An insert in the middle
Most verbs in -ire slip an extra syllable between the stem and the ending in the present: -isc-. From cap- and -o you get not capo but capisco. Not every -ire verb does this (dormo, parto), and the infinitive does not tell you which. So learn each new -ire verb together with its io form.
capire
Present of capire (to understand)
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | capisco | I understand |
| tu | capisci | you understand |
| lui/lei | capisce | he/she understands |
| noi | capiamo | we understand |
| voi | capite | you (all) understand |
| loro | capiscono | they understand |
The -isc- appears in four forms. It is missing in noi and voi, where the ending attaches directly to the stem.
Scusa, non capisco.
Sorry, I don't understand.
Capisci l'italiano?
Do you understand Italian?
I turisti non capiscono il menu.
The tourists don't understand the menu.
Common verbs with -isc-
capire
to understand — capisco
finire
to finish — finisco
preferire
to prefer — preferisco
pulire
to clean — pulisco
spedire
to send — spedisco
Finisco di lavorare alle sei.
I finish work at six.
Cosa preferisci, pizza o pasta?
Which do you prefer, pizza or pasta?
Marco pulisce la cucina.
Marco is cleaning the kitchen.
Spedisci tu il pacco?
Are you sending the parcel?
Finiamo alle sei.
We finish at six.
The pronunciation changes within the conjugation
Before o the sc is hard, before i and e it is soft: the spelling stays the same, the sound changes.
capisco
[ka-PEE-sko]
hard sk
capisci
[ka-PEE-shee]
soft sh
capiscono
[ka-PEE-sko-no]
hard again
