The Italian verb "difendere" means "to defend" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "difendere" across all 5 tenses. New to Italian verbs? Start with the Italian verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "difendere" in the Present Tense
Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | difendo |
| tu | you (informal) | difendi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | difende |
| noi | we | difendiamo |
| voi | you all | difendete |
| loro | they | difendono |
Lei difende il suo cliente in tribunale.
She defends her client in court.
How to Conjugate "difendere" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | ho difeso |
| tu | you (informal) | hai difeso |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | ha difeso |
| noi | we | abbiamo difeso |
| voi | you all | avete difeso |
| loro | they | hanno difeso |
Lui ha difeso la sua casa.
He defended his house.
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Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | difendevo |
| tu | you (informal) | difendevi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | difendeva |
| noi | we | difendevamo |
| voi | you all | difendevate |
| loro | they | difendevano |
Lei difendeva il suo piccolo cane.
She was defending her little dog.
How to Conjugate "difendere" in the Future Tense
Futuro semplice Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | difenderò |
| tu | you (informal) | difenderai |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | difenderà |
| noi | we | difenderemo |
| voi | you all | difenderete |
| loro | they | difenderanno |
Lei difenderà il suo cliente.
She will defend her client.
How to Conjugate "difendere" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | difenderei |
| tu | you (informal) | difenderesti |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | difenderebbe |
| noi | we | difenderemmo |
| voi | you all | difendereste |
| loro | they | difenderebbero |
Lui difenderebbe la sua posizione.
He would defend his position.
Frequently Asked Questions About "difendere"
Is "difendere" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Difendere" is an irregular Italian verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "difendere" mean in English?
The Italian verb "difendere" means "to defend" in English.
How do you conjugate "difendere" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → difendo, tu → difendi, lui/lei → difende, noi → difendiamo, voi → difendete, loro → difendono.
How many tenses does "difendere" have in Italian?
"Difendere" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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