Mandare Conjugation in Italian
mandare means “to send” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 755 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to send a letter, a message or a parcel, and it is completely regular. It is the everyday verb for sending things by post, by message and by hand. This page gives you the complete conjugation of mandare — 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 mando una lettera a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I send a letter to Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: mandare
- English: to send
- Verb type: Regular -are verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: mandando
- Present participle: mandante
- Past participle: mandato
- 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 mandare, 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 mandare in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about mandare
- 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 mandato. 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 mandante and mandato: 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 mandare. 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 | mando |
| tu | mandi |
| lui/lei | manda |
| noi | mandiamo |
| voi | mandate |
| loro | mandano |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io mando una lettera a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I send a letter to Maria”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | mandai |
| tu | mandasti |
| lui/lei | mandò |
| noi | mandammo |
| voi | mandaste |
| loro | mandarono |
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 mandai una lettera a Maria ieri.” — “I sent a letter to Maria”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | mandavo |
| tu | mandavi |
| lui/lei | mandava |
| noi | mandavamo |
| voi | mandavate |
| loro | mandavano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io mandavo una lettera a Maria una volta.” — “I used to send a letter to Maria”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | manderò |
| tu | manderai |
| lui/lei | manderà |
| noi | manderemo |
| voi | manderete |
| loro | manderanno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io manderò una lettera a Maria domani.” — “I will send a letter to Maria”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | manderei |
| tu | manderesti |
| lui/lei | manderebbe |
| noi | manderemmo |
| voi | mandereste |
| loro | manderebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io manderei una lettera a Maria un giorno.” — “I would send a letter to Maria”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho mandato |
| tu | hai mandato |
| lui/lei | ha mandato |
| noi | abbiamo mandato |
| voi | avete mandato |
| loro | hanno mandato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha mandato una lettera a Maria questa settimana.” — “He has sent a letter to Maria”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo mandato |
| tu | avevi mandato |
| lui/lei | aveva mandato |
| noi | avevamo mandato |
| voi | avevate mandato |
| loro | avevano mandato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo mandato una lettera a Maria prima della festa.” — “I had sent a letter to Maria”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò mandato |
| tu | avrai mandato |
| lui/lei | avrà mandato |
| noi | avremo mandato |
| voi | avrete mandato |
| loro | avranno mandato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò mandato una lettera a Maria per domani.” — “I will have sent a letter to Maria”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei mandato |
| tu | avresti mandato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe mandato |
| noi | avremmo mandato |
| voi | avreste mandato |
| loro | avrebbero mandato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei mandato una lettera a Maria ieri.” — “I would have sent a letter to Maria”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | mandi |
| tu | mandi |
| lui/lei | mandi |
| noi | mandiamo |
| voi | mandiate |
| loro | mandino |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io mandi una lettera a Maria.” — “It is important that I send a letter to Maria”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | mandassi |
| tu | mandassi |
| lui/lei | mandasse |
| noi | mandassimo |
| voi | mandaste |
| loro | mandassero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io mandassi una lettera a Maria.” — “It was important that I send a letter to Maria”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | manda |
| lui/lei | mandi |
| noi | mandiamo |
| voi | mandate |
| loro | mandino |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Manda una lettera a Maria!” — “Send a letter to Maria!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | mandare |
| lui/lei | mandi |
| noi | mandiamo |
| voi | mandiate |
| loro | mandino |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non mandare una lettera a Maria.” — “Do not send a letter to Maria.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | mandando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Mandando una lettera a Maria, imparo molto.” — “While sending a letter to Maria, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | mandante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle mandante 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 | mandato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho mandato una lettera a Maria questa settimana.” — “I have sent a letter to Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with mandare, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io mando una lettera a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I send a letter to Maria”
- “Tu mandasti una lettera a Maria ieri.” — “You sent a letter to Maria”
- “Lui mandava una lettera a Maria una volta.” — “He used to send a letter to Maria”
- “Io manderò una lettera a Maria domani.” — “I will send a letter to Maria”
- “Tu manderesti una lettera a Maria un giorno.” — “You would send a letter to Maria”
- “Lui ha mandato una lettera a Maria questa settimana.” — “He has sent a letter to Maria”
- “Io avevo mandato una lettera a Maria prima della festa.” — “I had sent a letter to Maria”
- “Tu avrai mandato una lettera a Maria per domani.” — “You will have sent a letter to Maria”
- “È importante che io mandi una lettera a Maria.” — “It is important that I send a letter to Maria”
- “Manda una lettera a Maria!” — “Send a letter to Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io mandare una lettera a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io mando una lettera a Maria ogni giorno.”
The infinitive mandare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form mando.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io mandi una lettera a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io mando una lettera a Maria ogni giorno.”
mandi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with mando.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io mando una lettera a Maria ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho mandato una lettera a Maria questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho mandato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono mandato una lettera a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho mandato una lettera a Maria questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of mandare is formed with avere plus the past participle mandato: the io form is ho mandato. 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 mando una lettera a Maria.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io mandi una lettera a Maria.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use mandi here, not the indicative mando.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho mandando una lettera a Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho mandato una lettera a Maria questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle mandato, not the gerund mandando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on mandare. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of mandare in the Present indicative?
- A) mandi
- B) mando
- C) manda
- D) mandiamo
What is the lui/lei form of mandare in the Passato remoto?
- A) mandai
- B) mandasti
- C) mandò
- D) mandammo
What is the noi form of mandare in the Imperfect?
- A) mandavo
- B) mandavi
- C) mandava
- D) mandavamo
What is the tu form of mandare in the Future?
- A) manderai
- B) manderò
- C) manderà
- D) manderemo
What is the io form of mandare in the Conditional?
- A) manderesti
- B) manderei
- C) manderebbe
- D) manderemmo
What is the lui/lei form of mandare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho mandato
- B) hai mandato
- C) ha mandato
- D) abbiamo mandato
What is the lui/lei form of mandare in the Present subjunctive?
- A) mandiamo
- B) mandiate
- C) mandino
- D) mandi
What is the io form of mandare in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) mandassi
- B) mandasse
- C) mandassimo
- D) mandaste
What is the gerund of mandare?
- A) mandato
- B) mandando
- C) mandare
- D) mando
What does mandare mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to send
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) mando — the correct form is mando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) mandò — the correct form is mandò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) mandavamo — the correct form is mandavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) manderai — the correct form is manderai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) manderei — the correct form is manderei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha mandato — the correct form is ha mandato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) mandi — the correct form is mandi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) mandassi — the correct form is mandassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) mandando — the correct form is mandando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to send — the correct form is to send. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does mandare mean in English?
mandare means “to send”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is mandare regular or irregular?
mandare is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is mandando and the past participle is mandato.
What are the gerund and past participle of mandare?
The gerund is mandando — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is mandato — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho mandato.
Which auxiliary does mandare take in the passato prossimo?
mandare takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho mandato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle mandato.
How do I say “I send” in Italian?
Say “Io mando una lettera a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I send a letter to Maria” The io form of the present is mando, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of mandare — every tense of mandare in one place.
- Mandare in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Mandare 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 mandare with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise mandare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise mandare with the interactive tool.