cenavano

Cenavano is the imperfect indicative third-person plural form of the Italian verb cenare, meaning to have dinner. It is used to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past, such as “they were dining” or “they used to dine.”

Etymology and form: Cenare derives from Latin cena, meaning a meal or dinner. As a first-conjugation verb (-are), cenare forms the imperfect with the endings -avo, -avi, -ava, -avamo, -avate, -avano. Therefore cenavano marks the third-person plural past imperfect.

Usage: Cenavano appears in narrative and descriptive contexts to set scenes or recount past routines. It often co-occurs with time expressions like ogni sera, un giorno, or quando eravamo giovani. Example: I ragazzi cenavano insieme ogni sera dopo il lavoro.

Translation and equivalence: In English, cenavano is typically translated as “they were dining” or “they used to dine,” depending on context. The imperfect conveys ongoingness or habituality rather than a completed action.

Notable notes: Cenare and its forms are common in everyday Italian, and cenavano is regular within its conjugation. Since it is a past tense form, it is frequently contrasted with perfect tenses (hanno cenato) to express completed dining actions.