Domandare Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Italian

domandare — to ask — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Italian. It is a non-reflexive, regular -are verb, and it comes up in conversation, at work and at home. It means to ask someone a question, and it is completely regular in every tense. Do not confuse it with chiedere, which also means to ask: domandare is the verb for asking a question, while chiedere is the verb for asking for something. On this page you will find domandare in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. The full conjugation tables are on the domandare conjugation page, and the deep dive into its most practised tense is on the domandare present tense page.

Example sentences with domandare

In the present tense

  • “Io domando a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I ask a question”
  • “Tu domandi a Maria ogni giorno.” — “You ask a question”
  • “Lui domanda a Maria ogni giorno.” — “He asks a question”
  • “Noi domandiamo a Maria ogni giorno.” — “We ask a question”
  • “Voi domandate a Maria ogni giorno.” — “You ask a question”
  • “Loro domandano a Maria ogni giorno.” — “They ask a question”

In the passato prossimo

  • “Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “I have asked a question”
  • “Tu hai domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “You have asked a question”
  • “Lui ha domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “He has asked a question”
  • “Noi abbiamo domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “We have asked a question”
  • “Voi avete domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “You have asked a question”
  • “Loro hanno domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “They have asked a question”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional, the present subjunctive and the imperative — the tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “Io domandavo a Maria una volta.” — “I used to ask a question”
  • “Tu domanderai a Maria domani.” — “You will ask a question”
  • “Lui domanderebbe a Maria un giorno.” — “He would ask a question”
  • “È importante che noi domandiamo a Maria.” — “It is important that we ask a question”
  • “Domanda a Maria!” — “Ask a question!”

How domandare is used

The first thing to know about domandare is its core meaning: to ask. It means to ask someone a question, and it is completely regular in every tense. Do not confuse it with chiedere, which also means to ask: domandare is the verb for asking a question, while chiedere is the verb for asking for something. In everyday speech it appears most often in the present and the passato prossimo, the two tenses on this page, because most of what we say is either what we do every day or what we have just done. Learn those two tenses first and the rest of the conjugation becomes a matter of adding forms one at a time. The second thing to know is the company domandare keeps. The present io form is domando, and it pairs naturally with the time words ogni giorno and sempre for habits, and with adesso for what is happening right now. The passato prossimo io form is ho domandato, and it pairs with ieri and questa settimana for finished actions. When you learn a verb form, learn its time words with it, and choosing the tense becomes automatic. The third thing to know is what domandare does not do. It never appears as a bare infinitive after a subject pronoun — after io you need domando, never domandare. It never takes the wrong auxiliary in the perfect tenses: the passato prossimo is ho domandato, built with avere, and the other auxiliary does not belong here. And its participle domandato is given in the masculine singular form in the tables, with agreement depending on the sentence, not on the verb table.

Domandare in context

Io domando a Maria ogni giorno. Tu domandi a Maria ogni giorno. Lui domanda a Maria ogni giorno. Noi domandiamo a Maria ogni giorno. That is a normal part of the routine, and that is why the present of domandare is the first form worth learning. Each sentence uses a different person, so read them aloud and notice how the form changes — domando, domandi, domanda, domandiamo — while the meaning stays the same: to ask. Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana. Tu hai domandato a Maria questa settimana. Lui ha domandato a Maria questa settimana. Noi abbiamo domandato a Maria questa settimana. That was a normal day, but it is exactly on days like this that the passato prossimo of domandare appears constantly: a finished action, a precise moment, and the story goes on. Compare these sentences with the present ones above: the verb changes tense, but the basic meaning — to ask — does not change. That is the difference between a habit and a finished event.

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Io domandare a Maria.”

✓ Right: “Io domando a Maria ogni giorno.”

The infinitive domandare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form domando.

2. Using the wrong person

✗ Wrong: “Io domandi a Maria.”

✓ Right: “Io domando a Maria ogni giorno.”

domandi is the tu form, not the io form. The io form is domando — check the person before you write the form.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Io domando a Maria ieri.”

✓ Right: “Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana.”

Ieri points to the past, so use the passato prossimo ho domandato here, not the present domando.

4. Mixing up the auxiliary

✗ Wrong: “Io sono domandato a Maria.”

✓ Right: “Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana.”

domandare takes avere in the passato prossimo. The io form is ho domandato — the other auxiliary never belongs with this verb.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on domandare across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

  1. What is the tu form of domandare in the Present indicative?

    • A) domando
    • B) domandi
    • C) domanda
    • D) domandiamo

  2. What is the io form of domandare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?

    • A) hai domandato
    • B) ha domandato
    • C) ho domandato
    • D) abbiamo domandato

  3. What is the lui/lei form of domandare in the Imperfect?

    • A) domandavo
    • B) domandavi
    • C) domandavamo
    • D) domandava

  4. What is the noi form of domandare in the Future?

    • A) domanderemo
    • B) domanderò
    • C) domanderai
    • D) domanderà

  5. What is the tu form of domandare in the Conditional?

    • A) domanderei
    • B) domanderesti
    • C) domanderebbe
    • D) domanderemmo

  6. What is the io form of domandare in the Passato remoto?

    • A) domandasti
    • B) domandò
    • C) domandai
    • D) domandammo

  7. What is the noi form of domandare in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) domandi
    • B) domandiate
    • C) domandino
    • D) domandiamo

  8. What is the gerund of domandare?

    • A) domandando
    • B) domandato
    • C) domandare
    • D) domando

  9. What is the past participle of domandare?

    • A) domandando
    • B) domandato
    • C) domandare
    • D) domando

  10. What does domandare mean in English?

  • A) to explain
  • B) to answer
  • C) to ask
  • D) to tell

Answer key

  1. B) domandi — the correct form is domandi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) ho domandato — the correct form is ho domandato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) domandava — the correct form is domandava. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) domanderemo — the correct form is domanderemo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) domanderesti — the correct form is domanderesti. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) domandai — the correct form is domandai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) domandiamo — the correct form is domandiamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) domandando — the correct form is domandando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. B) domandato — the correct form is domandato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  10. C) to ask — the correct form is to ask. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does domandare mean in English?

domandare means “to ask”. You use it whenever you talk about to ask in Italian, in the present, the past and the future.

Is domandare regular or irregular?

domandare is regular. domandare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

What are the gerund and past participle of domandare?

The gerund is domandando and the past participle is domandato. The perfect tenses use avere + domandato.

Where can I see the full conjugation of domandare?

On the domandare conjugation page — every tense, every person, with tables. The domandare present tense page goes deeper into its most practised tense.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for domandare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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