Aiutare Conjugation in Italian
aiutare means “to help” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 84 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to help someone, and it is completely regular. It takes a direct object in Italian — aiuto Maria — and it is the verb behind offers of help in shops, offices and everyday conversation. This page gives you the complete conjugation of aiutare — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Io aiuto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I help Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: aiutare
- English: to help
- Verb type: Regular -are verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: aiutando
- Present participle: aiutante
- Past participle: aiutato
- Auxiliary: avere (all perfect tenses are formed with avere + the past participle)
- Ending: -are verbs; pattern are in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for aiutare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read aiutare in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about aiutare
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -are pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use avere: the passato prossimo is formed with avere in the present plus the past participle aiutato. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The participles are aiutante and aiutato: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for aiutare. Learn the present tense first, then the passato prossimo and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aiuto |
| tu | aiuti |
| lui/lei | aiuta |
| noi | aiutiamo |
| voi | aiutate |
| loro | aiutano |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io aiuto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I help Maria”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aiutai |
| tu | aiutasti |
| lui/lei | aiutò |
| noi | aiutammo |
| voi | aiutaste |
| loro | aiutarono |
The passato remoto is used for completed actions in the distant past, mostly in written and literary Italian and in the south of Italy. For example: “Io aiutai Maria ieri.” — “I helped Maria”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aiutavo |
| tu | aiutavi |
| lui/lei | aiutava |
| noi | aiutavamo |
| voi | aiutavate |
| loro | aiutavano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io aiutavo Maria una volta.” — “I used to help Maria”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aiuterò |
| tu | aiuterai |
| lui/lei | aiuterà |
| noi | aiuteremo |
| voi | aiuterete |
| loro | aiuteranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io aiuterò Maria domani.” — “I will help Maria”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aiuterei |
| tu | aiuteresti |
| lui/lei | aiuterebbe |
| noi | aiuteremmo |
| voi | aiutereste |
| loro | aiuterebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io aiuterei Maria un giorno.” — “I would help Maria”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho aiutato |
| tu | hai aiutato |
| lui/lei | ha aiutato |
| noi | abbiamo aiutato |
| voi | avete aiutato |
| loro | hanno aiutato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha aiutato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has helped Maria”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo aiutato |
| tu | avevi aiutato |
| lui/lei | aveva aiutato |
| noi | avevamo aiutato |
| voi | avevate aiutato |
| loro | avevano aiutato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo aiutato Maria prima della festa.” — “I had helped Maria”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò aiutato |
| tu | avrai aiutato |
| lui/lei | avrà aiutato |
| noi | avremo aiutato |
| voi | avrete aiutato |
| loro | avranno aiutato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò aiutato Maria per domani.” — “I will have helped Maria”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei aiutato |
| tu | avresti aiutato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe aiutato |
| noi | avremmo aiutato |
| voi | avreste aiutato |
| loro | avrebbero aiutato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei aiutato Maria ieri.” — “I would have helped Maria”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aiuti |
| tu | aiuti |
| lui/lei | aiuti |
| noi | aiutiamo |
| voi | aiutiate |
| loro | aiutino |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io aiuti Maria.” — “It is important that I help Maria”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aiutassi |
| tu | aiutassi |
| lui/lei | aiutasse |
| noi | aiutassimo |
| voi | aiutaste |
| loro | aiutassero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io aiutassi Maria.” — “It was important that I help Maria”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | aiuta |
| lui/lei | aiuti |
| noi | aiutiamo |
| voi | aiutate |
| loro | aiutino |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Aiuta Maria!” — “Help Maria!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | aiutare |
| lui/lei | aiuti |
| noi | aiutiamo |
| voi | aiutiate |
| loro | aiutino |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non aiutare Maria.” — “Do not help Maria.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | aiutando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Aiutando Maria, imparo molto.” — “While helping Maria, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | aiutante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle aiutante is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Past participle | aiutato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho aiutato Maria questa settimana.” — “I have helped Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with aiutare, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io aiuto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I help Maria”
- “Tu aiutasti Maria ieri.” — “You helped Maria”
- “Lui aiutava Maria una volta.” — “He used to help Maria”
- “Io aiuterò Maria domani.” — “I will help Maria”
- “Tu aiuteresti Maria un giorno.” — “You would help Maria”
- “Lui ha aiutato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has helped Maria”
- “Io avevo aiutato Maria prima della festa.” — “I had helped Maria”
- “Tu avrai aiutato Maria per domani.” — “You will have helped Maria”
- “È importante che io aiuti Maria.” — “It is important that I help Maria”
- “Aiuta Maria!” — “Help Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io aiutare Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io aiuto Maria ogni giorno.”
The infinitive aiutare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form aiuto.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io aiuti Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io aiuto Maria ogni giorno.”
aiuti is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with aiuto.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io aiuto Maria ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho aiutato Maria questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho aiutato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono aiutato Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho aiutato Maria questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of aiutare is formed with avere plus the past participle aiutato: the io form is ho aiutato. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “È importante che io aiuto Maria.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io aiuti Maria.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use aiuti here, not the indicative aiuto.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho aiutando Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho aiutato Maria questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle aiutato, not the gerund aiutando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on aiutare. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of aiutare in the Present indicative?
- A) aiuti
- B) aiuto
- C) aiuta
- D) aiutiamo
What is the lui/lei form of aiutare in the Passato remoto?
- A) aiutai
- B) aiutasti
- C) aiutò
- D) aiutammo
What is the noi form of aiutare in the Imperfect?
- A) aiutavo
- B) aiutavi
- C) aiutava
- D) aiutavamo
What is the tu form of aiutare in the Future?
- A) aiuterai
- B) aiuterò
- C) aiuterà
- D) aiuteremo
What is the io form of aiutare in the Conditional?
- A) aiuteresti
- B) aiuterei
- C) aiuterebbe
- D) aiuteremmo
What is the lui/lei form of aiutare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho aiutato
- B) hai aiutato
- C) ha aiutato
- D) abbiamo aiutato
What is the lui/lei form of aiutare in the Present subjunctive?
- A) aiutiamo
- B) aiutiate
- C) aiutino
- D) aiuti
What is the io form of aiutare in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) aiutassi
- B) aiutasse
- C) aiutassimo
- D) aiutaste
What is the gerund of aiutare?
- A) aiutato
- B) aiutando
- C) aiutare
- D) aiuto
What does aiutare mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to help
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) aiuto — the correct form is aiuto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) aiutò — the correct form is aiutò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) aiutavamo — the correct form is aiutavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) aiuterai — the correct form is aiuterai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) aiuterei — the correct form is aiuterei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha aiutato — the correct form is ha aiutato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) aiuti — the correct form is aiuti. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) aiutassi — the correct form is aiutassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) aiutando — the correct form is aiutando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to help — the correct form is to help. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does aiutare mean in English?
aiutare means “to help”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is aiutare regular or irregular?
aiutare is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is aiutando and the past participle is aiutato.
What are the gerund and past participle of aiutare?
The gerund is aiutando — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is aiutato — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho aiutato.
Which auxiliary does aiutare take in the passato prossimo?
aiutare takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho aiutato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle aiutato.
How do I say “I help” in Italian?
Say “Io aiuto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I help Maria” The io form of the present is aiuto, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of aiutare — every tense of aiutare in one place.
- Aiutare in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Aiutare examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Italian present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Italian.
- Chiamare conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Cercare conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Italian verbs — the full hub of Italian conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise aiutare with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise aiutare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise aiutare with the interactive tool.