Italian grammar
Giocavo, vivevo, andavamo
Talk about childhood habits.
From the scene Quando ero piccola (When I was little)
In short
For past habits, use the imperfetto: -avo, -evo, -ivo. We: -avamo, -evamo.
- I used to play giocavo
- I used to live vivevo
- we used to go andavamo
- there was / were c'era / c'erano
Your turn
Which one goes with I used to live?
Options: giocavo · andavamo · vivevo
Show answer
I used to live → vivevo
How it works
For things you used to do again and again (childhood habits) use the imperfetto.
Good to know
-avo / -avi / -ava for -are verbs, -evo / -evi / -eva for -ere verbs, -ivo for -ire verbs. We = -avamo, -evamo: andavamo, mangiavamo.
Good to know
There was / were = c'era / c'erano.
I used to play giocavo
Nuria
Giocavo in strada con i miei cugini.
I used to play in the street with my cousins.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) in strada con i miei cugini.
Options: Giocavo · Vivevo · Andavamo
Show answer
Nuria
Giocavo in strada con i miei cugini.
I used to play in the street with my cousins.
I used to live vivevo
Nuria
Da piccola, vivevo in un paese della Galizia.
As a child, I lived in a village in Galicia.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Da piccola, (blank) in un paese della Galizia.
Options: vivevo · giocavo · andavamo
Show answer
Nuria
Da piccola, vivevo in un paese della Galizia.
As a child, I lived in a village in Galicia.
we used to go andavamo
Nuria
La domenica, andavamo al mare.
On Sundays, we used to go to the beach.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
La domenica, (blank) al mare.
Options: andavamo · giocavo · vivevo
Show answer
Nuria
La domenica, andavamo al mare.
On Sundays, we used to go to the beach.
there was / were c'era / c'erano
Nuria
No, era molto piccolo. Ma c'erano tanti animali.
No, it was very small. But there were lots of animals.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
No, era molto piccolo. Ma (blank) tanti animali.
Options: c'erano · giocavo · vivevo
Show answer
Nuria
No, era molto piccolo. Ma c'erano tanti animali.
No, it was very small. But there were lots of animals.
Common mistake
Not vivo or viveva here. I used to live.
Da piccola, vivevo in un paese della Galizia.
As a child, I lived in a village in Galicia.
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 used to play | giocavo |
|---|---|
| I used to live | vivevo |
| we used to go | andavamo |
| there was / were | c'era / c'erano |
More lines from the story
- ElenaAnch'io giocavo in strada. E spiavo già i vicini!I used to play in the street too. And I already spied on the neighbours!
- NuriaC'erano mucche per strada e un gatto in ogni casa.There were cows in the street and a cat in every house.