Italian impersonal verbs
Some Italian verbs are used without a subject, in the third person singular, and are called impersonal. Besides missing the inflected forms, they also lack the imperative. The form of the past participle is always invariable. Some examples of impersonal verbs are those indicating weather conditions. Here we give an example of conjugation of the verb piovere (to rain).PIOVERE
INDICATIVO
| presente | piove | passato prossimo | è/ha piovuto |
| imperfetto | pioveva | trapas. prossimo | era/aveva piovuto |
| passato remoto | piovve | trapassato remoto | fu/ebbe piovuto |
| futuro | pioverà | futuro anteriore | sarà/avrà piovuto |
CONDIZIONALE
| presente | pioverebbe | passato | sarebbe/avrebbe piovuto |
CONGIUNTIVO
| presente | piova | passato | sia/abbia piovuto |
| imperfetto | piovesse | trapassato | fosse/avesse piovuto |
INFINITO
| presente | piovere | passato | essere/avere piovuto |
PARTICIPIO
| presente (raro) piovente/spiovente | - | passato | piovuto |
GERUNDIO
| presente | piovendo | passato | essendo/avendo piovuto |
This is a short list of verbs indicating time and weather conditions. It should be noted that according to the grammar with these verbs should be used the verb essere (to be) , but in the current language both auxiliaries are now used interchangeably.
| Verbo | Inglese |
| abbagliare | to blind |
| aggiornare | to dawn |
| albeggia | to dawn |
| alitare | to sigh |
| annebbiare | to grow foggy |
| annuvolarsi | to become cloudy |
| balenare | to lighten |
| diluviare | to pour |
| disgelare | to thaw |
| fioccare | to snow |
| fischiare | to whistle |
| gelare | to freeze |
| ghiacciare | to frost |
| grandinare | to hail |
| grondare | to pour |
| lampeggiare | to lighten |
| nevicare | to snow |
| piovere | to rain |
| piovigginare | to drizzle |
| rabbuiarsi | to get dark |
| raggelare | to freeze |
| rannuvolarsi | to cloud over |
| rasserenarsi | to clear up |
| rimettersi | to clear up |
| rinfrescare | to cool |
| saettare | to lighten |
| schiarirsi | to clear up |
| scrosciare | to pelt |
| soffiare | to blow |
| spiovere | to stop raining |
| spirare | to blow |
| tuonare | to thunder |
Verbs indicating weather conditions may also have a construction with a subject when they have a figurative meaning.
Example : M'è piovuta addosso una disgrazia Something terrible happened to me.
Other verbs can be used with an impersonal construction, in both third persons: singular and plural.
In compound tenses they all require the auxiliary essere. Here is a short list .
| Verbo | Inglese |
| accadere | to happen |
| addirsi | to suit |
| avvenire | to happen |
| bastare | to be enough |
| bisognare | need |
| capitare | to happen |
| constare | to appear |
| convenire | must, to be necessary |
| costumare | to be a common habit |
| necessitare | to need |
| occorrere | must |
| parere | to seem |
| piacere | to please |
| premere | to matter, to be important |
| rincrescere | to mind |
| risultare | to understand |
| sembrare | to seem |
| spettare | to be up to someone |
| succedere | to happen |
| trattarsi di | to be a matter of |
| urgere | to be pressing |
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