Introduction

Terminare means “to end”, and this page covers exactly one thing: terminare 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 terminare, 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 terminare in the present. It is the verb for ending or finishing something, and it is completely regular in every tense. It is the more formal partner of finire: use terminare for a lesson, a meeting or a piece of work, and finire for everyday finishing. For example: “Lui termina la lezione ogni giorno.” — “He ends the lesson.” Everything on this page uses the forms of terminare exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Terminare in the Present — full table

Person Form
io termino
tu termini
lui/lei termina
noi terminiamo
voi terminate
loro terminano
Gerund: terminando · Past participle: terminato
The gerund is terminando, which you use with stare to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Terminando la lezione, imparo molto.” — “While ending the lesson, I learn a lot.” The past participle is terminato, which you use with avere in the perfect tenses: ho terminato 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 terminare is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for terminare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of terminare is formed

The present tense of terminare has six forms: io termino, tu termini, lui termina, noi terminiamo, voi terminate, loro terminano. Say them in order — io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. terminare 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.

Two things about the present of terminare 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 terminiamo and terminate pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Italian uses where English would often use the continuous form, so termino can mean both “I end” and “I am ending” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because terminare 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 terminare

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use terminare 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 terminare is no exception. Use time expressions such as ogni giorno, sempre or ogni settimana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Io termino la lezione ogni giorno.” — “I end the lesson.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about terminare does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Lui termina la lezione ogni giorno.” — “He ends the lesson.”

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 terminare 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 terminiamo la lezione ogni giorno.” — “We end the lesson.”

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 termini la lezione ogni giorno.” — “You end the lesson.”

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 terminare in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Loro terminano la lezione ogni giorno.” — “They end the lesson.”

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 termina la lezione ogni giorno.” — “He ends the lesson”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Lui ha terminato la lezione questa settimana.” — “He has ended the lesson”
  • 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 termino la lezione ogni giorno.” — “I end the lesson”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Io ho terminato la lezione questa settimana.” — “I have ended the lesson”
  • 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 termini la lezione ogni giorno.” — “You end the lesson”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Tu hai terminato la lezione questa settimana.” — “You have ended the lesson”
  • 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: terminare 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.

  1. “Io termino la lezione ogni giorno.” — “I end the lesson”
  2. “Tu termini la lezione ogni giorno.” — “You end the lesson”
  3. “Lui termina la lezione ogni giorno.” — “He ends the lesson”
  4. “Noi terminiamo la lezione ogni giorno.” — “We end the lesson”
  5. “Voi terminate la lezione ogni giorno.” — “You end the lesson”
  6. “Loro terminano la lezione ogni giorno.” — “They end the lesson”
  7. “Io termino la lezione ogni giorno.” — “I end the lesson”
  8. “Lui termina la lezione ogni giorno.” — “He ends the lesson”

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 termini la lezione.” Right: “Io termino la lezione ogni giorno.” Why: The io form is termino, not termini. termini is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Noi termino la lezione.” Right: “Noi terminiamo la lezione ogni giorno.” Why: Noi needs the noi form terminiamo. termino belongs with io only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Io termino la lezione ogni giorno ieri.” Right: “Io ho terminato la lezione questa settimana.” Why: Ieri points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho terminato for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Io terminare la lezione.” Right: “Io termino la lezione ogni giorno.” Why: The infinitive terminare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated form termino.

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.

  1. What is the io form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) termini
    • B) termino
    • C) termina
    • D) terminiamo

  2. What is the tu form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) termino
    • B) termina
    • C) termini
    • D) terminiamo

  3. What is the lui/lei form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) termino
    • B) termini
    • C) terminiamo
    • D) termina

  4. What is the noi form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) terminiamo
    • B) termino
    • C) termini
    • D) termina

  5. What is the voi form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) termino
    • B) terminate
    • C) termini
    • D) termina

  6. What is the loro form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) termino
    • B) termini
    • C) terminano
    • D) termina

  7. What is the io form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) termini
    • B) termina
    • C) terminiamo
    • D) termino

  8. What is the tu form of terminare in the Present indicative?

    • A) termini
    • B) termino
    • C) termina
    • D) terminiamo

Answer key

  1. B) termino — the correct form is termino. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) termini — the correct form is termini. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) termina — the correct form is termina. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) terminiamo — the correct form is terminiamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) terminate — the correct form is terminate. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) terminano — the correct form is terminano. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) termino — the correct form is termino. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) termini — the correct form is termini. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does terminare mean in English?

terminare means “to end”. It is a non-reflexive, regular -are verb.

How is the present tense of terminare formed?

The six present forms are: io termino, tu termini, lui termina, noi terminiamo, voi terminate, loro terminano. terminare 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 terminare?

The gerund is terminando and the past participle is terminato.

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