Usare Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Italian

usare — to use — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Italian. It is a non-reflexive, regular -are verb, and it comes up in conversation, at work and at home. It is the everyday verb for using something, and it is completely regular in every tense. It takes a direct object — a phone, a tool, a word — and it appears in almost every conversation about how things are done. On this page you will find usare in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. The full conjugation tables are on the usare conjugation page, and the deep dive into its most practised tense is on the usare present tense page.

Example sentences with usare

In the present tense

  • “Io uso il telefono ogni giorno.” — “I use the phone”
  • “Tu usi il telefono ogni giorno.” — “You use the phone”
  • “Lui usa il telefono ogni giorno.” — “He uses the phone”
  • “Noi usiamo il telefono ogni giorno.” — “We use the phone”
  • “Voi usate il telefono ogni giorno.” — “You use the phone”
  • “Loro usano il telefono ogni giorno.” — “They use the phone”

In the passato prossimo

  • “Io ho usato il telefono questa settimana.” — “I have used the phone”
  • “Tu hai usato il telefono questa settimana.” — “You have used the phone”
  • “Lui ha usato il telefono questa settimana.” — “He has used the phone”
  • “Noi abbiamo usato il telefono questa settimana.” — “We have used the phone”
  • “Voi avete usato il telefono questa settimana.” — “You have used the phone”
  • “Loro hanno usato il telefono questa settimana.” — “They have used the phone”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional, the present subjunctive and the imperative — the tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “Io usavo il telefono una volta.” — “I used to use the phone”
  • “Tu userai il telefono domani.” — “You will use the phone”
  • “Lui userebbe il telefono un giorno.” — “He would use the phone”
  • “È importante che noi usiamo il telefono.” — “It is important that we use the phone”
  • “Usa il telefono!” — “Use the phone!”

How usare is used

The first thing to know about usare is its core meaning: to use. It is the everyday verb for using something, and it is completely regular in every tense. It takes a direct object — a phone, a tool, a word — and it appears in almost every conversation about how things are done. In everyday speech it appears most often in the present and the passato prossimo, the two tenses on this page, because most of what we say is either what we do every day or what we have just done. Learn those two tenses first and the rest of the conjugation becomes a matter of adding forms one at a time. The second thing to know is the company usare keeps. The present io form is uso, and it pairs naturally with the time words ogni giorno and sempre for habits, and with adesso for what is happening right now. The passato prossimo io form is ho usato, and it pairs with ieri and questa settimana for finished actions. When you learn a verb form, learn its time words with it, and choosing the tense becomes automatic. The third thing to know is what usare does not do. It never appears as a bare infinitive after a subject pronoun — after io you need uso, never usare. It never takes the wrong auxiliary in the perfect tenses: the passato prossimo is ho usato, built with avere, and the other auxiliary does not belong here. And its participle usato is given in the masculine singular form in the tables, with agreement depending on the sentence, not on the verb table.

Usare in context

Io uso il telefono ogni giorno. Tu usi il telefono ogni giorno. Lui usa il telefono ogni giorno. Noi usiamo il telefono ogni giorno. That is a normal part of the routine, and that is why the present of usare is the first form worth learning. Each sentence uses a different person, so read them aloud and notice how the form changes — uso, usi, usa, usiamo — while the meaning stays the same: to use. Io ho usato il telefono questa settimana. Tu hai usato il telefono questa settimana. Lui ha usato il telefono questa settimana. Noi abbiamo usato il telefono questa settimana. That was a normal day, but it is exactly on days like this that the passato prossimo of usare appears constantly: a finished action, a precise moment, and the story goes on. Compare these sentences with the present ones above: the verb changes tense, but the basic meaning — to use — does not change. That is the difference between a habit and a finished event.

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Io usare il telefono.”

✓ Right: “Io uso il telefono ogni giorno.”

The infinitive usare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form uso.

2. Using the wrong person

✗ Wrong: “Io usi il telefono.”

✓ Right: “Io uso il telefono ogni giorno.”

usi is the tu form, not the io form. The io form is uso — check the person before you write the form.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Io uso il telefono ieri.”

✓ Right: “Io ho usato il telefono questa settimana.”

Ieri points to the past, so use the passato prossimo ho usato here, not the present uso.

4. Mixing up the auxiliary

✗ Wrong: “Io sono usato il telefono.”

✓ Right: “Io ho usato il telefono questa settimana.”

usare takes avere in the passato prossimo. The io form is ho usato — the other auxiliary never belongs with this verb.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on usare across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

  1. What is the tu form of usare in the Present indicative?

    • A) uso
    • B) usi
    • C) usa
    • D) usiamo

  2. What is the io form of usare in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?

    • A) hai usato
    • B) ha usato
    • C) ho usato
    • D) abbiamo usato

  3. What is the lui/lei form of usare in the Imperfect?

    • A) usavo
    • B) usavi
    • C) usavamo
    • D) usava

  4. What is the noi form of usare in the Future?

    • A) useremo
    • B) userò
    • C) userai
    • D) userà

  5. What is the tu form of usare in the Conditional?

    • A) userei
    • B) useresti
    • C) userebbe
    • D) useremmo

  6. What is the io form of usare in the Passato remoto?

    • A) usasti
    • B) usò
    • C) usai
    • D) usammo

  7. What is the noi form of usare in the Present subjunctive?

    • A) usi
    • B) usiate
    • C) usino
    • D) usiamo

  8. What is the gerund of usare?

    • A) usando
    • B) usato
    • C) usare
    • D) uso

  9. What is the past participle of usare?

    • A) usando
    • B) usato
    • C) usare
    • D) uso

  10. What does usare mean in English?

  • A) to explain
  • B) to answer
  • C) to use
  • D) to ask

Answer key

  1. B) usi — the correct form is usi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) ho usato — the correct form is ho usato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) usava — the correct form is usava. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) useremo — the correct form is useremo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) useresti — the correct form is useresti. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) usai — the correct form is usai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) usiamo — the correct form is usiamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) usando — the correct form is usando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. B) usato — the correct form is usato. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  10. C) to use — the correct form is to use. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does usare mean in English?

usare means “to use”. You use it whenever you talk about to use in Italian, in the present, the past and the future.

Is usare regular or irregular?

usare is regular. usare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

What are the gerund and past participle of usare?

The gerund is usando and the past participle is usato. The perfect tenses use avere + usato.

Where can I see the full conjugation of usare?

On the usare conjugation page — every tense, every person, with tables. The usare present tense page goes deeper into its most practised tense.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for usare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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