Lavarsi Conjugation in Italian

lavarsi means “to wash oneself” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 763 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It is the reflexive verb for washing oneself, and it is completely regular. Every form carries a reflexive pronoun, and the passato prossimo is formed with essere, as it is for all reflexive verbs. Its transitive partner lavare means to wash something else. This page gives you the complete conjugation of lavarsi — 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 mi lavo ogni giorno.” — “I wash oneself.”

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: lavarsi
  • English: to wash oneself
  • Verb type: Regular -are verb
  • Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
  • Gerund: lavandosi
  • Present participle: lavante
  • Past participle: lavato
  • Auxiliary: essere (all perfect tenses are formed with essere + 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 lavarsi, 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 lavarsi in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.

Three things to remember about lavarsi

  1. 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.
  2. The perfect tenses use essere: the passato prossimo is formed with essere in the present plus the past participle lavato. 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. Because lavarsi is reflexive, every form on this page carries its reflexive pronoun — mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si — and the passato prossimo is formed with essere. The engine gives the bare verb forms, so the pronouns here are the article layer that makes the forms usable in a sentence.
  3. The participles are lavante and lavato: 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 lavarsi. 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 mi lavo
tu ti lavi
lui/lei si lava
noi ci laviamo
voi vi lavate
loro si lavano

The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io mi lavo ogni giorno.” — “I wash oneself”

Passato remoto

Person Form
io mi lavai
tu ti lavasti
lui/lei si lavò
noi ci lavammo
voi vi lavaste
loro si lavarono

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 mi lavai ieri.” — “I washed oneself”

Imperfect (imperfetto)

Person Form
io mi lavavo
tu ti lavavi
lui/lei si lavava
noi ci lavavamo
voi vi lavavate
loro si lavavano

The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io mi lavavo una volta.” — “I used to wash oneself”

Future (futuro semplice)

Person Form
io mi laverò
tu ti laverai
lui/lei si laverà
noi ci laveremo
voi vi laverete
loro si laveranno

The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io mi laverò domani.” — “I will wash oneself”

Conditional (condizionale)

Person Form
io mi laverei
tu ti laveresti
lui/lei si laverebbe
noi ci laveremmo
voi vi lavereste
loro si laverebbero

The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io mi laverei un giorno.” — “I would wash oneself”

Present perfect (passato prossimo)

Person Form
io mi sono lavato
tu ti sei lavato
lui/lei si è lavato
noi ci siamo lavato
voi vi siete lavato
loro si sono lavato

The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui si è lavato questa settimana.” — “He has washed oneself”

Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)

Person Form
io mi ero lavato
tu ti eri lavato
lui/lei si era lavato
noi ci eravamo lavato
voi vi eravate lavato
loro si erano lavato

The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io mi ero lavato prima della festa.” — “I had washed oneself”

Future perfect (futuro anteriore)

Person Form
io mi sarò lavato
tu ti sarai lavato
lui/lei si sarà lavato
noi ci saremo lavato
voi vi sarete lavato
loro si saranno lavato

The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io mi sarò lavato per domani.” — “I will have washed oneself”

Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)

Person Form
io mi sarei lavato
tu ti saresti lavato
lui/lei si sarebbe lavato
noi ci saremmo lavato
voi vi sareste lavato
loro si sarebbero lavato

The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io mi sarei lavato ieri.” — “I would have washed oneself”

Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)

Person Form
io mi lavi
tu ti lavi
lui/lei si lavi
noi ci laviamo
voi vi laviate
loro si lavino

The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io mi lavi.” — “It is important that I wash oneself”

Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)

Person Form
io mi lavassi
tu ti lavassi
lui/lei si lavasse
noi ci lavassimo
voi vi lavaste
loro si lavassero

The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io mi lavassi.” — “It was important that I wash oneself”

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tu lavati
lui/lei si lavi
noi laviamoci
voi lavatevi
loro si lavino

The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Lavati!” — “Wash oneself!”

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tu non ti lavare
lui/lei non si lavi
noi non ci laviamo
voi non vi laviate
loro non si lavino

The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non ti lavare.” — “Do not wash oneself.”

Gerund

Form Italian
Gerund lavandosi

The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Lavandosi, imparo molto.” — “While washing oneself, I learn a lot.”

Present participle

Form Italian
Present participle lavante

The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle lavante 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 lavato

The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io mi sono lavato questa settimana.” — “I have washed oneself.”

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with lavarsi, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.

  1. “Io mi lavo ogni giorno.” — “I wash oneself”
  2. “Tu ti lavasti ieri.” — “You washed oneself”
  3. “Lui si lavava una volta.” — “He used to wash oneself”
  4. “Io mi laverò domani.” — “I will wash oneself”
  5. “Tu ti laveresti un giorno.” — “You would wash oneself”
  6. “Lui si è lavato questa settimana.” — “He has washed oneself”
  7. “Io mi ero lavato prima della festa.” — “I had washed oneself”
  8. “Tu ti sarai lavato per domani.” — “You will have washed oneself”
  9. “È importante che io mi lavi.” — “It is important that I wash oneself”
  10. “Lavati!” — “Wash oneself!”

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Io lavarsi.”

✓ Right: “Io mi lavo ogni giorno.”

The infinitive lavarsi never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form mi lavo.

2. Using the wrong person’s form

✗ Wrong: “Io ti lavi.”

✓ Right: “Io mi lavo ogni giorno.”

ti lavi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with mi lavo.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Io mi lavo ieri.”

✓ Right: “Io mi sono lavato questa settimana.”

Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo mi sono lavato for a finished action yesterday.

4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo

✗ Wrong: “Io ho lavato.”

✓ Right: “Io mi sono lavato questa settimana.”

The passato prossimo of lavarsi is formed with essere plus the past participle lavato: the io form is mi sono lavato. 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 mi lavo.”

✓ Right: “È importante che io mi lavi.”

After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use mi lavi here, not the indicative mi lavo.

6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense

✗ Wrong: “Io sono lavandosi.”

✓ Right: “Io mi sono lavato questa settimana.”

The perfect tenses need the past participle lavato, not the gerund lavandosi. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on lavarsi. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. What is the io form of lavarsi in the Present indicative?

    • A) ti lavi
    • B) mi lavo
    • C) si lava
    • D) ci laviamo

  2. What is the lui/lei form of lavarsi in the Passato remoto?

    • A) mi lavai
    • B) ti lavasti
    • C) si lavò
    • D) ci lavammo

  3. What is the noi form of lavarsi in the Imperfect?

    • A) mi lavavo
    • B) ti lavavi
    • C) si lavava
    • D) ci lavavamo

  4. What is the tu form of lavarsi in the Future?

    • A) ti laverai
    • B) mi laverò
    • C) si laverà
    • D) ci laveremo

  5. What is the io form of lavarsi in the Conditional?

    • A) ti laveresti
    • B) mi laverei
    • C) si laverebbe
    • D) ci laveremmo

  6. What is the lui/lei form of lavarsi in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?

    • A) mi sono lavato
    • B) ti sei lavato
    • C) si è lavato
    • D) ci siamo lavato

  7. What is the lui/lei form of lavarsi in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) mi lavi
    • B) ti lavi
    • C) ci laviamo
    • D) si lavi

  8. What is the io form of lavarsi in the Imperfect subjunctive?

    • A) mi lavassi
    • B) ti lavassi
    • C) si lavasse
    • D) ci lavassimo

  9. What is the gerund of lavarsi?

    • A) lavato
    • B) lavandosi
    • C) lavarsi
    • D) mi lavo

  10. What does lavarsi mean in English?

  • A) to explain
  • B) to answer
  • C) to wash oneself
  • D) to ask

Answer key

  1. B) mi lavo — the correct form is mi lavo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) si lavò — the correct form is si lavò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) ci lavavamo — the correct form is ci lavavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) ti laverai — the correct form is ti laverai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) mi laverei — the correct form is mi laverei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) si è lavato — the correct form is si è lavato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) si lavi — the correct form is si lavi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) mi lavassi — the correct form is mi lavassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. B) lavandosi — the correct form is lavandosi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  10. C) to wash oneself — the correct form is to wash oneself. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does lavarsi mean in English?

lavarsi means “to wash oneself”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.

Is lavarsi regular or irregular?

lavarsi is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is lavandosi and the past participle is lavato.

What are the gerund and past participle of lavarsi?

The gerund is lavandosi — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is lavato — use it with essere for the perfect tenses, as in mi sono lavato.

Which auxiliary does lavarsi take in the passato prossimo?

lavarsi takes essere in the passato prossimo: the io form is mi sono lavato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with essere plus the past participle lavato.

How do I say “I wash oneself” in Italian?

Say “Io mi lavo ogni giorno.” — “I wash oneself” The io form of the present is mi lavo, and it is the form you will use most often.

Where does the reflexive pronoun go with lavarsi?

Before the conjugated verb in most tenses — mi lavo for io — and attached to the end of the verb in the affirmative imperative and the gerund. In the passato prossimo the pronoun comes before the auxiliary: mi sono lavato.

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