Insegnare Conjugation in Italian
insegnare means “to teach” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 25 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to teach a subject and to teach someone to do something, and it is completely regular. Do not confuse it with imparare, which means to learn: insegnare is what the teacher does, imparare is what the student does. This page gives you the complete conjugation of insegnare — 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 insegno l'italiano ogni giorno.” — “I teach Italian.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: insegnare
- English: to teach
- Verb type: Regular -are verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: insegnando
- Present participle: insegnante
- Past participle: insegnato
- 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 insegnare, 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 insegnare in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about insegnare
- 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 insegnato. 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 insegnante and insegnato: 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 insegnare. 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 | insegno |
| tu | insegni |
| lui/lei | insegna |
| noi | insegniamo |
| voi | insegnate |
| loro | insegnano |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io insegno l'italiano ogni giorno.” — “I teach Italian”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | insegnai |
| tu | insegnasti |
| lui/lei | insegnò |
| noi | insegnammo |
| voi | insegnaste |
| loro | insegnarono |
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 insegnai l'italiano ieri.” — “I taught Italian”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | insegnavo |
| tu | insegnavi |
| lui/lei | insegnava |
| noi | insegnavamo |
| voi | insegnavate |
| loro | insegnavano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io insegnavo l'italiano una volta.” — “I used to teach Italian”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | insegnerò |
| tu | insegnerai |
| lui/lei | insegnerà |
| noi | insegneremo |
| voi | insegnerete |
| loro | insegneranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io insegnerò l'italiano domani.” — “I will teach Italian”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | insegnerei |
| tu | insegneresti |
| lui/lei | insegnerebbe |
| noi | insegneremmo |
| voi | insegnereste |
| loro | insegnerebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io insegnerei l'italiano un giorno.” — “I would teach Italian”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho insegnato |
| tu | hai insegnato |
| lui/lei | ha insegnato |
| noi | abbiamo insegnato |
| voi | avete insegnato |
| loro | hanno insegnato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha insegnato l'italiano questa settimana.” — “He has taught Italian”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo insegnato |
| tu | avevi insegnato |
| lui/lei | aveva insegnato |
| noi | avevamo insegnato |
| voi | avevate insegnato |
| loro | avevano insegnato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo insegnato l'italiano prima della festa.” — “I had taught Italian”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò insegnato |
| tu | avrai insegnato |
| lui/lei | avrà insegnato |
| noi | avremo insegnato |
| voi | avrete insegnato |
| loro | avranno insegnato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò insegnato l'italiano per domani.” — “I will have taught Italian”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei insegnato |
| tu | avresti insegnato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe insegnato |
| noi | avremmo insegnato |
| voi | avreste insegnato |
| loro | avrebbero insegnato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei insegnato l'italiano ieri.” — “I would have taught Italian”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | insegni |
| tu | insegni |
| lui/lei | insegni |
| noi | insegniamo |
| voi | insegniate |
| loro | insegnino |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io insegni l'italiano.” — “It is important that I teach Italian”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | insegnassi |
| tu | insegnassi |
| lui/lei | insegnasse |
| noi | insegnassimo |
| voi | insegnaste |
| loro | insegnassero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io insegnassi l'italiano.” — “It was important that I teach Italian”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | insegna |
| lui/lei | insegni |
| noi | insegniamo |
| voi | insegnate |
| loro | insegnino |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Insegna l'italiano!” — “Teach Italian!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | insegnare |
| lui/lei | insegni |
| noi | insegniamo |
| voi | insegniate |
| loro | insegnino |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non insegnare l'italiano.” — “Do not teach Italian.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | insegnando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Insegnando l'italiano, imparo molto.” — “While teaching Italian, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | insegnante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle insegnante 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 | insegnato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho insegnato l'italiano questa settimana.” — “I have taught Italian.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with insegnare, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io insegno l'italiano ogni giorno.” — “I teach Italian”
- “Tu insegnasti l'italiano ieri.” — “You taught Italian”
- “Lui insegnava l'italiano una volta.” — “He used to teach Italian”
- “Io insegnerò l'italiano domani.” — “I will teach Italian”
- “Tu insegneresti l'italiano un giorno.” — “You would teach Italian”
- “Lui ha insegnato l'italiano questa settimana.” — “He has taught Italian”
- “Io avevo insegnato l'italiano prima della festa.” — “I had taught Italian”
- “Tu avrai insegnato l'italiano per domani.” — “You will have taught Italian”
- “È importante che io insegni l'italiano.” — “It is important that I teach Italian”
- “Insegna l'italiano!” — “Teach Italian!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io insegnare l'italiano.”
✓ Right: “Io insegno l'italiano ogni giorno.”
The infinitive insegnare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form insegno.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io insegni l'italiano.”
✓ Right: “Io insegno l'italiano ogni giorno.”
insegni is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with insegno.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io insegno l'italiano ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho insegnato l'italiano questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho insegnato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono insegnato l'italiano.”
✓ Right: “Io ho insegnato l'italiano questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of insegnare is formed with avere plus the past participle insegnato: the io form is ho insegnato. 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 insegno l'italiano.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io insegni l'italiano.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use insegni here, not the indicative insegno.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho insegnando l'italiano.”
✓ Right: “Io ho insegnato l'italiano questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle insegnato, not the gerund insegnando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on insegnare. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of insegnare in the Present indicative?
- A) insegni
- B) insegno
- C) insegna
- D) insegniamo
What is the lui/lei form of insegnare in the Passato remoto?
- A) insegnai
- B) insegnasti
- C) insegnò
- D) insegnammo
What is the noi form of insegnare in the Imperfect?
- A) insegnavo
- B) insegnavi
- C) insegnava
- D) insegnavamo
What is the tu form of insegnare in the Future?
- A) insegnerai
- B) insegnerò
- C) insegnerà
- D) insegneremo
What is the io form of insegnare in the Conditional?
- A) insegneresti
- B) insegnerei
- C) insegnerebbe
- D) insegneremmo
What is the lui/lei form of insegnare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho insegnato
- B) hai insegnato
- C) ha insegnato
- D) abbiamo insegnato
What is the lui/lei form of insegnare in the Present subjunctive?
- A) insegniamo
- B) insegniate
- C) insegnino
- D) insegni
What is the io form of insegnare in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) insegnassi
- B) insegnasse
- C) insegnassimo
- D) insegnaste
What is the gerund of insegnare?
- A) insegnato
- B) insegnando
- C) insegnare
- D) insegno
What does insegnare mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to teach
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) insegno — the correct form is insegno. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) insegnò — the correct form is insegnò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) insegnavamo — the correct form is insegnavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) insegnerai — the correct form is insegnerai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) insegnerei — the correct form is insegnerei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha insegnato — the correct form is ha insegnato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) insegni — the correct form is insegni. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) insegnassi — the correct form is insegnassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) insegnando — the correct form is insegnando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to teach — the correct form is to teach. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does insegnare mean in English?
insegnare means “to teach”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is insegnare regular or irregular?
insegnare is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is insegnando and the past participle is insegnato.
What are the gerund and past participle of insegnare?
The gerund is insegnando — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is insegnato — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho insegnato.
Which auxiliary does insegnare take in the passato prossimo?
insegnare takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho insegnato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle insegnato.
How do I say “I teach” in Italian?
Say “Io insegno l'italiano ogni giorno.” — “I teach Italian” The io form of the present is insegno, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of insegnare — every tense of insegnare in one place.
- Insegnare in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Insegnare 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 insegnare with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise insegnare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise insegnare with the interactive tool.