Aiutavi

Aiutavi is the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb aiutare, meaning to help. In past contexts it expresses an action that was ongoing, habitual, or repeated, such as “you were helping” or “you helped (regularly)”.

Conjugation and form: Aiutare is a regular -are verb. In the imperfect the endings are -avo, -avi, -ava, -avamo, -avate, -avano. Therefore the forms include io aiutavo, tu aiutavi, lui/lei aiutava, noi aiutavamo, voi aiutavate, loro aiutavano. The form tu aiutavi is the standard second-person singular, used to indicate an ongoing or repeated past action.

Usage notes: Aiutavi is typically used to describe past contexts where helping occurred over a period of time or as a habit. It contrasts with the passato prossimo (hai aiutato) for a completed past action and with the passato remoto (aiutasti) in more formal or literary narration. Example sentences: Da bambino, spesso aiutavi i vicini con la spesa. Mentre lavoravamo al progetto, tu aiutavi i colleghi a risolvere i problemi tecnici.

Etymology: The Italian aiutare derives from Latin adiuvare (and related forms iuvare), through the development of the Romance languages. The imperfect endings reflect the standard -are verb conjugation pattern in Italian, with tu aiutavi forming the characteristic second-person singular ending.

See also: aiutare, Italian conjugation, imperfect indicative.