Italian grammar
Describing someone in the past
Describe what someone looked like in old photos.
From the scene Le foto di quando ero piccola (Photos from when I was little)
In short
Describe how someone looked or was in the past with the imperfetto: avevo i capelli ricci, ero timida.
- I had / you had avevo / avevi
- I wore / you wore portavo / portavi
- curly hair i capelli ricci
- I was / you were ero / eri
Your turn
Which one goes with I wore / you wore?
Options: i capelli ricci · portavo / portavi · avevo / avevi
Show answer
I wore / you wore → portavo / portavi
How it works
To describe how someone looked or was in the past, use the imperfetto.
Good to know
Avevo i capelli ricci (I had curly hair), portavo gli occhiali (I wore glasses), ero timida (I was shy).
I had / you had avevo / avevi
Nuria
Sì. Avevo i capelli molto ricci.
Yes. I had very curly hair.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Sì. (blank) i capelli molto ricci.
Options: I capelli ricci · Avevo · Portavo
Show answer
Nuria
Sì. Avevo i capelli molto ricci.
Yes. I had very curly hair.
I wore / you wore portavo / portavi
Nuria
Portavo gli occhiali da quando avevo cinque anni.
I wore glasses from the age of five.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) gli occhiali da quando avevo cinque anni.
Options: I capelli ricci · Ero · Portavo
Show answer
Nuria
Portavo gli occhiali da quando avevo cinque anni.
I wore glasses from the age of five.
curly hair i capelli ricci
I was / you were ero / eri
Nuria
No! Ero solo molto timida.
No! I was just very shy.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
No! (blank) solo molto timida.
Options: Ero · Avevo · Portavo
Show answer
Nuria
No! Ero solo molto timida.
No! I was just very shy.
Watch out
Italian uses avere for hair and age (avevo cinque anni), and hair is plural: i capelli ricci.
Common mistake
Not Ero or Erano here. Javi is talking to Nuria (tu).
Eri una bambina molto seria.
You were a very serious little girl.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| I had / you had | avevo / avevi |
|---|---|
| I wore / you wore | portavo / portavi |
| curly hair | i capelli ricci |
| I was / you were | ero / eri |
More lines from the story
- JaviEri una bambina molto seria.You were a very serious little girl.
- NuriaEra il mio costume da strega.It was my witch costume.
- JaviAh... pensavo fossero i tuoi capelli!Oh... I thought that was your hair!