Credevamo

Credevamo is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb credere, meaning “we believed” or “we used to believe.” It expresses a belief, opinion, or assumption that persisted over a period in the past and is commonly used in narrative to set past context or introduce a remembered state of mind. In Italian, the imperfect tense conveys ongoing or repeated actions in the past rather than completed events.

Morphology and examples: The verb crede- forms the stem crede- for the imperfect, with the usual imperfect endings of -ere verbs. For noi (we) the form is credevamo. Examples include: Noi credevamo che la situazione migliorasse, but the outcome proved otherwise. This tense contrasts with the passato prossimo (we believed at that moment or we have believed) and the passato remoto (the more distant, narrative past). Other conjugations include credevi (tu), credeva (lui/lei), credevate (voi), and credevano (loro).

Etymology and usage notes: Credevamo derives from the root credere, “to believe,” with the imperfect suffix -vamo for the first-person plural. The form is common in storytelling, journalism, and everyday speech when reflecting on past beliefs, assumptions, or expectations that may have changed.

Cultural context: The phrase credevamo has appeared in Italian media and literature as a natural expression of memory, nostalgia, or reevaluation. It is sometimes used as a fragment or motif to evoke shared past beliefs or to frame a reconsideration of events or ideas.

See also: Italian language, Credere, Imperfect tense in Italian.