essere
/ˈɛs.se.re/
The Italian phrase for "to be" is essere.
essere is the most common and general way to express "to be" in Italian, used to express existence or to describe a specific quality or identity. While you use it for identities, note that if you want to describe a change or transformation, you should use the verb diventare and if you are expressing emotions or physical conditions, the expression mi sento is typically used.
Which one should you use?
In Italian, essere is used for identity and permanent qualities. In contrast, the verb stare is used for temporary states or for location in certain contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form is essere. The gerund form, meaning "being", is essendo and the past participle, meaning "been", is stato. For the second person singular imperative ("be"), use sii.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable. The pronunciation is /ˈɛs.se.re/.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'to be' for age, Italian uses the verb avere meaning 'to have'. To say 'I am twenty', an Italian says ho venti anni, literally 'I have twenty years'.
- In Italian, essere is used as an auxiliary verb for many verbs of movement, such as 'to go' or 'to arrive'. This means you say 'I am gone' rather than 'I have gone'.
- The past participle of essere is stato, which is also the past participle of stare. This means the same word is used for both 'been' and 'stayed'.
Examples in context
- Devi essere lì ora.You're supposed to be there now.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use essere regarding supposed presence.Tatoeba #2971390 by Guybrush88, translation #2835654 by CK
- Tu vuoi essere qui?Do you want to be here?This sentence is useful for using essere to express desire to be in a location.Tatoeba #3582074 by Guybrush88, translation #2011741 by CK
- È bello essere qui.Good to be here.This sentence is useful for using essere to describe a feeling about being in a place.Tatoeba #4560925 by Guybrush88, translation #1905797 by Tutim
- Io sonoI am
- Loro sono insegnanti.They are teachers.
- Io sto bene.I am fine.
- La riunione sta per iniziare.The meeting is about to start.
- Sono stanco/a.I am tired.
- Sto bene, grazie!I am good, thank you!
- Io eroI was
- 4290 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are talking about their future goals.
- MartinaCosa vuoi essere da grande, Matteo?What do you want to be when you grow up, Matteo?
- MatteoVoglio essere un medico famoso.I want to be a famous doctor.
- MartinaÈ difficile essere un medico.It is difficult to be a doctor.
- MatteoSì, ma voglio essere utile agli altri.Yes, but I want to be useful to others.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry essere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries essere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
