Appendere

Appendere is an Italian verb meaning to hang, to suspend, or to hang up something. It is used for placing items on a hook, nail, or above a surface, as well as for figurative or extended uses such as displaying information or banners. The action is transitive: one hangs something (appendere qualcosa) to or from another object (a, su, al, etc.).

Etymology and related forms

The verb derives from Latin appendere, formed from ad- “toward” and pendere “to hang.” In Italian, appendere is a regular -ere verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern for this class.

Conjugation (selected)

- Present: io appendo, tu appendi, lui/lei appende, noi appendiamo, voi appendete, loro appendono.

- Past participle: appeso (in compound tenses with avere: ho appeso, hai appeso, ha appeso, abbiamo appeso, avete appeso, hanno appeso). The form appeso is the common participle; appenduto appears in some older or regional usages.

- Gerund: appendendo.

- Subjunctive: che io appenda, che tu appendi, che lui appenda, che noi appendiamo, che voi appendiate, che loro appendano.

- Imperative: (tu) appendi, (Lei) appenda, (noi) appendiamo, (voi) appendete, (Loro) appendano.

Usage notes

Appendere governs the thing being hung and the support or location to which it is attached (appendere qualcosa a qualcosa). Common collocations include appendere un quadro al muro, appendere giacche al gancio, e appendere una lista al frigorifero. Idiomatic uses include l’espressione appendere al chiodo, meaning to give up or retire from a habit or job.

See also

Sospendere and Attaccare are related verbs but have distinct nuances: sospendere implies temporary suspension, while attaccare focuses on fastening or attaching.