Succedere Conjugation in Italian
succedere means “to happen” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 691 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It means to happen, and it is used impersonally: the real use is the third person, as in 'Mi succede spesso' — it happens to me often — with the person as an indirect object pronoun. It takes essere in the passato prossimo, and its past participle is successo. This page gives you the complete conjugation of succedere — 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: “Mi succede ogni giorno.” — “It happens to me.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: succedere
- English: to happen
- Verb type: Irregular -ere verb
- Irregular in: passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect
- Gerund: succedendo
- Present participle: succedente
- Past participle: successo
- Auxiliary: essere (all perfect tenses are formed with essere + 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 succedere, 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 succedere in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about succedere
- 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 essere: the passato prossimo is formed with essere in the present plus the past participle successo. 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 succedente and successo: 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.
A note on succedere
A note on the construction: succedere is used impersonally, almost always in the third person, with the person as an indirect object pronoun — “Mi succede spesso”, it happens to me often. The tables give all six persons as the verb is listed, but the example sentences on this page use the third-person forms, which is how the verb is really used.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for succedere. 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 | succedo |
| tu | succedi |
| lui/lei | succede |
| noi | succediamo |
| voi | succedete |
| loro | succedono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Mi succede ogni giorno.” — “It happens to me”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | successi |
| tu | succedesti |
| lui/lei | successe |
| noi | succedemmo |
| voi | succedeste |
| loro | successero |
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: “Mi successe ieri.” — “It happened to me”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | succedevo |
| tu | succedevi |
| lui/lei | succedeva |
| noi | succedevamo |
| voi | succedevate |
| loro | succedevano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Mi succedeva una volta.” — “It used to happen to me”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | succederò |
| tu | succederai |
| lui/lei | succederà |
| noi | succederemo |
| voi | succederete |
| loro | succederanno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Mi succederà domani.” — “It will happen to me”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | succederei |
| tu | succederesti |
| lui/lei | succederebbe |
| noi | succederemmo |
| voi | succedereste |
| loro | succederebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Mi succederebbe un giorno.” — “It would happen to me”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sono successo |
| tu | sei successo |
| lui/lei | è successo |
| noi | siamo successo |
| voi | siete successo |
| loro | sono successo |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Gli è successo questa settimana.” — “It has happened to him”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ero successo |
| tu | eri successo |
| lui/lei | era successo |
| noi | eravamo successo |
| voi | eravate successo |
| loro | erano successo |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Mi era successo prima della festa.” — “It had happened to me”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarò successo |
| tu | sarai successo |
| lui/lei | sarà successo |
| noi | saremo successo |
| voi | sarete successo |
| loro | saranno successo |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Mi sarà successo per domani.” — “It will have happened to me”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | sarei successo |
| tu | saresti successo |
| lui/lei | sarebbe successo |
| noi | saremmo successo |
| voi | sareste successo |
| loro | sarebbero successo |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Mi sarebbe successo ieri.” — “It would have happened to me”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | succeda |
| tu | succeda |
| lui/lei | succeda |
| noi | succediamo |
| voi | succediate |
| loro | succedano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che mi succeda.” — “It is important that it happens to me”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | succedessi |
| tu | succedessi |
| lui/lei | succedesse |
| noi | succedessimo |
| voi | succedeste |
| loro | succedessero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che mi succedesse.” — “It was important that it happened to me”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | succedi |
| lui/lei | succeda |
| noi | succediamo |
| voi | succedete |
| loro | succedano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Succeda!” — “Let it happen!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | succedere |
| lui/lei | succeda |
| noi | succediamo |
| voi | succediate |
| loro | succedano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non succeda!” — “Do not let it happen.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | succedendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Succedendo, imparo molto.” — “While happening, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | succedente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle succedente 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 | successo |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Mi è successo questa settimana.” — “It has happened to me.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with succedere, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Mi succede ogni giorno.” — “It happens to me”
- “Ti successe ieri.” — “It happened to you”
- “Gli succedeva una volta.” — “It used to happen to him”
- “Mi succederà domani.” — “It will happen to me”
- “Ti succederebbe un giorno.” — “It would happen to you”
- “Gli è successo questa settimana.” — “It has happened to him”
- “Mi era successo prima della festa.” — “It had happened to me”
- “Ti sarà successo per domani.” — “It will have happened to you”
- “È importante che mi succeda.” — “It is important that it happens to me”
- “Succeda!” — “Let it happen!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io succedere.”
✓ Right: “Mi succede ogni giorno.”
The infinitive succedere never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form succedo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io succedi.”
✓ Right: “Mi succede ogni giorno.”
succedi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with succedo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io succedo ieri.”
✓ Right: “Mi è successo questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo sono successo for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io ho successo.”
✓ Right: “Mi è successo questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of succedere is formed with essere plus the past participle successo: the io form is sono successo. 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 succedo.”
✓ Right: “È importante che mi succeda.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use succeda here, not the indicative succedo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io sono succedendo.”
✓ Right: “Mi è successo questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle successo, not the gerund succedendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on succedere. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of succedere in the Present indicative?
- A) succedi
- B) succedo
- C) succede
- D) succediamo
What is the lui/lei form of succedere in the Passato remoto?
- A) successi
- B) succedesti
- C) successe
- D) succedemmo
What is the noi form of succedere in the Imperfect?
- A) succedevo
- B) succedevi
- C) succedeva
- D) succedevamo
What is the tu form of succedere in the Future?
- A) succederai
- B) succederò
- C) succederà
- D) succederemo
What is the io form of succedere in the Conditional?
- A) succederesti
- B) succederei
- C) succederebbe
- D) succederemmo
What is the lui/lei form of succedere in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) sono successo
- B) sei successo
- C) è successo
- D) siamo successo
What is the lui/lei form of succedere in the Present subjunctive?
- A) succediamo
- B) succediate
- C) succedano
- D) succeda
What is the io form of succedere in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) succedessi
- B) succedesse
- C) succedessimo
- D) succedeste
What is the gerund of succedere?
- A) successo
- B) succedendo
- C) succedere
- D) succedo
What does succedere mean in English?
- A) to sit down
- B) to get dressed
- C) to happen
- D) to call
Answer key
- B) succedo — the correct form is succedo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) successe — the correct form is successe. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) succedevamo — the correct form is succedevamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) succederai — the correct form is succederai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) succederei — the correct form is succederei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) è successo — the correct form is è successo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) succeda — the correct form is succeda. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) succedessi — the correct form is succedessi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) succedendo — the correct form is succedendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to happen — the correct form is to happen. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does succedere mean in English?
succedere means “to happen”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is succedere regular or irregular?
succedere is irregular: it is irregular in passato-remoto, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect. The gerund is succedendo and the past participle is successo.
What are the gerund and past participle of succedere?
The gerund is succedendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is successo — use it with essere for the perfect tenses, as in sono successo.
Which auxiliary does succedere take in the passato prossimo?
succedere takes essere in the passato prossimo: the io form is sono successo. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with essere plus the past participle successo.
How do I say “it happens” in Italian?
Say “Mi succede ogni giorno.” — “It happens to me” The io form of the present is succedo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of succedere — every tense of succedere in one place.
- Succedere in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Succedere 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 succedere with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise succedere with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise succedere with the interactive tool.