Essere vs Avere in Italian: Conjugation, Uses and Examples

What is the difference between essere and avere?

Essere describes identity, state or location. Avere expresses possession and many physical sensations. Both are irregular, common and essential as auxiliaries in compound tenses.

• Sono italiana. = I am Italian.
• Ho una sorella. = I have a sister.

How do you conjugate essere in the present?

Memorize the six forms as a complete set: sono, sei, è, siamo, siete, sono. Subject pronouns can often be omitted because the verb ending identifies the person.

• Io sono, tu sei, lui/lei è
• Noi siamo, voi siete, loro sono

How do you conjugate avere in the present?

The present forms are ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno. The written h is silent but distinguishes several forms from other Italian words, so keep it in writing.

• Io ho, tu hai, lui/lei ha
• Noi abbiamo, voi avete, loro hanno

When do you use essere for identity?

Use essere for who someone is, their nationality, profession or a temporary state. An adjective after essere must normally agree with the person or thing described.

• Marta è insegnante. = Marta is a teacher.
• Siamo stanchi. = We are tired.

When do you use avere for possession?

Use avere for things you own, relationships and available time. The form changes with the subject, not with the thing possessed.

• Hai un dizionario? = Do you have a dictionary?
• Abbiamo due ore. = We have two hours.

Why does Italian say ho fame?

Many sensations that use “be” in English use avere in Italian. Translate the idea rather than the English verb, and learn each expression as a short phrase.

• Ho fame / sete / freddo / caldo. = I am hungry / thirsty / cold / hot.
• Hai sonno? = Are you sleepy?

Which verb tells someone’s age?

Italian uses avere for age. Put the number before anni, or omit anni when context makes the meaning clear. “Sono 30 anni” means something different.

• Ho trent’anni. = I am thirty years old.
• Quanti anni hai? = How old are you?

How do essere and avere form the past?

In passato prossimo, a conjugated form of either verb combines with a past participle. Many transitive verbs take avere, while common movement and change-of-state verbs take essere.

• Ho mangiato. = I ate / have eaten.
• Sono arrivata. = I arrived.

What changes when the auxiliary is essere?

With essere, the past participle normally agrees in gender and number with the subject. This is visible in forms such as arrivato, arrivata, arrivati and arrivate.

• Luca è partito; Anna è partita.
• Luca e Anna sono partiti.

Why do reflexive verbs use essere?

Reflexive verbs form compound tenses with essere. The reflexive pronoun remains before the auxiliary, and the participle agrees with the subject.

• Mi sono svegliata presto. = I woke up early.
• Ci siamo incontrati ieri. = We met yesterday.

What are frequent learner mistakes?

Two reliable checks solve many errors: ask whether the expression uses avere in Italian, and check the auxiliary of a past-tense verb as a whole phrase.

• Ho freddo, not sono freddo when you mean “I feel cold.”
• Sono andata, not ho andata.

How should you practise both verbs?

Write one sentence per person with each verb, then turn it into a question and a negative. Finally, make a short past-tense pair using one verb with avere and one with essere.

• Sei pronto? Non sono pronto.
• Ho studiato; sono uscita.

Essere or avere: choose by meaning and construction

For a present-tense sentence, ask what you mean: identity or state generally takes essere; possession, age and expressions such as fame take avere. In passato prossimo, the choice belongs to the whole verb construction. Transitive active verbs take avere; reflexive verbs take essere. Intransitive verbs vary, so learn their auxiliary with each verb instead of assuming every movement verb takes essere.

1. Complete and translate: Io ___ freddo. (I am cold.)
2. Complete and translate: Maria ___ partita ieri. (Maria left yesterday.)

See how passato prossimo and imperfetto describe different kinds of past events.

Practise Italian reflexive verbs with essere in the past tense.