Domandare Conjugation in Italian
domandare means “to ask” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 46 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. 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. This page gives you the complete conjugation of domandare — 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 domando a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I ask a question.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: domandare
- English: to ask
- Verb type: Regular -are verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: domandando
- Present participle: domandante
- Past participle: domandato
- 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 domandare, 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 domandare in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about domandare
- 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 domandato. 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 domandante and domandato: 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 domandare. 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 | domando |
| tu | domandi |
| lui/lei | domanda |
| noi | domandiamo |
| voi | domandate |
| loro | domandano |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io domando a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I ask a question”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | domandai |
| tu | domandasti |
| lui/lei | domandò |
| noi | domandammo |
| voi | domandaste |
| loro | domandarono |
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 domandai a Maria ieri.” — “I asked a question”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | domandavo |
| tu | domandavi |
| lui/lei | domandava |
| noi | domandavamo |
| voi | domandavate |
| loro | domandavano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io domandavo a Maria una volta.” — “I used to ask a question”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | domanderò |
| tu | domanderai |
| lui/lei | domanderà |
| noi | domanderemo |
| voi | domanderete |
| loro | domanderanno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io domanderò a Maria domani.” — “I will ask a question”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | domanderei |
| tu | domanderesti |
| lui/lei | domanderebbe |
| noi | domanderemmo |
| voi | domandereste |
| loro | domanderebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io domanderei a Maria un giorno.” — “I would ask a question”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho domandato |
| tu | hai domandato |
| lui/lei | ha domandato |
| noi | abbiamo domandato |
| voi | avete domandato |
| loro | hanno domandato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “He has asked a question”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo domandato |
| tu | avevi domandato |
| lui/lei | aveva domandato |
| noi | avevamo domandato |
| voi | avevate domandato |
| loro | avevano domandato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo domandato a Maria prima della festa.” — “I had asked a question”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò domandato |
| tu | avrai domandato |
| lui/lei | avrà domandato |
| noi | avremo domandato |
| voi | avrete domandato |
| loro | avranno domandato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò domandato a Maria per domani.” — “I will have asked a question”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei domandato |
| tu | avresti domandato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe domandato |
| noi | avremmo domandato |
| voi | avreste domandato |
| loro | avrebbero domandato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei domandato a Maria ieri.” — “I would have asked a question”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | domandi |
| tu | domandi |
| lui/lei | domandi |
| noi | domandiamo |
| voi | domandiate |
| loro | domandino |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io domandi a Maria.” — “It is important that I ask a question”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | domandassi |
| tu | domandassi |
| lui/lei | domandasse |
| noi | domandassimo |
| voi | domandaste |
| loro | domandassero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io domandassi a Maria.” — “It was important that I ask a question”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | domanda |
| lui/lei | domandi |
| noi | domandiamo |
| voi | domandate |
| loro | domandino |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Domanda a Maria!” — “Ask a question!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | domandare |
| lui/lei | domandi |
| noi | domandiamo |
| voi | domandiate |
| loro | domandino |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non domandare a Maria.” — “Do not ask a question.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | domandando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Domandando a Maria, imparo molto.” — “While asking a question, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | domandante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle domandante 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 | domandato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “I have asked a question.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with domandare, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io domando a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I ask a question”
- “Tu domandasti a Maria ieri.” — “You asked a question”
- “Lui domandava a Maria una volta.” — “He used to ask a question”
- “Io domanderò a Maria domani.” — “I will ask a question”
- “Tu domanderesti a Maria un giorno.” — “You would ask a question”
- “Lui ha domandato a Maria questa settimana.” — “He has asked a question”
- “Io avevo domandato a Maria prima della festa.” — “I had asked a question”
- “Tu avrai domandato a Maria per domani.” — “You will have asked a question”
- “È importante che io domandi a Maria.” — “It is important that I ask a question”
- “Domanda a Maria!” — “Ask a question!”
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’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io domandi a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io domando a Maria ogni giorno.”
domandi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with domando.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io domando a Maria ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho domandato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono domandato a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of domandare is formed with avere plus the past participle domandato: the io form is ho domandato. 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 domando a Maria.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io domandi a Maria.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use domandi here, not the indicative domando.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho domandando a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho domandato a Maria questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle domandato, not the gerund domandando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on domandare. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of domandare in the Present indicative?
- A) domandi
- B) domando
- C) domanda
- D) domandiamo
What is the lui/lei form of domandare in the Passato remoto?
- A) domandai
- B) domandasti
- C) domandò
- D) domandammo
What is the noi form of domandare in the Imperfect?
- A) domandavo
- B) domandavi
- C) domandava
- D) domandavamo
What is the tu form of domandare in the Future?
- A) domanderai
- B) domanderò
- C) domanderà
- D) domanderemo
What is the io form of domandare in the Conditional?
- A) domanderesti
- B) domanderei
- C) domanderebbe
- D) domanderemmo
What is the lui/lei form of domandare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho domandato
- B) hai domandato
- C) ha domandato
- D) abbiamo domandato
What is the lui/lei form of domandare in the Present subjunctive?
- A) domandiamo
- B) domandiate
- C) domandino
- D) domandi
What is the io form of domandare in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) domandassi
- B) domandasse
- C) domandassimo
- D) domandaste
What is the gerund of domandare?
- A) domandato
- B) domandando
- C) domandare
- D) domando
What does domandare mean in English?
- A) to explain
- B) to answer
- C) to ask
- D) to tell
Answer key
- B) domando — the correct form is domando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) domandò — the correct form is domandò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) domandavamo — the correct form is domandavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) domanderai — the correct form is domanderai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) domanderei — the correct form is domanderei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha domandato — the correct form is ha domandato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) domandi — the correct form is domandi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) domandassi — the correct form is domandassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) domandando — the correct form is domandando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- 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”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is domandare regular or irregular?
domandare is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is domandando and the past participle is domandato.
What are the gerund and past participle of domandare?
The gerund is domandando — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is domandato — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho domandato.
Which auxiliary does domandare take in the passato prossimo?
domandare takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho domandato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle domandato.
How do I say “I ask” in Italian?
Say “Io domando a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I ask a question” The io form of the present is domando, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of domandare — every tense of domandare in one place.
- Domandare in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Domandare 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.
- Spiegare conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Raccontare 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 domandare with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise domandare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise domandare with the interactive tool.