Ricevevano

Ricevevano is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb ricevere, meaning they were receiving or they used to receive. The verb ricevere comes from Latin recipere, and in Italian it belongs to the -ere conjugation. The imperfect forms are regular for this class: io ricevevo, tu ricevevi, lui/lei riceveva, noi ricevevamo, voi ricevevate, loro ricevevano.

In usage, ricevevano describes actions that were ongoing in the past or repeated over time, and it can provide background in narratives. It is common in indirect speech after verbs of saying or thinking, and it can describe the receipt of objects, information, or support: for example, “Ogni settimana ricevevano visitatori” or “Ricevevano poca informazione.” The imperfect contrasts with the passato prossimo form, such as hanno ricevuto, which marks a completed action.

Examples illustrate its function: “Quando erano giovani, ricevevano molte visite.” “Durante la crisi, ricevevano aiuto da diverse organizzazioni.” The form is specifically the third-person plural imperfect, but it follows the regular -ere imperfect pattern for all verbs in that class.

See also: ricevere, Italian verb conjugation, imperfect indicative.