Chiudevo

Chiudevo is the first-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb chiudere, meaning to close. It expresses an action that was ongoing in the past or a habitual action at a past time. In English, it corresponds to “I was closing” or “I used to close.” The form is commonly used in narrative to set scenes, describe routines, or relate past events.

Conjugation note: In the imperfect, chiudere follows regular -ere verb patterns. The full set for the present stem chiud- is: io chiudevo, tu chiudevi, lui/lei chiudeva, noi chiudevamo, voi chiudevate, loro chiudevano. The past participle of chiudere is chiuso, used with auxiliary avere in compound tenses (ho chiuso, avevo chiuso). This form contrasts with the simple passato prossimo chiuso, which can carry a completed action rather than a continuing one.

Etymology: Chiudere derives from Latin claudere, sharing a common root with related Italian words such as chiuso (closed) and chiusura (closure).

Usage notes: Chiudevo appears in contexts describing repeated or non-specified-duration past actions. It is paired with time expressions like sempre, ogni sera, o mentre to indicate habituality or simultaneity.

Examples:

- Io chiudevo la porta ogni sera prima di dormire.

- Quando lavoravo in quell’ufficio, chiudevo spesso le finestre per risparmiare energia.

- Mentre chiudevo la finestra, cominciò a piovere.

See also: chiudere, imperfect tense, Italian grammar.