causavano

Causavano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb causare, meaning "to cause." It denotes an ongoing or habitual action in the past by a plural subject, rather than a completed event. In Italian, the imperfect is used to set background conditions, describe repeated past actions, or indicate ongoing states. The verb causare is regular in the imperfect, with the standard endings for -are verbs: io causavo, tu causavi, lui/lei causava, noi causavamo, voi causavate, loro causavano.

From etymology: causare derives from Latin causāre, from causa ("cause, reason"), reflecting the same sense of bringing about an effect.

Usage: Causavano appears in narratives and expository writing to indicate that multiple subjects were causing something over a period of time or repeatedly. It contrasts with causarono (passato remoto) for a completed past action, and with causano (present) for present-day effects.

Examples:

- I rumori causavano disturbo alle persone. (The noises were causing trouble to people.)

- Le inondazioni causavano danni ogni inverno. (The floods used to cause damage every winter.)

Grammatical notes: In the subjunctive mood, the imperfect would be causassero; causare is an active verb, and there is also a passive form constructed with essere, though not specific to this form.