Leggete

Leggete is a form of the Italian verb leggere, meaning to read. It is the second-person plural present indicative form (voi leggete) and is also used as the imperative form to address a group, equivalent to "Read!" in English. In standard Italian, the present indicative forms of leggere are io leggo, tu leggi, lui/lei legge, noi leggiamo, voi leggete, loro leggono. The form leggete is part of a regular pattern for -ere verbs in the present tense, with the verb stem maintaining the leg- root across forms to preserve the hard g sound before the front vowels.

Usage in ordinary language is broad and unmarked by formality. It appears in narration or description when referencing habitual reading, and as a direct command in instructional or collaborative contexts. Because the imperative for voi mirrors the present indicative in many Italian verbs, leggete can appear in both descriptive and directive sentences without changing its spelling.

Phonology and orthography details are typical of standard Italian. The spelling leggete includes the double g to keep a hard g sound before the e, followed by the -ete ending that marks the voi form of the present tense. The pronunciation is commonly described as [leˈd͡ʒe tːe], with the exact emphasis on the second syllable.

Etymologically, leggere derives from Latin legere, a root shared with related Romance languages, and it belongs to the third-conjugation -ere verbs, which exhibit characteristic stem changes and endings in various tenses and moods.

See also: Italian verb conjugation, leggere, Italian grammar, imperative mood.