assorbe

Assorbe is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Italian verb assorbire, meaning to absorb or soak up. It is used in ordinary Italian to describe the action of taking in substances, energy, or attention, in literal, physiological, and figurative contexts. The verb assorbire is transitive and common in scientific, technical, and everyday language.

Etymology and form: assorbire comes from Latin absorbere. In Italian it follows the regular -ire conjugation pattern for present indicative forms with the stem assorb-. Therefore, the present tense forms are io assorbo, tu assorbi, lui/lei assorbe, noi assorbiamo, voi assorbite, loro assorbono. The passato prossimo is formed with avere and the past participle assorbito (ho assorbito, hai assorbito, ha assorbito, abbiamo assorbito, avete assorbito, hanno assorbito). The gerund is assorbendo and the past participle assorbito.

Usage notes: Assorbe governs a direct object that denotes what is absorbed, such as acqua (water), energia (energy), or attenzione (attention). It can also describe abstract processes, for example a policy or trend that absorbs resources or focus. Related vocabulary includes assorbimento (absorption) and assorbente (absorbent or absorbent material). The form assorbe itself is typically not used as a standalone lemma in dictionaries; it is understood as a specific inflected form of assorbire.

See also: assorbire, assorbimento, assorbente. Examples: La spugna assorbe l’acqua. L’impianto assorbe energia dal sole. L’attenzione del pubblico si è assorbita durante la presentazione.