Introduction
Studiare means “to study”, and this page covers exactly one thing: studiare in the present tense. The present is the tense Italian speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for studiare, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passato prossimo, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about studiare in the present. It means to study a subject and to study for an exam, and it is completely regular apart from its spelling: the stem-final i drops before an i-initial ending, so the tu form is studi and the noi form is studiamo. For example: “Lui studia italiano ogni giorno.” — “He studies Italian.” Everything on this page uses the forms of studiare exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Studiare in the Present — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | studio |
| tu | studi |
| lui/lei | studia |
| noi | studiamo |
| voi | studiate |
| loro | studiano |
| Gerund: studiando · Past participle: studiato | |
| The gerund is studiando, which you use with stare to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Studiando italiano, imparo molto.” — “While studying Italian, I learn a lot.” The past participle is studiato, which you use with avere in the perfect tenses: ho studiato is the passato prossimo, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how studiare is used. | |
| Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for studiare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. |
How the present of studiare is formed
The present tense of studiare has six forms: io studio, tu studi, lui studia, noi studiamo, voi studiate, loro studiano. Say them in order — io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. studiare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb. Because studiare ends in -iare, the stem-final i drops before an i-initial ending: tu studi, noi studiamo.
Two things about the present of studiare are worth noticing. First, the noi and voi forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its noi and voi forms from the same stem, so learning studiamo and studiate pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Italian uses where English would often use the continuous form, so studio can mean both “I study” and “I am studying” — context tells the listener which one you mean.
Because studiare is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -are endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -are verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.
When to use the present of studiare
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use studiare in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and studiare is no exception. Use time expressions such as ogni giorno, sempre or ogni settimana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Io studio italiano ogni giorno.” — “I study Italian.”
2. General truths
Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about studiare does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Lui studia italiano ogni giorno.” — “He studies Italian.”
3. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Italian often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with studiare in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Noi studiamo italiano ogni giorno.” — “We study Italian.”
4. Scheduled future events
Italian uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu studi italiano ogni giorno.” — “You study Italian.”
5. Narration and commentary
In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and studiare in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Loro studiano italiano ogni giorno.” — “They study Italian.”
Present Tense vs Passato Prossimo: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the passato prossimo, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passato prossimo describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as ogni giorno or sempre, while the passato prossimo sentences use ieri or la settimana scorsa. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
- Present Tense: “Lui studia italiano ogni giorno.” — “He studies Italian”
- Passato Prossimo: “Lui ha studiato italiano questa settimana.” — “He has studied Italian”
- The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
- Present Tense: “Io studio italiano ogni giorno.” — “I study Italian”
- Passato Prossimo: “Io ho studiato italiano questa settimana.” — “I have studied Italian”
- The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
- Present Tense: “Tu studi italiano ogni giorno.” — “You study Italian”
- Passato Prossimo: “Tu hai studiato italiano questa settimana.” — “You have studied Italian”
- The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
Example sentences: studiare in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
- “Io studio italiano ogni giorno.” — “I study Italian”
- “Tu studi italiano ogni giorno.” — “You study Italian”
- “Lui studia italiano ogni giorno.” — “He studies Italian”
- “Noi studiamo italiano ogni giorno.” — “We study Italian”
- “Voi studiate italiano ogni giorno.” — “You study Italian”
- “Loro studiano italiano ogni giorno.” — “They study Italian”
- “Io studio italiano ogni giorno.” — “I study Italian”
- “Lui studia italiano ogni giorno.” — “He studies Italian”
Common mistakes
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
- Wrong: “Io studi italiano.” Right: “Io studio italiano ogni giorno.” Why: The io form is studio, not studi. studi is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
- Wrong: “Noi studio italiano.” Right: “Noi studiamo italiano ogni giorno.” Why: Noi needs the noi form studiamo. studio belongs with io only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
- Wrong: “Io studio italiano ogni giorno ieri.” Right: “Io ho studiato italiano questa settimana.” Why: Ieri points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho studiato for a finished action yesterday.
- Wrong: “Io studiare italiano.” Right: “Io studio italiano ogni giorno.” Why: The infinitive studiare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated form studio.
Quiz: test yourself
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
What is the io form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studi
- B) studio
- C) studia
- D) studiamo
What is the tu form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studio
- B) studia
- C) studi
- D) studiamo
What is the lui/lei form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studio
- B) studi
- C) studiamo
- D) studia
What is the noi form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studiamo
- B) studio
- C) studi
- D) studia
What is the voi form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studio
- B) studiate
- C) studi
- D) studia
What is the loro form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studio
- B) studi
- C) studiano
- D) studia
What is the io form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studi
- B) studia
- C) studiamo
- D) studio
What is the tu form of studiare in the Present indicative?
- A) studi
- B) studio
- C) studia
- D) studiamo
Answer key
- B) studio — the correct form is studio. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) studi — the correct form is studi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) studia — the correct form is studia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) studiamo — the correct form is studiamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) studiate — the correct form is studiate. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) studiano — the correct form is studiano. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) studio — the correct form is studio. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) studi — the correct form is studi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does studiare mean in English?
studiare means “to study”. It is a non-reflexive, regular -are verb.
How is the present tense of studiare formed?
The six present forms are: io studio, tu studi, lui studia, noi studiamo, voi studiate, loro studiano. studiare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.
When do I use the present instead of the passato prossimo?
Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passato prossimo for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
What are the gerund and past participle of studiare?
The gerund is studiando and the past participle is studiato.
Related pages
- studiare conjugation — full tables
- studiare examples and quiz
- Italian present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Italian.
- Chiamare conjugation — another Italian verb in this batch.
- Cercare conjugation — another Italian verb in this batch.
- Italian verbs — the full hub of Italian conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise studiare with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise studiare with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise studiare with the interactive tool.