The Italian verb "cominciare" means "to begin" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "cominciare" across all 5 tenses. New to Italian verbs? Start with the Italian verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "cominciare" in the Present Tense
Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | comincio |
| tu | you (informal) | cominci |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | comincia |
| noi | we | cominciamo |
| voi | you all | cominciate |
| loro | they | cominciano |
Lei comincia la scuola domani.
say it LAY koh-MEEN-chah
She starts school tomorrow.
In other languages
- French Elle commence l'école demain.
- German Sie beginnt morgen die Schule.
- Spanish Ella empieza la escuela mañana.
- Dutch Zij begint morgen met school.
Io comincio a lavorare alle otto.
say it EE-oh koh-meen-CHAH-oh
I start working at eight.
In other languages
- French Je commence à travailler à huit heures.
- German Ich fange um acht an zu arbeiten.
- Spanish Empiezo a trabajar a las ocho.
- Dutch Ik begin om acht uur te werken.
How to Conjugate "cominciare" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | ho cominciato |
| tu | you (informal) | hai cominciato |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | ha cominciato |
| noi | we | abbiamo cominciato |
| voi | you all | avete cominciato |
| loro | they | hanno cominciato |
Lei ha cominciato la riunione in orario.
say it LAY ah koh-meen-CHAH-toh lah ryoo-NYOH-neh een oh-RAH-ryoh
She started the meeting on time.
In other languages
- French Elle a commencé la réunion à l'heure.
- German Sie hat das Meeting pünktlich begonnen.
- Spanish Ella empezó la reunión a tiempo.
- Dutch Zij begon de vergadering op tijd.
Io ho cominciato a lavorare presto.
say it EE-oh oh koh-meen-CHAH-toh ah lah-voh-RAH-reh PREH-stoh
I started working early.
In other languages
- French J'ai commencé à travailler tôt.
- German Ich habe früh mit der Arbeit begonnen.
- Spanish Empecé a trabajar temprano.
- Dutch Ik begon vroeg te werken.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "cominciare" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | cominciavo |
| tu | you (informal) | cominciavi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | cominciava |
| noi | we | cominciavamo |
| voi | you all | cominciavate |
| loro | they | cominciavano |
Lui cominciava a leggere un nuovo libro.
say it LOO-ee ko-meen-CHAH-vah
He used to start reading a new book.
In other languages
- French Il avait l'habitude de commencer à lire un nouveau livre.
- German Er hat früher angefangen, ein neues Buch zu lesen.
- Spanish Él solía empezar a leer un libro nuevo.
- Dutch Hij begon vroeger aan een nieuw boek te lezen.
Io cominciavo a studiare alle nove.
say it ee-OH ko-meen-CHAH-voh
I used to start studying at nine.
In other languages
- French J'avais l'habitude de commencer à étudier à neuf heures.
- German Ich habe früher um neun mit dem Lernen angefangen.
- Spanish Solía empezar a estudiar a las nueve.
- Dutch Ik begon vroeger om negen uur met studeren.
How to Conjugate "cominciare" in the Future Tense
Futuro semplice Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | comincerò |
| tu | you (informal) | comincerai |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | comincerà |
| noi | we | cominceremo |
| voi | you all | comincerete |
| loro | they | cominceranno |
Lui comincerà a correre presto.
say it LOO-ee ko-meen-cheh-RAH ah KO-reh-reh PREH-stoh
He will start running soon.
In other languages
- French Il commencera à courir bientôt.
- German Er wird bald anfangen zu rennen.
- Spanish Él empezará a correr pronto.
- Dutch Hij zal binnenkort beginnen te rennen.
Io comincerò il lavoro lunedì.
say it ee-OH ko-meen-cheh-ROH eel lah-VO-roh loo-neh-DEE
I will start the work on Monday.
In other languages
- French Je commencerai le travail lundi.
- German Ich werde die Arbeit am Montag beginnen.
- Spanish Empezaré el trabajo el lunes.
- Dutch Ik zal het werk op maandag beginnen.
How to Conjugate "cominciare" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | comincerei |
| tu | you (informal) | cominceresti |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | comincerebbe |
| noi | we | cominceremmo |
| voi | you all | comincereste |
| loro | they | comincerebbero |
Lui comincerebbe a lavorare alle otto.
say it LOO-ee ko-meen-cheh-REB-beh
He would start working at eight.
In other languages
- French Il commencerait à travailler à huit heures.
- German Er würde um acht Uhr mit der Arbeit beginnen.
- Spanish Él empezaría a trabajar a las ocho.
- Dutch Hij zou om acht uur met werken beginnen.
Io comincerei a studiare subito.
say it ee-OH ko-meen-CHAY-ray
I would start studying immediately.
In other languages
- French Je commencerais à étudier immédiatement.
- German Ich würde sofort mit dem Lernen anfangen.
- Spanish Empezaría a estudiar inmediatamente.
- Dutch Ik zou onmiddellijk beginnen met studeren.
Frequently Asked Questions About "cominciare"
Is "cominciare" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Cominciare" is a regular Italian verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "cominciare" mean in English?
The Italian verb "cominciare" means "to begin" in English.
How do you conjugate "cominciare" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → comincio, tu → cominci, lui/lei → comincia, noi → cominciamo, voi → cominciate, loro → cominciano.
How many tenses does "cominciare" have in Italian?
"Cominciare" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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