Ammirare

Ammirare is an Italian verb meaning to admire, to regard with esteem or pleasure, often for beauty, virtue, or excellence. The term derives from the Latin admirari, meaning to wonder at or marvel.

Usage and meaning

Ammirare is a transitive verb and requires a direct object. It can be used with people, works of art, landscapes, virtues, or achievements: “Ammiriamo la bellezza della città,” “Ha ammirato le imprese di lei.” The nuance ranges from simple appreciation to deep respect or reverence. In everyday speech it can also indicate looking at something with pleasure or fascination, as in “ammirare un panorama.”

Grammatical notes

Ammirare forms with the auxiliary avere in compound tenses, for example: “ho ammirato,” “hai ammirato.” The present indicative is: io ammiro, tu ammiri, lui/lei ammira, noi ammi riamo, voi ammirate, loro ammirano. The verb can appear in various moods and tenses, including the present subjunctive (che io ammiri, che noi ammir iamo, ecc.), and the imperfect (ammiravo, ammirevi, etc.). It takes prepositional complements if the admired quality or object is specified with a preposition, such as “ammirare per le sue qualità” or “ammirare da lontano.”

Nuances and synonyms

Ammirare conveys a sense of respect or appreciation beyond mere liking; synonyms include stimare, rispettare, and lodare in contexts of merit, with slight shifts in emphasis. In a poetic or descriptive register, it can mean to gaze at with admiration, as in observing a beautiful scene or artwork.

See also

Admirare as the Latin root, and related Italian verbs expressing appreciation or reverence.