Talking About the Past: Childhood Habits
When we want to describe what we used to do regularly or what things were like when we were children, we use a special tense in Italian called l'imperfetto (the imperfect tense).
How to Form the Imperfect
To form the imperfect, take the verb root (dropping -are, -ere, or -ire) and add the appropriate endings:
- Parlare (to speak) → parlavo (I used to speak), parlavi (you used to speak), parlava (he/she used to speak)
- Prendere (to take) → prendevo (I used to take), prendevi (you used to take), prendeva (he/she used to take)
- Dormire (to sleep) → dormivo (I used to sleep), dormivi (you used to sleep), dormiva (he/she used to sleep)
Common Expressions for Childhood
We often use time phrases with the imperfect:
- Da piccolo/a - As a child
- Tutti i giorni - Every day
- Da bambino/a - When I was a child
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the passato prossimo (e.g., *ho giocato*) for repeated childhood habits.
Correction: Use the imperfetto (*giocavo*) because these actions happened repeatedly over a period of time, not just once.
Words
da piccolo
as a child (male)
Da piccolo giocavo sempre a calcio.As a child I always used to play soccer.
giocare con le bambole
to play with dolls
Mia sorella giocava con le bambole.My sister used to play with dolls.
andare in bicicletta
to ride a bike
Andavamo in bicicletta ogni pomeriggio.We used to ride bikes every afternoon.
guardare i cartoni animati
to watch cartoons
Guardavo i cartoni animati la mattina.I used to watch cartoons in the morning.
mangiare i dolci
to eat sweets
Mangiavo molti dolci da bambino.I used to eat a lot of sweets as a child.
leggere le fiabe
to read fairy tales
La mamma mi leggeva le fiabe.Mom used to read fairy tales to me.
andare al parco
to go to the park
Andavamo al parco dopo la scuola.We used to go to the park after school.
litigare con
to argue with
Litigavo spesso con mio fratello.I used to argue often with my brother.
avere paura del buio
to be afraid of the dark
Avevo paura del buio quando ero piccolo.I was afraid of the dark when I was little.
collezionare figurine
to collect stickers
Collezionavamo figurine rare.We used to collect rare stickers.
Lessons are prepared with the help of AI.
Patterns
Da piccolo/a ___
As a child, I used to... (used to introduce childhood habits)
Da piccola leggevo molte fiabe.As a child I used to read many fairy tales.
Quando ero piccolo/a, ___
When I was little, I used to...
Quando ero piccolo, guardavo i cartoni animati.When I was little, I used to watch cartoons.
Ogni giorno ___
Every day I used to...
Ogni giorno andavo in bicicletta.Every day I used to ride a bike.