Essere Conjugation in Italian
essere means “to be” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 1 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It is the verb of identity, description, location and time: you use it to say who someone is, what something is like, where someone is and what time it is. It is also the auxiliary verb for the passato prossimo of most verbs of movement and change, and of every reflexive verb, so its own forms do double duty across the language. This page gives you the complete conjugation of essere — 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 sono a casa ogni giorno.” — “I am at home.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: essere
- English: to be
- Verb type: Irregular -ere verb
- Irregular in: present, passato-remoto, imperfect, future, conditional, present-perfect, pluperfect, future-perfect, conditional-perfect, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, gerund, past-participle, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative
- Gerund: essendo
- Present participle: ente
- Past participle: stato
- Auxiliary: essere (all perfect tenses are formed with essere + the past participle)
- Ending: -ere verbs; pattern ere in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for essere, 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 essere in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about essere
- It is irregular in 15 tense(s): present, passato-remoto, imperfect, future, conditional, present-perfect, pluperfect, future-perfect, conditional-perfect, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, gerund, past-participle, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts.
- The perfect tenses use essere: the passato prossimo is formed with essere in the present plus the past participle stato. 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 ente and stato: 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 essere. 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 | sono |
| tu | sei |
| lui/lei | è |
| noi | siamo |
| voi | siete |
| loro | sono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io sono a casa ogni giorno.” — “I am at home”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | fui |
| tu | fosti |
| lui/lei | fu |
| noi | fummo |
| voi | foste |
| loro | furono |
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 fui a casa ieri.” — “I was at home”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ero |
| tu | eri |
| lui/lei | era |
| noi | eravamo |
| voi | eravate |
| loro | erano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io ero a casa una volta.” — “I used to be at home”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarò |
| tu | sarai |
| lui/lei | sarà |
| noi | saremo |
| voi | sarete |
| loro | saranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io sarò a casa domani.” — “I will be at home”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarei |
| tu | saresti |
| lui/lei | sarebbe |
| noi | saremmo |
| voi | sareste |
| loro | sarebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io sarei a casa un giorno.” — “I would be at home”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sono stato |
| tu | sei stato |
| lui/lei | è stato |
| noi | siamo stato |
| voi | siete stato |
| loro | sono stato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui è stato a casa questa settimana.” — “He has been at home”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ero stato |
| tu | eri stato |
| lui/lei | era stato |
| noi | eravamo stato |
| voi | eravate stato |
| loro | erano stato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io ero stato a casa prima della festa.” — “I had been at home”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarò stato |
| tu | sarai stato |
| lui/lei | sarà stato |
| noi | saremo stato |
| voi | sarete stato |
| loro | saranno stato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io sarò stato a casa per domani.” — “I will have been at home”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarei stato |
| tu | saresti stato |
| lui/lei | sarebbe stato |
| noi | saremmo stato |
| voi | sareste stato |
| loro | sarebbero stato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io sarei stato a casa ieri.” — “I would have been at home”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sia |
| tu | sia |
| lui/lei | sia |
| noi | siamo |
| voi | siate |
| loro | siano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io sia a casa.” — “It is important that I be at home”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | fossi |
| tu | fossi |
| lui/lei | fosse |
| noi | fossimo |
| voi | foste |
| loro | fossero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io fossi a casa.” — “It was important that I be at home”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | sii |
| lui/lei | sia |
| noi | siamo |
| voi | siate |
| loro | siano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Sii a casa!” — “Be at home!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | essere |
| lui/lei | sia |
| noi | siamo |
| voi | siate |
| loro | siano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non essere a casa.” — “Do not be at home.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | essendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Essendo a casa, imparo molto.” — “While being at home, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | ente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle ente 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 | stato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io sono stato a casa questa settimana.” — “I have been at home.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with essere, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io sono a casa ogni giorno.” — “I am at home”
- “Tu fosti a casa ieri.” — “You were at home”
- “Lui era a casa una volta.” — “He used to be at home”
- “Io sarò a casa domani.” — “I will be at home”
- “Tu saresti a casa un giorno.” — “You would be at home”
- “Lui è stato a casa questa settimana.” — “He has been at home”
- “Io ero stato a casa prima della festa.” — “I had been at home”
- “Tu sarai stato a casa per domani.” — “You will have been at home”
- “È importante che io sia a casa.” — “It is important that I be at home”
- “Sii a casa!” — “Be at home!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io essere a casa.”
✓ Right: “Io sono a casa ogni giorno.”
The infinitive essere never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form sono.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io sei a casa.”
✓ Right: “Io sono a casa ogni giorno.”
sei is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with sono.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io sono a casa ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io sono stato a casa questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo sono stato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io ho stato a casa.”
✓ Right: “Io sono stato a casa questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of essere is formed with essere plus the past participle stato: the io form is sono stato. 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 sono a casa.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io sia a casa.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use sia here, not the indicative sono.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io sono essendo a casa.”
✓ Right: “Io sono stato a casa questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle stato, not the gerund essendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on essere. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of essere in the Present indicative?
- A) sei
- B) sono
- C) è
- D) siamo
What is the lui/lei form of essere in the Passato remoto?
- A) fui
- B) fosti
- C) fu
- D) fummo
What is the noi form of essere in the Imperfect?
- A) ero
- B) eri
- C) era
- D) eravamo
What is the tu form of essere in the Future?
- A) sarai
- B) sarò
- C) sarà
- D) saremo
What is the io form of essere in the Conditional?
- A) saresti
- B) sarei
- C) sarebbe
- D) saremmo
What is the lui/lei form of essere in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) sono stato
- B) sei stato
- C) è stato
- D) siamo stato
What is the lui/lei form of essere in the Present subjunctive?
- A) siamo
- B) siate
- C) siano
- D) sia
What is the io form of essere in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) fossi
- B) fosse
- C) fossimo
- D) foste
What is the gerund of essere?
- A) stato
- B) essendo
- C) essere
- D) sono
What does essere mean in English?
- A) to have
- B) to do, to make
- C) to be
- D) to say
Answer key
- B) sono — the correct form is sono. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) fu — the correct form is fu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) eravamo — the correct form is eravamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) sarai — the correct form is sarai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) sarei — the correct form is sarei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) è stato — the correct form is è stato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) sia — the correct form is sia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) fossi — the correct form is fossi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) essendo — the correct form is essendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to be — the correct form is to be. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does essere mean in English?
essere means “to be”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is essere regular or irregular?
essere is irregular: it is irregular in present, passato-remoto, imperfect, future, conditional, present-perfect, pluperfect, future-perfect, conditional-perfect, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, gerund, past-participle, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The gerund is essendo and the past participle is stato.
What are the gerund and past participle of essere?
The gerund is essendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is stato — use it with essere for the perfect tenses, as in sono stato.
Which auxiliary does essere take in the passato prossimo?
essere takes essere in the passato prossimo: the io form is sono stato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with essere plus the past participle stato.
How do I say “I be” in Italian?
Say “Io sono a casa ogni giorno.” — “I am at home” The io form of the present is sono, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of essere — every tense of essere in one place.
- Essere in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Essere examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Italian passato prossimo tense guide — the full guide to the passato prossimo tense in Italian.
- Italian irregular verbs — every common irregular Italian verb, grouped by pattern.
- Avere conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Potere 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 essere with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise essere with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise essere with the interactive tool.