Imperfect past — Used for ongoing, habitual, or descriptive past states — the background tense of Italian storytelling.
Ask Claude about Imperfetto
Add a Flashcard
Saved!
Explanation
The imperfetto describes actions that were in progress, repeated, or habitual in the past. It also expresses past descriptions, emotions, and states of being. In narratives it contrasts with the passato prossimo/remoto: the imperfetto paints the background scene, while the passato marks specific events.
Italian Examples
Da bambina, leggevo molti libri.
As a child, I used to read many books.
Mentre mangiavamo, è squillato il telefono.
While we were eating, the phone rang.
Faceva molto caldo quel giorno.
It was very hot that day.
Lavorava come ingegnere prima di cambiare città.
He used to work as an engineer before changing city.