Introduction

Amare means “to love”, and this page covers exactly one thing: amare in the present tense. The present is the tense Italian speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for amare, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passato prossimo, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about amare in the present. It is the verb of loving a person, a place or an activity, and it is completely regular. It is the model verb many textbooks use for the -are conjugation because every form follows the pattern exactly. For example: “Lui ama Maria ogni giorno.” — “He loves Maria.” Everything on this page uses the forms of amare exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Amare in the Present — full table

Person Form
io amo
tu ami
lui/lei ama
noi amiamo
voi amate
loro amano
Gerund: amando · Past participle: amato
The gerund is amando, which you use with stare to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Amando Maria, imparo molto.” — “While loving Maria, I learn a lot.” The past participle is amato, which you use with avere in the perfect tenses: ho amato is the passato prossimo, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how amare is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for amare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of amare is formed

The present tense of amare has six forms: io amo, tu ami, lui ama, noi amiamo, voi amate, loro amano. Say them in order — io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. amare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of amare are worth noticing. First, the noi and voi forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its noi and voi forms from the same stem, so learning amiamo and amate pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Italian uses where English would often use the continuous form, so amo can mean both “I love” and “I am loving” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because amare is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -are endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -are verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of amare

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use amare in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and amare is no exception. Use time expressions such as ogni giorno, sempre or ogni settimana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Io amo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I love Maria.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about amare does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Lui ama Maria ogni giorno.” — “He loves Maria.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Italian often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with amare in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Noi amiamo Maria ogni giorno.” — “We love Maria.”

4. Scheduled future events

Italian uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu ami Maria ogni giorno.” — “You love Maria.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and amare in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Loro amano Maria ogni giorno.” — “They love Maria.”

Present Tense vs Passato Prossimo: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passato prossimo, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passato prossimo describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as ogni giorno or sempre, while the passato prossimo sentences use ieri or la settimana scorsa. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Lui ama Maria ogni giorno.” — “He loves Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Lui ha amato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has loved Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
  • Present Tense: “Io amo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I love Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Io ho amato Maria questa settimana.” — “I have loved Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
  • Present Tense: “Tu ami Maria ogni giorno.” — “You love Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Tu hai amato Maria questa settimana.” — “You have loved Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.

Example sentences: amare in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Io amo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I love Maria”
  2. “Tu ami Maria ogni giorno.” — “You love Maria”
  3. “Lui ama Maria ogni giorno.” — “He loves Maria”
  4. “Noi amiamo Maria ogni giorno.” — “We love Maria”
  5. “Voi amate Maria ogni giorno.” — “You love Maria”
  6. “Loro amano Maria ogni giorno.” — “They love Maria”
  7. “Io amo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I love Maria”
  8. “Lui ama Maria ogni giorno.” — “He loves Maria”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Io ami Maria.” Right: “Io amo Maria ogni giorno.” Why: The io form is amo, not ami. ami is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Noi amo Maria.” Right: “Noi amiamo Maria ogni giorno.” Why: Noi needs the noi form amiamo. amo belongs with io only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Io amo Maria ogni giorno ieri.” Right: “Io ho amato Maria questa settimana.” Why: Ieri points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho amato for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Io amare Maria.” Right: “Io amo Maria ogni giorno.” Why: The infinitive amare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated form amo.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the io form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) ami
    • B) amo
    • C) ama
    • D) amiamo

  2. What is the tu form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) amo
    • B) ama
    • C) ami
    • D) amiamo

  3. What is the lui/lei form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) amo
    • B) ami
    • C) amiamo
    • D) ama

  4. What is the noi form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) amiamo
    • B) amo
    • C) ami
    • D) ama

  5. What is the voi form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) amo
    • B) amate
    • C) ami
    • D) ama

  6. What is the loro form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) amo
    • B) ami
    • C) amano
    • D) ama

  7. What is the io form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) ami
    • B) ama
    • C) amiamo
    • D) amo

  8. What is the tu form of amare in the Present indicative?

    • A) ami
    • B) amo
    • C) ama
    • D) amiamo

Answer key

  1. B) amo — the correct form is amo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) ami — the correct form is ami. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) ama — the correct form is ama. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) amiamo — the correct form is amiamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) amate — the correct form is amate. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) amano — the correct form is amano. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) amo — the correct form is amo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) ami — the correct form is ami. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does amare mean in English?

amare means “to love”. It is a non-reflexive, regular -are verb.

How is the present tense of amare formed?

The six present forms are: io amo, tu ami, lui ama, noi amiamo, voi amate, loro amano. amare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the passato prossimo?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passato prossimo for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.

What are the gerund and past participle of amare?

The gerund is amando and the past participle is amato.

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