avete

Avete is the second-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb avere, which means to have. In Italian, the subject pronoun voi is usually omitted because the verb ending signals the person and number, so avete translates to “you (all) have.” It is used to express possession, states, or conditions involving multiple subjects, for example: Voi avete una casa (You have a house) and Avete fame? (Are you hungry?).

Etymology and form: avere derives from Latin habēre, meaning to have. Through the evolution from Latin to Italian, the form avete developed as the historical 2nd person plural present indicative, with phonetic changes such as the loss of initial h and vowel shifts typical of the language’s development. The pronunciation in standard Italian is approximately [aˈveː.te].

Usage notes: Avete appears frequently in spoken and written Italian and can be contracted in informal speech. It can be negated with non (e.g., Non avete tempo = You do not have time). In questions, it often stands with a rising intonation, as in Avete senso? (Do you have a sense/idea?). Like other present indicative forms, avete agrees with the implied subject voi even when the subject is not stated.

See also: avere, habere, Italian grammar.

Notes: Avete is a core, high-frequency verb form and one of the basic building blocks for expressing possession and states in Italian.