Ricordare Conjugation in Italian
ricordare means “to remember” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 79 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to remember someone or something, and it is completely regular. Do not confuse it with dimenticare, which means to forget: ricordare keeps a memory, dimenticare loses it. This page gives you the complete conjugation of ricordare — 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 ricordo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I remember Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: ricordare
- English: to remember
- Verb type: Regular -are verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: ricordando
- Present participle: ricordante
- Past participle: ricordato
- 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 ricordare, 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 ricordare in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about ricordare
- 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 ricordato. 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 ricordante and ricordato: 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 ricordare. 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 | ricordo |
| tu | ricordi |
| lui/lei | ricorda |
| noi | ricordiamo |
| voi | ricordate |
| loro | ricordano |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io ricordo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I remember Maria”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ricordai |
| tu | ricordasti |
| lui/lei | ricordò |
| noi | ricordammo |
| voi | ricordaste |
| loro | ricordarono |
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 ricordai Maria ieri.” — “I remembered Maria”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ricordavo |
| tu | ricordavi |
| lui/lei | ricordava |
| noi | ricordavamo |
| voi | ricordavate |
| loro | ricordavano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io ricordavo Maria una volta.” — “I used to remember Maria”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ricorderò |
| tu | ricorderai |
| lui/lei | ricorderà |
| noi | ricorderemo |
| voi | ricorderete |
| loro | ricorderanno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io ricorderò Maria domani.” — “I will remember Maria”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ricorderei |
| tu | ricorderesti |
| lui/lei | ricorderebbe |
| noi | ricorderemmo |
| voi | ricordereste |
| loro | ricorderebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io ricorderei Maria un giorno.” — “I would remember Maria”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho ricordato |
| tu | hai ricordato |
| lui/lei | ha ricordato |
| noi | abbiamo ricordato |
| voi | avete ricordato |
| loro | hanno ricordato |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha ricordato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has remembered Maria”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo ricordato |
| tu | avevi ricordato |
| lui/lei | aveva ricordato |
| noi | avevamo ricordato |
| voi | avevate ricordato |
| loro | avevano ricordato |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo ricordato Maria prima della festa.” — “I had remembered Maria”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò ricordato |
| tu | avrai ricordato |
| lui/lei | avrà ricordato |
| noi | avremo ricordato |
| voi | avrete ricordato |
| loro | avranno ricordato |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò ricordato Maria per domani.” — “I will have remembered Maria”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei ricordato |
| tu | avresti ricordato |
| lui/lei | avrebbe ricordato |
| noi | avremmo ricordato |
| voi | avreste ricordato |
| loro | avrebbero ricordato |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei ricordato Maria ieri.” — “I would have remembered Maria”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ricordi |
| tu | ricordi |
| lui/lei | ricordi |
| noi | ricordiamo |
| voi | ricordiate |
| loro | ricordino |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io ricordi Maria.” — “It is important that I remember Maria”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ricordassi |
| tu | ricordassi |
| lui/lei | ricordasse |
| noi | ricordassimo |
| voi | ricordaste |
| loro | ricordassero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io ricordassi Maria.” — “It was important that I remember Maria”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | ricorda |
| lui/lei | ricordi |
| noi | ricordiamo |
| voi | ricordate |
| loro | ricordino |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Ricorda Maria!” — “Remember Maria!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | ricordare |
| lui/lei | ricordi |
| noi | ricordiamo |
| voi | ricordiate |
| loro | ricordino |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non ricordare Maria.” — “Do not remember Maria.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | ricordando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Ricordando Maria, imparo molto.” — “While remembering Maria, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | ricordante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle ricordante 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 | ricordato |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho ricordato Maria questa settimana.” — “I have remembered Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with ricordare, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io ricordo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I remember Maria”
- “Tu ricordasti Maria ieri.” — “You remembered Maria”
- “Lui ricordava Maria una volta.” — “He used to remember Maria”
- “Io ricorderò Maria domani.” — “I will remember Maria”
- “Tu ricorderesti Maria un giorno.” — “You would remember Maria”
- “Lui ha ricordato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has remembered Maria”
- “Io avevo ricordato Maria prima della festa.” — “I had remembered Maria”
- “Tu avrai ricordato Maria per domani.” — “You will have remembered Maria”
- “È importante che io ricordi Maria.” — “It is important that I remember Maria”
- “Ricorda Maria!” — “Remember Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io ricordare Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ricordo Maria ogni giorno.”
The infinitive ricordare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form ricordo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io ricordi Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ricordo Maria ogni giorno.”
ricordi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with ricordo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io ricordo Maria ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho ricordato Maria questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho ricordato for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono ricordato Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho ricordato Maria questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of ricordare is formed with avere plus the past participle ricordato: the io form is ho ricordato. 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 ricordo Maria.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io ricordi Maria.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use ricordi here, not the indicative ricordo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho ricordando Maria.”
✓ Right: “Io ho ricordato Maria questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle ricordato, not the gerund ricordando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ricordare. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of ricordare in the Present indicative?
- A) ricordi
- B) ricordo
- C) ricorda
- D) ricordiamo
What is the lui/lei form of ricordare in the Passato remoto?
- A) ricordai
- B) ricordasti
- C) ricordò
- D) ricordammo
What is the noi form of ricordare in the Imperfect?
- A) ricordavo
- B) ricordavi
- C) ricordava
- D) ricordavamo
What is the tu form of ricordare in the Future?
- A) ricorderai
- B) ricorderò
- C) ricorderà
- D) ricorderemo
What is the io form of ricordare in the Conditional?
- A) ricorderesti
- B) ricorderei
- C) ricorderebbe
- D) ricorderemmo
What is the lui/lei form of ricordare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho ricordato
- B) hai ricordato
- C) ha ricordato
- D) abbiamo ricordato
What is the lui/lei form of ricordare in the Present subjunctive?
- A) ricordiamo
- B) ricordiate
- C) ricordino
- D) ricordi
What is the io form of ricordare in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) ricordassi
- B) ricordasse
- C) ricordassimo
- D) ricordaste
What is the gerund of ricordare?
- A) ricordato
- B) ricordando
- C) ricordare
- D) ricordo
What does ricordare mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to remember
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) ricordo — the correct form is ricordo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ricordò — the correct form is ricordò. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ricordavamo — the correct form is ricordavamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ricorderai — the correct form is ricorderai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ricorderei — the correct form is ricorderei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha ricordato — the correct form is ha ricordato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) ricordi — the correct form is ricordi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ricordassi — the correct form is ricordassi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) ricordando — the correct form is ricordando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to remember — the correct form is to remember. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does ricordare mean in English?
ricordare means “to remember”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is ricordare regular or irregular?
ricordare is regular: it follows the ordinary -are pattern in every tense. The gerund is ricordando and the past participle is ricordato.
What are the gerund and past participle of ricordare?
The gerund is ricordando — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is ricordato — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho ricordato.
Which auxiliary does ricordare take in the passato prossimo?
ricordare takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho ricordato. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle ricordato.
How do I say “I remember” in Italian?
Say “Io ricordo Maria ogni giorno.” — “I remember Maria” The io form of the present is ricordo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ricordare — every tense of ricordare in one place.
- Ricordare in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Ricordare 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 ricordare with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise ricordare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise ricordare with the interactive tool.