camminavo

Camminavo is the first-person singular imperfect indicative of the Italian verb camminare, meaning to walk. The imperfect expresses past actions without a defined beginning or end, often describing ongoing actions, habitual behavior, or background circumstances in relation to another past event. In English, camminavo can be rendered as “I was walking” or “I used to walk.” Camminare is a regular -are verb.

Conjugation in the imperfect: io camminavo, tu camminavi, lui/lei camminava, noi camminavamo, voi camminavate, loro camminavano. The present tense is cammino, cammini, cammina, camminiamo, camminate, camminano. The passato prossimo of camminare is formed with avere: ho camminato.

Usage examples: “Ieri, mentre camminavo nel parco, ho visto un uccello.” “Da ragazzo camminavo spesso per ore lungo la spiaggia.” These illustrate ongoing past actions and habitual past use.

Etymology: camminare is related to the noun cammino (path, journey) and is part of the Romance verb family descended from Latin. The precise origin is debated, but the relation to cammino is widely recognized.

Notes: As a common narrative device, camminavo is used to set a scene or express routine. In everyday speech, other past tenses may be used to emphasize completion, but camminare remains a standard form for imperfect past actions.