of Common Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
| Subject | Andare | Fare | Stare | Dare | Venire | Uscire |
| io | vado | faccio | sto | do | vengo | esco |
| tu | vai | fai | stai | dai | vieni | esci |
| lui / lei / Lei | va | fa | sta | dà | viene | esce |
| noi | andiamo | facciamo | stiamo | diamo | veniamo | usciamo |
| voi | andate | fate | state | date | venite | uscite |
| loro | vanno | fanno | stanno | danno | vengono | escono |