Scrivere Conjugation in Italian
scrivere means “to write” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 27 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to write a letter, a message or a book, and it is regular in the present but irregular in the passato remoto and the past participle: the participle is scritto, not a regular -uto form, so learn it as a pair with the infinitive. This page gives you the complete conjugation of scrivere — 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 scrivo una lettera ogni giorno.” — “I write a letter.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: scrivere
- English: to write
- Verb type: Irregular -ere verb
- Irregular in: passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect
- Gerund: scrivendo
- Present participle: scrivente
- Past participle: scritto
- 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 scrivere, 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 scrivere in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about scrivere
- 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 scritto. 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 scrivente and scritto: 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 scrivere. 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 | scrivo |
| tu | scrivi |
| lui/lei | scrive |
| noi | scriviamo |
| voi | scrivete |
| loro | scrivono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io scrivo una lettera ogni giorno.” — “I write a letter”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scrissi |
| tu | scrivesti |
| lui/lei | scrisse |
| noi | scrivemmo |
| voi | scriveste |
| loro | scrissero |
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 scrissi una lettera ieri.” — “I wrote a letter”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scrivevo |
| tu | scrivevi |
| lui/lei | scriveva |
| noi | scrivevamo |
| voi | scrivevate |
| loro | scrivevano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io scrivevo una lettera una volta.” — “I used to write a letter”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scriverò |
| tu | scriverai |
| lui/lei | scriverà |
| noi | scriveremo |
| voi | scriverete |
| loro | scriveranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io scriverò una lettera domani.” — “I will write a letter”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scriverei |
| tu | scriveresti |
| lui/lei | scriverebbe |
| noi | scriveremmo |
| voi | scrivereste |
| loro | scriverebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io scriverei una lettera un giorno.” — “I would write a letter”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho scritto |
| tu | hai scritto |
| lui/lei | ha scritto |
| noi | abbiamo scritto |
| voi | avete scritto |
| loro | hanno scritto |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha scritto una lettera questa settimana.” — “He has written a letter”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo scritto |
| tu | avevi scritto |
| lui/lei | aveva scritto |
| noi | avevamo scritto |
| voi | avevate scritto |
| loro | avevano scritto |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo scritto una lettera prima della festa.” — “I had written a letter”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò scritto |
| tu | avrai scritto |
| lui/lei | avrà scritto |
| noi | avremo scritto |
| voi | avrete scritto |
| loro | avranno scritto |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò scritto una lettera per domani.” — “I will have written a letter”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei scritto |
| tu | avresti scritto |
| lui/lei | avrebbe scritto |
| noi | avremmo scritto |
| voi | avreste scritto |
| loro | avrebbero scritto |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei scritto una lettera ieri.” — “I would have written a letter”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scriva |
| tu | scriva |
| lui/lei | scriva |
| noi | scriviamo |
| voi | scriviate |
| loro | scrivano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io scriva una lettera.” — “It is important that I write a letter”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | scrivessi |
| tu | scrivessi |
| lui/lei | scrivesse |
| noi | scrivessimo |
| voi | scriveste |
| loro | scrivessero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io scrivessi una lettera.” — “It was important that I write a letter”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | scrivi |
| lui/lei | scriva |
| noi | scriviamo |
| voi | scrivete |
| loro | scrivano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Scrivi una lettera!” — “Write a letter!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | scrivere |
| lui/lei | scriva |
| noi | scriviamo |
| voi | scriviate |
| loro | scrivano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non scrivere una lettera.” — “Do not write a letter.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | scrivendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Scrivendo una lettera, imparo molto.” — “While writing a letter, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | scrivente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle scrivente 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 | scritto |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho scritto una lettera questa settimana.” — “I have written a letter.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with scrivere, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io scrivo una lettera ogni giorno.” — “I write a letter”
- “Tu scrivesti una lettera ieri.” — “You wrote a letter”
- “Lui scriveva una lettera una volta.” — “He used to write a letter”
- “Io scriverò una lettera domani.” — “I will write a letter”
- “Tu scriveresti una lettera un giorno.” — “You would write a letter”
- “Lui ha scritto una lettera questa settimana.” — “He has written a letter”
- “Io avevo scritto una lettera prima della festa.” — “I had written a letter”
- “Tu avrai scritto una lettera per domani.” — “You will have written a letter”
- “È importante che io scriva una lettera.” — “It is important that I write a letter”
- “Scrivi una lettera!” — “Write a letter!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io scrivere una lettera.”
✓ Right: “Io scrivo una lettera ogni giorno.”
The infinitive scrivere never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form scrivo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io scrivi una lettera.”
✓ Right: “Io scrivo una lettera ogni giorno.”
scrivi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with scrivo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io scrivo una lettera ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho scritto una lettera questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho scritto for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono scritto una lettera.”
✓ Right: “Io ho scritto una lettera questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of scrivere is formed with avere plus the past participle scritto: the io form is ho scritto. 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 scrivo una lettera.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io scriva una lettera.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use scriva here, not the indicative scrivo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho scrivendo una lettera.”
✓ Right: “Io ho scritto una lettera questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle scritto, not the gerund scrivendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on scrivere. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of scrivere in the Present indicative?
- A) scrivi
- B) scrivo
- C) scrive
- D) scriviamo
What is the lui/lei form of scrivere in the Passato remoto?
- A) scrissi
- B) scrivesti
- C) scrisse
- D) scrivemmo
What is the noi form of scrivere in the Imperfect?
- A) scrivevo
- B) scrivevi
- C) scriveva
- D) scrivevamo
What is the tu form of scrivere in the Future?
- A) scriverai
- B) scriverò
- C) scriverà
- D) scriveremo
What is the io form of scrivere in the Conditional?
- A) scriveresti
- B) scriverei
- C) scriverebbe
- D) scriveremmo
What is the lui/lei form of scrivere in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho scritto
- B) hai scritto
- C) ha scritto
- D) abbiamo scritto
What is the lui/lei form of scrivere in the Present subjunctive?
- A) scriviamo
- B) scriviate
- C) scrivano
- D) scriva
What is the io form of scrivere in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) scrivessi
- B) scrivesse
- C) scrivessimo
- D) scriveste
What is the gerund of scrivere?
- A) scritto
- B) scrivendo
- C) scrivere
- D) scrivo
What does scrivere mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to write
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) scrivo — the correct form is scrivo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) scrisse — the correct form is scrisse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) scrivevamo — the correct form is scrivevamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) scriverai — the correct form is scriverai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) scriverei — the correct form is scriverei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha scritto — the correct form is ha scritto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) scriva — the correct form is scriva. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) scrivessi — the correct form is scrivessi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) scrivendo — the correct form is scrivendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to write — the correct form is to write. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does scrivere mean in English?
scrivere means “to write”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is scrivere regular or irregular?
scrivere is irregular: it is irregular in passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. The gerund is scrivendo and the past participle is scritto.
What are the gerund and past participle of scrivere?
The gerund is scrivendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is scritto — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho scritto.
Which auxiliary does scrivere take in the passato prossimo?
scrivere takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho scritto. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle scritto.
How do I say “I write” in Italian?
Say “Io scrivo una lettera ogni giorno.” — “I write a letter” The io form of the present is scrivo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of scrivere — every tense of scrivere in one place.
- Scrivere in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Scrivere 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.
- Sedersi conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Tenere 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 scrivere with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise scrivere with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise scrivere with the interactive tool.