Italian Past Tenses Explained: Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto
Confused by Italian past tenses? Learn when to use Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto with real-life examples, grammar tips, and clear explanations from expert instructors.
🇮🇹 Understanding the Italian Past: A Journey Through Time and Meaning
Learning Italian is like learning to dance — there’s rhythm, emotion, and a lot of passion. But when learners reach the past tense, things can feel a bit… off-beat.
Suddenly, you’re faced with not just one, but two main ways to talk about the past: Passato Prossimo and Imperfetto. Both are past tenses. Both describe events that already happened. So what’s the difference? And how do you know when to use which?
The answer lies in how Italians perceive and express time.
Where English often uses the simple past for nearly everything (“I went,” “I was,” “I walked”), Italian divides the past into different shades of meaning. The distinction between Passato Prossimo and Imperfetto isn’t just grammatical — it’s a reflection of perspective, mood, and narrative style.
If this sounds abstract, don’t worry. In this guide, we’ll break it down step-by-step. You’ll learn:
What each tense is and how it’s formed
The situations where each one is used
Common trigger words and time markers
Real-life examples you’ll hear in conversation, stories, and travel
Practical tips to stop second-guessing and start using these tenses naturally
Whether you're planning a trip to Italy, studying for an exam, or finally diving deeper into grammar after years of speaking, this article is your roadmap through the past — Italian style.
Let’s get started.
đź•’ What Is the Passato Prossimo?
Passato Prossimo is the Italian equivalent of the present perfect or the simple past in English.
It’s used to describe actions that:
Happened at a specific point in time
Are completed and over
Often have a connection to the present
Examples:
Ho mangiato la pizza. – I ate (have eaten) the pizza.
Siamo andati al cinema. – We went to the movies.
How to Form It:
Present tense of auxiliary verb (avere or essere) + past participle
Examples:
Io ho parlato – I spoke / have spoken
Lei è uscita – She went out
Reminder: Use essere for movement, reflexive verbs, and a few others (like nascere, morire). The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject if you use essere.
What Is the Imperfetto?
Imperfetto is used to describe:
Ongoing or habitual actions in the past
Background information (weather, setting, emotions)
Things you “used to” do
Age and time in the past
Examples:
Da bambino, guardavo i cartoni animati. – As a child, I used to watch cartoons.
Faceva caldo e il sole splendeva. – It was hot and the sun was shining.
How to Form It:
Drop the -re from the infinitive and add these endings:
-ARE, -ERE, -IRE verbsio: -votu: -vilui/lei: -vanoi: -vamovoi: -vateloro: -vano
Example with “parlare”:
Io parlavo
Tu parlavi
Lui/lei parlava…
Imperfetto is regular for nearly all verbs, making it much easier to conjugate than Passato Prossimo.
🔄 Side-by-Side Comparison: Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto
Use CasePassato ProssimoImperfettoCompleted actionsHo visitato Roma.–Habitual/repeated past actions–Andavamo al mare ogni estate.Description of setting/emotions–Era stanca e piangeva.Action with time referenceIeri ho parlato con Maria.Quando ero piccolo…Interrupting vs. backgroundQuando è arrivata Maria… (PP)… io guardavo la TV. (Imperfetto)
Real-Life Example:
Mentre studiavo, Marco mi ha chiamato.
(While I was studying, Marco called me.)
Here, “studiavo” is background (Imperfetto), and “ha chiamato” is the completed, interrupting action (Passato Prossimo).
Quick Memory Hacks
When in Doubt, Ask Yourself:
Is the action over and done? → Use Passato Prossimo
Was it ongoing, repeated, or descriptive? → Use Imperfetto
🚨 Trigger Words:
Passato Prossimo:
ieri (yesterday)
una volta (once)
sabato scorso (last Saturday)
stamattina (this morning)
due giorni fa (two days ago)
Imperfetto:
sempre (always)
spesso (often)
di solito (usually)
ogni giorno (every day)
mentre (while)
da piccolo (as a child)
Conversation Examples: Everyday Use
Example 1:
Passato Prossimo:
A: Cosa hai fatto ieri? – What did you do yesterday?
B: Ho cucinato la cena e ho visto un film. – I cooked dinner and watched a movie.
Example 2:
Imperfetto:
Quando vivevo a Napoli, uscivo ogni sera. – When I lived in Naples, I used to go out every evening.
Example 3:
Both Tenses Together:
Faceva freddo e pioveva, ma siamo andati comunque al mercato.
– It was cold and raining, but we went to the market anyway.
Practice Sentences (With Answers Below)
Fill in the blanks with either Passato Prossimo or Imperfetto:
(io – essere) Quando ___ piccolo, giocavo con i trenini.
(noi – andare) Ieri ___ al ristorante con gli amici.
(lei – leggere) Mentre io dormivo, lei ___ un libro.
(loro – fare) Da giovani, ___ spesso sport.
(tu – vedere) A che ora ___ il film?
Answers:
ero
siamo andati
ha letto
facevano
hai visto
Tips to Master the Tenses
Watch Italian shows with subtitles: Pay attention to past tense use.
Read short Italian stories: They often alternate between tenses.
Practice journaling: Write about your day using both tenses.
Speak it out: Use storytelling prompts in your Italian class.
Learn verbs with typical tenses: Some verbs are more common in one tense than another.
đź“š How Italian Learners at Polyglottist Language Academy Tackle the Past Tense
Our students often say the moment they finally “get” Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto is when it stops being about grammar and starts being about storytelling.
In class, we use:
Visual timelines
Role-playing activities
Past-tense games
Real Italian dialogues
We create a safe space to make mistakes and learn from them — because speaking the past is part of your future fluency.
🙋‍♀️ FAQs: Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto
Q1: Can you ever use both in the same sentence?
Yes! It’s very common. Imperfetto sets the scene, and Passato Prossimo brings the action.
Q2: Is there a hard rule for when to use each?
There are patterns and common uses, but context matters. Practice helps you “feel” the right choice over time.
Q3: What if I use the wrong tense?
Don’t panic — Italians will still understand you. But using the correct tense helps you sound more natural and avoids confusion in storytelling.
Q4: Is Imperfetto harder to learn?
Not at all! It’s very regular. The difficulty is more in choosing when to use it.
Q5: What about other past tenses like trapassato?
Advanced learners will eventually learn trapassato prossimo (past perfect), but mastering Passato Prossimo and Imperfetto is key first.
đź“Ł Want to Master Italian Grammar With Confidence?
At Polyglottist Language Academy, we make grammar approachable, interactive, and useful.
Our Italian classes include:
Clear explanations of tricky topics like Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto
Small class sizes (3–6 students) so you get personalized feedback
Native-speaking teachers who guide you through real conversations
Flexible schedules for in-person and online learning
Whether you're a total beginner or refreshing your grammar, our Italian courses help you speak with clarity, fluency, and confidence.
👉 Sign up today for our Italian classes — and start speaking like a native storyteller.