contavano

Contavano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb contare, meaning to count or to reckon. It is a finite verb form and is not a noun. In Italian, the imperfect (imperfetto) is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, or to set the scene in narrative.

The standard conjugation pattern for contare in the imperfetto is: io contavo, tu contavi, lui/lei contava, noi contavamo, voi contavate, loro contavano. This form is characteristic of -are verbs in the imperfect.

Usage examples illustrate its meanings. It can indicate a simple past action: “Loro contavano le monete” (They counted the coins). It can express habitual past activity: “Contavano i giorni finché arrivò la festa” (They used to count the days until the festival). It also appears in phrases meaning reliance or expectation: “Contavano su di noi” (They counted on us). In this last sense, contare is often followed by su/di + pronoun or noun.

Etymology and related forms: contare derives from Latin computare, meaning to compute or reckon. The imperfect form contavano shares its origin with other Italian imperfetto conjugations for -are verbs and is commonly used in storytelling and descriptive writing to convey past context.

See also: contare, imperfetto (italian grammar), conto, contabile.