chiudevamo

Chiudevamo is the first person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb chiudere, meaning we were closing or we used to close. It is used to describe ongoing or repeated past actions involving closing something, such as doors, windows, or conversations, in narrative or descriptive contexts.

Etymology and form: chiudere derives from Latin claudere, and the Italian form chiudevamo follows the regular -ere verb pattern in the imperfect tense. The root is chiud-, and the suffix -evamo marks the first-person plural imperfect: io chiudevo, tu chiudevi, lui chiudeva, noi chiudevamo, voi chiudevate, essi chiudevano.

Usage notes: as a transitive verb, chiudere takes a direct object (chiudere una porta, chiudere una finestra). In the imperfect, chiudevamo expresses a past habit or a background action rather than a single completed act. It can also help set a scene in narrative: “Prima di partire, chiudevamo spesso la porta a chiave.” The form can describe physical closure or be used metaphorically, for example in phrases about closing a chapter or stopping a process.

Examples:

- Prima di partire, chiudevamo spesso la porta a chiave.

- Quando eravamo stanchi, chiudevamo gli occhi e dormivamo.

See also: chiudere, chiusura. Chiudevamo is a standard example of the imperfect tense in Italian for the verb chiudere and illustrates how past habitual actions are encoded in Italian.