From a chronological perspective, time expresses the relationship between the moment in which we speak and the moment in which the action or event indicated by the verb takes place.
The verb has three tenses to describe an event: the present, the past, and the future.
1. The present tense
The present tense indicates that the event occurs at the same time as we speak. It therefore expresses the contemporaneity of the action:
- Oggi splende il sole.
- Today the sun is shining
2. The past tense
The past tense indicates that the event occurred before the moment in which we are speaking. It therefore expresses the antecedent nature of the action:
- Ieri splendeva i sole.
- Yesterday the sun was shining.
3. The future tense.
The future indicates that the event will happen at a time subsequent to the one in which we are speaking. It expresses the posterior nature of the action:
- Domani splenderà il sole.
- Tomorrow the sun will shine.
Tenses of the verb are divided into:
1. Simple tenses: when they consist of a single word: penso (I think), amava (loverd), verrebbe (would), bere (drink), cantando (singing).
2. Compound tenses: when they are formed by a voice of the auxiliary Essere or Avere followed by the past participle of the verb to be conjugated: ho mangiato (I ate), aveva visto (I had seen), sarei andato (I would have gone), aver bevuto (I drank), avendo cantato (I sang).
| Moods | Simple tenses | Compound tenses |
| Indicative | presente (present) futuro (future) imperfetto (imperfect) passato remoto (remote past) | passato prossimo (present perfect) futuro anteriore (future Perfect) trapassato prossimo (past Perfect) trapassato remoto (remote past) |
| Subjunctive | presente (present) imperfetto (imperfect) | passato (past) trapassato (past perfect) |
| Conditional | presente (present) | passato (past) |
| Infinite | presente (present) | passato (past) |
| Gerund | presente (present) | passato (past) |