Mettere Conjugation in Italian
mettere means “to put” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 14 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to put and to place, and it appears in expressions for putting on clothes and putting things away. Its passato remoto and past participle are irregular, while the present is regular. This page gives you the complete conjugation of mettere — 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 metto il libro sul tavolo ogni giorno.” — “I put the book on the table.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: mettere
- English: to put
- Verb type: Irregular -ere verb
- Irregular in: passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect
- Gerund: mettendo
- Present participle: mettente
- Past participle: messo
- Auxiliary: avere (all perfect tenses are formed with avere + 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 mettere, 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 mettere in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about mettere
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. 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 avere: the passato prossimo is formed with avere in the present plus the past participle messo. 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 mettente and messo: 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 mettere. 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 | metto |
| tu | metti |
| lui/lei | mette |
| noi | mettiamo |
| voi | mettete |
| loro | mettono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io metto il libro sul tavolo ogni giorno.” — “I put the book on the table”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | misi |
| tu | mettesti |
| lui/lei | mise |
| noi | mettemmo |
| voi | metteste |
| loro | misero |
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 misi il libro sul tavolo ieri.” — “I put the book on the table”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | mettevo |
| tu | mettevi |
| lui/lei | metteva |
| noi | mettevamo |
| voi | mettevate |
| loro | mettevano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io mettevo il libro sul tavolo una volta.” — “I used to put the book on the table”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | metterò |
| tu | metterai |
| lui/lei | metterà |
| noi | metteremo |
| voi | metterete |
| loro | metteranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io metterò il libro sul tavolo domani.” — “I will put the book on the table”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | metterei |
| tu | metteresti |
| lui/lei | metterebbe |
| noi | metteremmo |
| voi | mettereste |
| loro | metterebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io metterei il libro sul tavolo un giorno.” — “I would put the book on the table”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho messo |
| tu | hai messo |
| lui/lei | ha messo |
| noi | abbiamo messo |
| voi | avete messo |
| loro | hanno messo |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha messo il libro sul tavolo questa settimana.” — “He has put the book on the table”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo messo |
| tu | avevi messo |
| lui/lei | aveva messo |
| noi | avevamo messo |
| voi | avevate messo |
| loro | avevano messo |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo messo il libro sul tavolo prima della festa.” — “I had put the book on the table”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò messo |
| tu | avrai messo |
| lui/lei | avrà messo |
| noi | avremo messo |
| voi | avrete messo |
| loro | avranno messo |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò messo il libro sul tavolo per domani.” — “I will have put the book on the table”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei messo |
| tu | avresti messo |
| lui/lei | avrebbe messo |
| noi | avremmo messo |
| voi | avreste messo |
| loro | avrebbero messo |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei messo il libro sul tavolo ieri.” — “I would have put the book on the table”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | metta |
| tu | metta |
| lui/lei | metta |
| noi | mettiamo |
| voi | mettiate |
| loro | mettano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io metta il libro sul tavolo.” — “It is important that I put the book on the table”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | mettessi |
| tu | mettessi |
| lui/lei | mettesse |
| noi | mettessimo |
| voi | metteste |
| loro | mettessero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io mettessi il libro sul tavolo.” — “It was important that I put the book on the table”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | metti |
| lui/lei | metta |
| noi | mettiamo |
| voi | mettete |
| loro | mettano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Metti il libro sul tavolo!” — “Put the book on the table!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | mettere |
| lui/lei | metta |
| noi | mettiamo |
| voi | mettiate |
| loro | mettano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non mettere il libro sul tavolo.” — “Do not put the book on the table.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | mettendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Mettendo il libro sul tavolo, imparo molto.” — “While putting the book on the table, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | mettente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle mettente 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 | messo |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho messo il libro sul tavolo questa settimana.” — “I have put the book on the table.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with mettere, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io metto il libro sul tavolo ogni giorno.” — “I put the book on the table”
- “Tu mettesti il libro sul tavolo ieri.” — “You put the book on the table”
- “Lui metteva il libro sul tavolo una volta.” — “He used to put the book on the table”
- “Io metterò il libro sul tavolo domani.” — “I will put the book on the table”
- “Tu metteresti il libro sul tavolo un giorno.” — “You would put the book on the table”
- “Lui ha messo il libro sul tavolo questa settimana.” — “He has put the book on the table”
- “Io avevo messo il libro sul tavolo prima della festa.” — “I had put the book on the table”
- “Tu avrai messo il libro sul tavolo per domani.” — “You will have put the book on the table”
- “È importante che io metta il libro sul tavolo.” — “It is important that I put the book on the table”
- “Metti il libro sul tavolo!” — “Put the book on the table!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io mettere il libro sul tavolo.”
✓ Right: “Io metto il libro sul tavolo ogni giorno.”
The infinitive mettere never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form metto.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io metti il libro sul tavolo.”
✓ Right: “Io metto il libro sul tavolo ogni giorno.”
metti is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with metto.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io metto il libro sul tavolo ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho messo il libro sul tavolo questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho messo for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono messo il libro sul tavolo.”
✓ Right: “Io ho messo il libro sul tavolo questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of mettere is formed with avere plus the past participle messo: the io form is ho messo. 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 metto il libro sul tavolo.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io metta il libro sul tavolo.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use metta here, not the indicative metto.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho mettendo il libro sul tavolo.”
✓ Right: “Io ho messo il libro sul tavolo questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle messo, not the gerund mettendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on mettere. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of mettere in the Present indicative?
- A) metti
- B) metto
- C) mette
- D) mettiamo
What is the lui/lei form of mettere in the Passato remoto?
- A) misi
- B) mettesti
- C) mise
- D) mettemmo
What is the noi form of mettere in the Imperfect?
- A) mettevo
- B) mettevi
- C) metteva
- D) mettevamo
What is the tu form of mettere in the Future?
- A) metterai
- B) metterò
- C) metterà
- D) metteremo
What is the io form of mettere in the Conditional?
- A) metteresti
- B) metterei
- C) metterebbe
- D) metteremmo
What is the lui/lei form of mettere in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho messo
- B) hai messo
- C) ha messo
- D) abbiamo messo
What is the lui/lei form of mettere in the Present subjunctive?
- A) mettiamo
- B) mettiate
- C) mettano
- D) metta
What is the io form of mettere in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) mettessi
- B) mettesse
- C) mettessimo
- D) metteste
What is the gerund of mettere?
- A) messo
- B) mettendo
- C) mettere
- D) metto
What does mettere mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to put
- D) to do, to make
Answer key
- B) metto — the correct form is metto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) mise — the correct form is mise. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) mettevamo — the correct form is mettevamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) metterai — the correct form is metterai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) metterei — the correct form is metterei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha messo — the correct form is ha messo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) metta — the correct form is metta. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) mettessi — the correct form is mettessi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) mettendo — the correct form is mettendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to put — the correct form is to put. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does mettere mean in English?
mettere means “to put”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is mettere regular or irregular?
mettere is irregular: it is irregular in passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. The gerund is mettendo and the past participle is messo.
What are the gerund and past participle of mettere?
The gerund is mettendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is messo — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho messo.
Which auxiliary does mettere take in the passato prossimo?
mettere takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho messo. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle messo.
How do I say “I put” in Italian?
Say “Io metto il libro sul tavolo ogni giorno.” — “I put the book on the table” The io form of the present is metto, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of mettere — every tense of mettere in one place.
- Mettere in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Mettere 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.
- Essere conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Avere 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 mettere with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise mettere with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise mettere with the interactive tool.