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ITALIAN VERB

tentare

to attempt

  • #260 most used
  • Regular -are verb
  • Past participle: tentato
  • Gerund: tentando

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. io I attempt
  2. tu you attempt
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she attempts
  4. noi we attempt
  5. voi you all attempt
  6. loro they attempt

Past

Passato prossimo · finished actions: “ho parlato”

  1. io I attempted
  2. tu you attempted
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she attempted
  4. noi we attempted
  5. voi you all attempted
  6. loro they attempted

Imperfect

Imperfetto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. io I used to attempt
  2. tu you used to attempt
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she used to attempt
  4. noi we used to attempt
  5. voi you all used to attempt
  6. loro they used to attempt

Future

Futuro semplice · plans and guesses

  1. io I will attempt
  2. tu you will attempt
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she will attempt
  4. noi we will attempt
  5. voi you all will attempt
  6. loro they will attempt

Conditional

Condizionale · “would”, polite requests

  1. io I would attempt
  2. tu you would attempt
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she would attempt
  4. noi we would attempt
  5. voi you all would attempt
  6. loro they would attempt

Present subjunctive

Congiuntivo presente · wishes, doubts, “che …”

  1. io (that) I attempt
  2. tu (that) you attempt
  3. lui, lei, Lei (that) he/she attempt
  4. noi (that) we attempt
  5. voi (that) you all attempt
  6. loro (that) they attempt

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders: tu, Lei, noi, voi

  1. tu attempt!
  2. Lei attempt! (formal)
  3. noi attempt! (let’s)
  4. voi attempt! (all of you)

How to use tentare

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Tento di chiamarla da un'ora, niente.

    I've been trying to call her for an hour, nothing.

  2. Past

    Ho tentato di aprire la porta, ma è bloccata.

    I tried to open the door, but it's stuck.

  3. Imperfect

    Tentava di spiegare, ma nessuno ascoltava.

    He was trying to explain, but nobody was listening.

  4. Future

    Tenterò l'esame di nuovo a giugno.

    I'll attempt the exam again in June.

  5. Conditional

    Al posto tuo tenterei ancora una volta.

    In your place I'd try once more.

  6. Present subjunctive

    È inutile che tu tenti di convincerlo.

    There's no point in you trying to convince him.

  7. Imperative

    Tenta, al massimo ti dicono di no.

    Give it a try, the worst they can say is no.

Good to know

  • Tentare di fare is to try to do; tentar non nuoce is "no harm in trying".

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -are verb.