attraversano

Attraversano is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb attraversare, meaning to cross, go across, or pass through. The infinitive attraversare belongs to the first-conjugation verbs ending in -are and uses avere as the auxiliary in compound tenses (hanno attraversato). The term is closely related to the noun attraversamento (crossing) and to the adverb attraverso (through, across).

Usage and senses

Attraversano is used for literal crossing, such as crossing a street, a bridge, or a river, as well as for crossing from one side of a space to another. It can also be used metaphorically to indicate passing through or traversing an experience, period, or place. In everyday language, it frequently appears in descriptions of movement, travel, and navigation, as well as in reporting or narrative contexts.

Conjugation and forms

As a regular -are verb, attraversare follows the standard present tense paradigm: io attraverr(o) (rarely used in first person here), tu attraversi, lui/lei attraversa, noi attraversiamo, voi attraversate, loro attraversano. The past participle is attraversato, used with avere in compound tenses (hanno attraversato). The gerund is attraversando, and the imperfect is attraversavano. Common related forms include l’attraversamento (a crossing or crossing/overpass) and l’attraversata (the crossing as a noun).

Examples

- Le persone attraversano la strada con segnali adeguati. (People cross the street with proper signals.)

- Hanno attraversato il ponte al tramonto. (They crossed the bridge at sunset.)

- Attraversando il deserto, hanno trovato oasi sorprendenti. (While traversing the desert, they found surprising oases.)

See also

attraversamento, transire, attraversare in uso figurato.