Finire Conjugation in Italian
finire means “to finish” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 71 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to finish and to end, and it is an -isc- verb: the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative insert -isc- in the singular and third-person plural, so the io form is finisco. The rest of the conjugation is regular. This page gives you the complete conjugation of finire — 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 finisco il lavoro ogni giorno.” — “I finish the work.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: finire
- English: to finish
- Verb type: Regular -ire verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: finendo
- Present participle: finente
- Past participle: finito
- Auxiliary: avere (all perfect tenses are formed with avere + the past participle)
- Ending: -ire verbs; pattern ireIsc in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for finire, 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 finire in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about finire
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ire pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions. It is an -isc- verb: the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative insert -isc- in the singular and third-person plural, so the io form is finisco.
- The perfect tenses use avere: the passato prossimo is formed with avere in the present plus the past participle finito. 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 finente and finito: 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 finire. 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 | finisco |
| tu | finisci |
| lui/lei | finisce |
| noi | finiamo |
| voi | finite |
| loro | finiscono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io finisco il lavoro ogni giorno.” — “I finish the work”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | finii |
| tu | finisti |
| lui/lei | finì |
| noi | finimmo |
| voi | finiste |
| loro | finirono |
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 finii il lavoro ieri.” — “I finished the work”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | finivo |
| tu | finivi |
| lui/lei | finiva |
| noi | finivamo |
| voi | finivate |
| loro | finivano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io finivo il lavoro una volta.” — “I used to finish the work”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | finirò |
| tu | finirai |
| lui/lei | finirà |
| noi | finiremo |
| voi | finirete |
| loro | finiranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io finirò il lavoro domani.” — “I will finish the work”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | finirei |
| tu | finiresti |
| lui/lei | finirebbe |
| noi | finiremmo |
| voi | finireste |
| loro | finirebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io finirei il lavoro un giorno.” — “I would finish the work”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho finito |
| tu | hai finito |
| lui/lei | ha finito |
| noi | abbiamo finito |
| voi | avete finito |
| loro | hanno finito |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha finito il lavoro questa settimana.” — “He has finished the work”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo finito |
| tu | avevi finito |
| lui/lei | aveva finito |
| noi | avevamo finito |
| voi | avevate finito |
| loro | avevano finito |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo finito il lavoro prima della festa.” — “I had finished the work”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò finito |
| tu | avrai finito |
| lui/lei | avrà finito |
| noi | avremo finito |
| voi | avrete finito |
| loro | avranno finito |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò finito il lavoro per domani.” — “I will have finished the work”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei finito |
| tu | avresti finito |
| lui/lei | avrebbe finito |
| noi | avremmo finito |
| voi | avreste finito |
| loro | avrebbero finito |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei finito il lavoro ieri.” — “I would have finished the work”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | finisca |
| tu | finisca |
| lui/lei | finisca |
| noi | finiamo |
| voi | finiate |
| loro | finiscano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io finisca il lavoro.” — “It is important that I finish the work”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | finissi |
| tu | finissi |
| lui/lei | finisse |
| noi | finissimo |
| voi | finiste |
| loro | finissero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io finissi il lavoro.” — “It was important that I finish the work”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | finisci |
| lui/lei | finisca |
| noi | finiamo |
| voi | finite |
| loro | finiscano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Finisci il lavoro!” — “Finish the work!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | finire |
| lui/lei | finisca |
| noi | finiamo |
| voi | finiate |
| loro | finiscano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non finire il lavoro.” — “Do not finish the work.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | finendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Finendo il lavoro, imparo molto.” — “While finishing the work, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | finente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle finente 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 | finito |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho finito il lavoro questa settimana.” — “I have finished the work.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with finire, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io finisco il lavoro ogni giorno.” — “I finish the work”
- “Tu finisti il lavoro ieri.” — “You finished the work”
- “Lui finiva il lavoro una volta.” — “He used to finish the work”
- “Io finirò il lavoro domani.” — “I will finish the work”
- “Tu finiresti il lavoro un giorno.” — “You would finish the work”
- “Lui ha finito il lavoro questa settimana.” — “He has finished the work”
- “Io avevo finito il lavoro prima della festa.” — “I had finished the work”
- “Tu avrai finito il lavoro per domani.” — “You will have finished the work”
- “È importante che io finisca il lavoro.” — “It is important that I finish the work”
- “Finisci il lavoro!” — “Finish the work!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io finire il lavoro.”
✓ Right: “Io finisco il lavoro ogni giorno.”
The infinitive finire never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form finisco.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io finisci il lavoro.”
✓ Right: “Io finisco il lavoro ogni giorno.”
finisci is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with finisco.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io finisco il lavoro ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho finito il lavoro questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho finito for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono finito il lavoro.”
✓ Right: “Io ho finito il lavoro questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of finire is formed with avere plus the past participle finito: the io form is ho finito. 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 finisco il lavoro.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io finisca il lavoro.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use finisca here, not the indicative finisco.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho finendo il lavoro.”
✓ Right: “Io ho finito il lavoro questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle finito, not the gerund finendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on finire. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of finire in the Present indicative?
- A) finisci
- B) finisco
- C) finisce
- D) finiamo
What is the lui/lei form of finire in the Passato remoto?
- A) finii
- B) finisti
- C) finì
- D) finimmo
What is the noi form of finire in the Imperfect?
- A) finivo
- B) finivi
- C) finiva
- D) finivamo
What is the tu form of finire in the Future?
- A) finirai
- B) finirò
- C) finirà
- D) finiremo
What is the io form of finire in the Conditional?
- A) finiresti
- B) finirei
- C) finirebbe
- D) finiremmo
What is the lui/lei form of finire in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho finito
- B) hai finito
- C) ha finito
- D) abbiamo finito
What is the lui/lei form of finire in the Present subjunctive?
- A) finiamo
- B) finiate
- C) finiscano
- D) finisca
What is the io form of finire in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) finissi
- B) finisse
- C) finissimo
- D) finiste
What is the gerund of finire?
- A) finito
- B) finendo
- C) finire
- D) finisco
What does finire mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to finish
- D) to do, to make
Answer key
- B) finisco — the correct form is finisco. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) finì — the correct form is finì. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) finivamo — the correct form is finivamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) finirai — the correct form is finirai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) finirei — the correct form is finirei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha finito — the correct form is ha finito. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) finisca — the correct form is finisca. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) finissi — the correct form is finissi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) finendo — the correct form is finendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to finish — the correct form is to finish. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does finire mean in English?
finire means “to finish”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is finire regular or irregular?
finire is regular: it follows the ordinary -ire pattern in every tense. The gerund is finendo and the past participle is finito.
What are the gerund and past participle of finire?
The gerund is finendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is finito — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho finito.
Which auxiliary does finire take in the passato prossimo?
finire takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho finito. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle finito.
How do I say “I finish” in Italian?
Say “Io finisco il lavoro ogni giorno.” — “I finish the work” The io form of the present is finisco, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of finire — every tense of finire in one place.
- Finire in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Finire 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.
- Dire conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Venire 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 finire with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise finire with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise finire with the interactive tool.