combinavano

Combinavano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative of the Italian verb combinare. It translates roughly as “they were combining” or “they used to combine,” and can refer to mixing elements, arranging things, or planning and coordinating actions in the past.

In Italian, combinare has a range of related senses. It commonly means to put together, to mix or combine colors, items, or ideas. It can also mean to arrange or organize events, plans, or schedules, and in a colloquial sense it can mean to scheme or contrive something, as in phrases like “combinare un piano” or “combinare guai.”

Imperfect conjugation: io combinavo, tu combinavi, lui/lei combinava, noi combinavamo, voi combinavate, loro combinavano. The imperfect expresses ongoing or habitual past actions, or actions that set the background for another event. The verb also forms other tenses similarly, for example the present “combinano” or the past perfect “avevano combinato.”

Examples:

- Quando lavoravano insieme, combinavano due colori per ottenere una tinta specifica. (When they worked together, they were combining two colors to obtain a specific shade.)

- I ragazzi combinavano guai quando erano piccoli. (The boys used to get into trouble / were getting into trouble when they were young.)

Etymology and related forms: combinare comes from com- meaning “together” and binare, related to arranging in pairs or sets. The root is ultimately linked to Latin origins associated with pairing or joining, and the imperfect form combinavano reflects standard Italian verb conjugation patterns.