The verbs essere (to be) and avere (to have) are two of the most important verbs in Italian. They are used constantly in everyday conversations to describe people and things, express possession, and talk about age, feelings, and physical conditions. Both verbs are irregular, which means that their forms do not follow the usual patterns of regular Italian verbs. Learning their present-tense forms is essential because they appear in many common expressions.
The Verb Essere (To Be)
The verb essere is used to say who or what someone is, describe people and things, and indicate where someone or something is located. Like the English verb to be, it connects the subject to information about identity, nationality, profession, appearance, or condition. For example, sono italiano means I am Italian, while la casa è grande means the house is big. When essere is followed by an adjective, the adjective generally agrees with the subject in gender and number. Italian also often omits the subject pronoun because the verb form usually makes the meaning clear.
Sono italiano. — I am Italian.
Maria è insegnante. — Maria is a teacher.
La casa è grande. — The house is big.
Siamo stanchi. — We are tired.
Il libro è sul tavolo. — The book is on the table.
The Verb Avere (To Have)
The verb avere is mainly used to express possession, but it also appears in several everyday expressions that are different from English. For example, Italian uses avere rather than essere to talk about age: Ho vent'anni means I am twenty years old. The same verb is used to express hunger, thirst, and certain physical sensations, such as avere fame (to be hungry), avere sete (to be thirsty), avere caldo (to be hot), and avere freddo (to be cold). These expressions are especially important because translating them word for word from English can lead to mistakes. Notice that the forms ho, hai, ha, and hanno contain a silent h, which is written but never pronounced.
Ho un libro. — I have a book.
Hai una sorella? — Do you have a sister?
Marco ha vent'anni. — Marco is twenty years old.
Abbiamo fame. — We are hungry.
Hanno freddo. — They are cold.
Summary of Essere and Avere in the Present Tense
| Subject pronoun | Essere | English | Avere | English |
| io | sono | I am | ho | I have |
| tu | sei | you are | hai | you have |
| lui / lei / Lei | è | he / she is; you are (formal) | ha | he / she has; you have (formal) |
| noi | siamo | we are | abbiamo | we have |
| voi | siete | you are (plural) | avete | you have (plural) |
| loro | sono | they are | hanno | they have |