Aspettavate

Aspettavate is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb aspettare, meaning to wait or to expect. It translates to “you (plural) were waiting” or “you (plural) used to wait” in English, depending on context.

In Italian, the imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or background events in narrative. Aspettavate is used when addressing more than one person and describing a past ongoing activity, such as waiting for someone or something. In more formal writing, the verb attendere is often preferred, while aspettare remains common in everyday speech and in many regional varieties.

Conjugation and related forms: the present tense forms of aspettare include aspetto, aspetti, aspetta, aspettiamo, aspettate, aspettano. The imperfect forms are aspettavo, aspettavi, aspettava, aspettavamo, aspettavate, aspettavano, with aspetta- being the stem in the imperfect. The past participle is aspettato, used with avere to form the passato prossimo (avete aspettato). The gerund is aspettando, and the infinitive is aspettare.

Etymology and cognates: aspettare derives from Latin expectare, meaning to look for or await. It has cognates across Romance languages, such as Spanish esperar and French attendre. In Italian, aspettare and attendere can overlap in meaning, with attendere often signaling a more formal or punctual sense of waiting.

Notes: Aspettavate may appear in literature, dialogue, or narrative to place the action in a past, ongoing moment addressed to a plural subject. Awareness of regional usage helps distinguish when aspettare is preferred versus attendere.