Advanced Italian Grammar: The indefinite moods (also called implicit moods) are those that express the action in an indeterminate and indefinite way. Sentences with indefinite moods are often independent and need a main sentence that clearly explains who does the action and when.
The indefinite moods are:
- The infinitive (present and past).
- The gerund (simple and compound).
- The participle (present and past).
Advanced Italian Grammar: The gerund (simple and compound).
The gerund has two tenses: simple (or present) and compound (or past).
| Simple (or present) | Compound (or past) | |
| Parlare (to speak) Leggere (to read) Partire (to leave) | Parlando (speaking) Leggendo (reading) Partendo (leaving) | Avendo parlato (having spoken) Avendo letto (having read) Essendo partito (having left) |
Advanced Italian Grammar: The present gerund
The present gerund is formed by putting the suffix -ano (instead of -are) and the suffix -endo (instead of -ere and -ire).
| Infinitive | Present Gerund |
| Cantare(to sing) Credere(to believe) Sentire(to feel/hear) Finire(to finish) | Cantando(singing) Credendo(believing) Sentendo(feeling/hearing) Finendo(finishing) |
Some irregular verbs in the present gerund
| Bere(to drink) Dire(to say) Fare(to do) Muovere(to move) Riempire(to fill) Condurre(to drive/lead) Porre(to put) Trarre(to draw) | Bevendo(drinking) Dicendo(saying) Facendo(doing) Muovendo(moving) Riempiendo(filling) Conducendo(driving/leading) Ponendo(placing) Traendo(drawing) |
The present gerund indicates the simultaneity of two actions whether they occur in the present, past or future tense.
- Ho capito l’uso del Gerundio seguendo la lezione del professore.
- I understood the use of the gerund following the professor’s lesson.
- Capisco l’uso del Gerundio seguendo la lezione del professore.
- I understand the use of the gerund following the professor’s lesson.
- Capirò l’uso del Gerundio seguendo la lezione del professore.
- I will understand the use of the gerund following the professor’s lesson.
Uses of the present gerund.
The present gerund can be used:
1. As a means [mezzo]
- Mi guadagno la vita lavorando sodo.
- I earn my living by working hard.
- Leggendo si imparano tante cose.
- By reading you learn many things.
- Si è mantenuto agli studi facendo il cameriere.
- He supported his studies by being a waiter.
- Viaggiando s’impara molto più che leggendo sui libri.
- You learn much more by traveling than by reading books.
- Riuscirò ad avere ciò che desidero provando e riprovando.
- I will be able to get what I want by trying and trying again.
2. As a condition [condizione]
- Facendo così, non risolverai niente.
- By doing so, you won’t solve anything.
- Usando questo sistema, otterrai un buon risultato.
- Using this system, you will get a good result.
- Leggendo un po’ di più, potremmo migliorare la nostra pronuncia.
- By reading a little more, we could improve our pronunciation.
3. As a way or manner[modo o maniera]
- Ho perduto un mucchio di soldi giocando a carte.
- I lost a lot of money playing cards.
- Perderà sempre un mucchio di soldi giocando a carte.
- He will always lose a lot of money playing cards.
- Mi raccontava spesso le sue avventure ridendo.
- He often told me about his adventures laughing.
- Mi ha raccontato le sue avventure piangendo.
- He told me about his adventures crying.
- Arrivò in ufficio correndo.
- He came to the office running.
- Arriva spesso in ufficio camminando.
- He often comes to the office walking.
4. As coincidence or simultaneity [coincidenza o simultaneità].
- L’ho incontrato, uscendo di casa.
- I met him, leaving the house.
- Giocando a calcio bisogna osservare le posizione dei compagni.
- When playing football you have to observe the positions of your teammates.
5. As cause [causale].
- Stando così le cose non potrò fare l’esame.
- That being the case, I won’t be able to take the exam.
- Stando così le cose devo subito tornare in patria.
- This being the case, I must immediately return to my homeland.
- Fumando e bevendo si è rovinato/ si rovinò la salute.
- Smoking and drinking ruined his health.
- Essendomi divertito molto alcuni anni fa, quest’anno sono tornato in Sardegna.
- Having had a blast a few years ago, I returned to Sardinia this year.
- Essendosi svegliato tardi, ha perso l’autobus.
- Waking up late, he missed the bus.
6. As hypothetical [ipotetica]
- Risparmiando molto riusciresti a comprarti un appartamento.
- By saving a lot you could buy yourself an apartment.
7. As consecutive [consecutivo]
- Si è impegnato così seriamente superando in breve tutte le difficoltà.
- He worked so seriously and quickly overcame all the difficulties.
8. With (pur) to give the meaning of (anche se)
- Pur non avendo sonno è andata a letto con il suo bimbo.
- Even though she wasn’t sleepy she went to bed with her baby.
- Pur avendo studiato più di lui, sono stato bocciato all’esame.
- Even though I studied more than him, I failed the exam.
Stare + the present gerund
Stare + the present gerund is used to indicate an ongoing action. [present continuous)
- Le vacanze stanno trascorrendo senza incidenti.
- The holidays are passing without incident.
- Carlo stava mangiando quando bussarono all porta.
- Carlo was eating when there was a knock on the door.
This form is used almost exclusively with the present and the imperfect, rarely with the simple future, but never with compound tenses.
The use of the form stare + gerund is not obligatory. It is frequently replaced by the present [indicative/ subjunctive/ conditional] or the imperfect [indicative/subjunctive].
- Nevica da questa mattina. = Sta nevicando da questa mattina.
- It has been snowing since this morning.
The form stare + gerund is used almost exclusively with verbs that express an action, but normally not with those of feeling or opinion, essere, avere, modal verbs, etc.
- Il bambino stava giocando con il suo gatto, quando arrivarono i genitori.
- The boy was playing with his cat when his parents arrived.
Sto sapendo che Luisa torna il 30 agosto dalla montagna.- So che Luisa torna il 30 agosto dalla montagna.
- I know that Luisa returns on August 30 from the mountain.
Advanced Italian Grammar: The past gerund in Italian
The past gerund indicates the precedence of one action over another.
- Ho capito l’uso del gerundio avendo seguito la lezione del professore.
- I understood the use of the gerund having followed the professor’s lesson.
- Capisco l’uso del gerundio avendo seguito la lezione del professore.
- I understand the use of the gerund having followed the professor’s lesson.
- Capirò l’uso del gerundio avendo seguito la lezione del professore.
- I will understand the use of the gerund having followed the professor’s lesson.
- Avendo perso tempo, non riusci a prendere il treno.
- Having wasted time, he was unable to catch the train.
Notes on present and spast gerund.
When we use these two tenses, remember that the subject of the two sentences is the same.
- Osservo (io) le persone, passeggiando (io) per la strada.
- (I) observe the people, walking on the street.
- Essendo (lui) arrivato in ritardo, (lui) ha perso il treno.
- (he) Having arrived late, (he) missed the train.
If we want to indicate different subjects, for example, we want to say that I observe and people are walking, then we must use the conjunction (che) + the indicative, or the simple infinitive.
- Osservo le persone che passeggiano per la strada.
- Osservo le persone passeggiare per la strada.
- I watch people walking down the street.
If we want to use different subjects, for example, we want to say that he arrived late and we missed the train, we must express the subject clearly and forcefully.
- Essendo lui arrivato in ritardo, tutti noi abbiamo perso il treno.
- Essendo arrivato in ritardo lui, tutti noi abbiamo perso il treno!
- Since he arrived late, we all missed the train!