Aspettare Conjugation in Italian
aspettare means “to wait” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 90 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to wait for someone or something, and it is completely regular. It takes a direct object in Italian — aspetto Maria — where English needs the preposition for, so do not add an extra preposition in Italian. This page gives you the complete conjugation of aspettare — 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 aspetto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I wait for Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: aspettare
- English: to wait
- Verb type: Regular -are verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: aspettando
- Present participle: aspettante
- Past participle: aspettato
- 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 aspettare, 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 aspettare in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about aspettare
- 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 aspettato. 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 aspettante and aspettato: 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 aspettare. 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 | aspetto |
| tu | aspetti |
| lui/lei | aspetta |
| noi | aspettiamo |
| voi | aspettate |
| loro | aspettano |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io aspetto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I wait for Maria”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aspettai |
| tu | aspettasti |
| lui/lei | aspettò |
| noi | aspettammo |
| voi | aspettaste |
| loro | aspettarono |
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 aspettai Maria ieri.” — “I waited for Maria”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aspettavo |
| tu | aspettavi |
| lui/lei | aspettava |
| noi | aspettavamo |
| voi | aspettavate |
| loro | aspettavano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io aspettavo Maria una volta.” — “I used to wait for Maria”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aspetterò |
| tu | aspetterai |
| lui/lei | aspetterà |
| noi | aspetteremo |
| voi | aspetterete |
| loro | aspetteranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io aspetterò Maria domani.” — “I will wait for Maria”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aspetterei |
| tu | aspetteresti |
| lui/lei | aspetterebbe |
| noi | aspetteremmo |
| voi | aspettereste |
| loro | aspetterebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io aspetterei Maria un giorno.” — “I would wait for Maria”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho aspettato |
| tu | hai aspettato |
| lui/lei | ha aspettato |
| noi | abbiamo aspettato |
| voi | avete aspettato |
| loro | hanno aspettato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha aspettato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has waited for Maria”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo aspettato |
| tu | avevi aspettato |
| lui/lei | aveva aspettato |
| noi | avevamo aspettato |
| voi | avevate aspettato |
| loro | avevano aspettato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo aspettato Maria prima della festa.” — “I had waited for Maria”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò aspettato |
| tu | avrai aspettato |
| lui/lei | avrà aspettato |
| noi | avremo aspettato |
| voi | avrete aspettato |
| loro | avranno aspettato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò aspettato Maria per domani.” — “I will have waited for Maria”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei aspettato |
| tu | avresti aspettato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe aspettato |
| noi | avremmo aspettato |
| voi | avreste aspettato |
| loro | avrebbero aspettato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei aspettato Maria ieri.” — “I would have waited for Maria”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aspetti |
| tu | aspetti |
| lui/lei | aspetti |
| noi | aspettiamo |
| voi | aspettiate |
| loro | aspettino |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io aspetti Maria.” — “It is important that I wait for Maria”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | aspettassi |
| tu | aspettassi |
| lui/lei | aspettasse |
| noi | aspettassimo |
| voi | aspettaste |
| loro | aspettassero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io aspettassi Maria.” — “It was important that I wait for Maria”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | aspetta |
| lui/lei | aspetti |
| noi | aspettiamo |
| voi | aspettate |
| loro | aspettino |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Aspetta Maria!” — “Wait for Maria!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | aspettare |
| lui/lei | aspetti |
| noi | aspettiamo |
| voi | aspettiate |
| loro | aspettino |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non aspettare Maria.” — “Do not wait for Maria.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | aspettando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Aspettando Maria, imparo molto.” — “While waiting for Maria, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | aspettante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle aspettante 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 | aspettato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho aspettato Maria questa settimana.” — “I have waited for Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with aspettare, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io aspetto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I wait for Maria”
- “Tu aspettasti Maria ieri.” — “You waited for Maria”
- “Lui aspettava Maria una volta.” — “He used to wait for Maria”
- “Io aspetterò Maria domani.” — “I will wait for Maria”
- “Tu aspetteresti Maria un giorno.” — “You would wait for Maria”
- “Lui ha aspettato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has waited for Maria”
- “Io avevo aspettato Maria prima della festa.” — “I had waited for Maria”
- “Tu avrai aspettato Maria per domani.” — “You will have waited for Maria”
- “È importante che io aspetti Maria.” — “It is important that I wait for Maria”
- “Aspetta Maria!” — “Wait for Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io aspettare Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io aspetto Maria ogni giorno.”
The infinitive aspettare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form aspetto.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io aspetti Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io aspetto Maria ogni giorno.”
aspetti is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with aspetto.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io aspetto Maria ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho aspettato Maria questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho aspettato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono aspettato Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho aspettato Maria questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of aspettare is formed with avere plus the past participle aspettato: the io form is ho aspettato. 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 aspetto Maria.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io aspetti Maria.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use aspetti here, not the indicative aspetto.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho aspettando Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho aspettato Maria questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle aspettato, not the gerund aspettando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on aspettare. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of aspettare in the Present indicative?
- A) aspetti
- B) aspetto
- C) aspetta
- D) aspettiamo
What is the lui/lei form of aspettare in the Passato remoto?
- A) aspettai
- B) aspettasti
- C) aspettò
- D) aspettammo
What is the noi form of aspettare in the Imperfect?
- A) aspettavo
- B) aspettavi
- C) aspettava
- D) aspettavamo
What is the tu form of aspettare in the Future?
- A) aspetterai
- B) aspetterò
- C) aspetterà
- D) aspetteremo
What is the io form of aspettare in the Conditional?
- A) aspetteresti
- B) aspetterei
- C) aspetterebbe
- D) aspetteremmo
What is the lui/lei form of aspettare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho aspettato
- B) hai aspettato
- C) ha aspettato
- D) abbiamo aspettato
What is the lui/lei form of aspettare in the Present subjunctive?
- A) aspettiamo
- B) aspettiate
- C) aspettino
- D) aspetti
What is the io form of aspettare in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) aspettassi
- B) aspettasse
- C) aspettassimo
- D) aspettaste
What is the gerund of aspettare?
- A) aspettato
- B) aspettando
- C) aspettare
- D) aspetto
What does aspettare mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to wait
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) aspetto — the correct form is aspetto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) aspettò — the correct form is aspettò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) aspettavamo — the correct form is aspettavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) aspetterai — the correct form is aspetterai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) aspetterei — the correct form is aspetterei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha aspettato — the correct form is ha aspettato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) aspetti — the correct form is aspetti. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) aspettassi — the correct form is aspettassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) aspettando — the correct form is aspettando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to wait — the correct form is to wait. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does aspettare mean in English?
aspettare means “to wait”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is aspettare regular or irregular?
aspettare is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is aspettando and the past participle is aspettato.
What are the gerund and past participle of aspettare?
The gerund is aspettando — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is aspettato — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho aspettato.
Which auxiliary does aspettare take in the passato prossimo?
aspettare takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho aspettato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle aspettato.
How do I say “I wait” in Italian?
Say “Io aspetto Maria ogni giorno.” — “I wait for Maria” The io form of the present is aspetto, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of aspettare — every tense of aspettare in one place.
- Aspettare in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Aspettare 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 aspettare with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise aspettare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise aspettare with the interactive tool.