diminuiscono

Diminuiscono is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb diminuire, meaning to become smaller or to decrease. It translates as “they decrease” or “they are decreasing” in English and is used when the subject is plural.

The verb derives from Latin diminuere, meaning to lessen. In Italian, diminuire is an -ire verb that typically employs an -isc- stem in the present tense. The present conjugation includes io diminuisco, tu diminuisci, lui/lei diminuisce, noi diminuiamo, voi diminuite, loro diminuiscono. The form diminuiscono specifically appears with a plural subject.

Usage and examples: Diminuiscono describes a decline in quantities, frequencies, or intensities. It is common in scientific, economic, and journalistic writing as well as everyday speech. Examples include: Le temperature diminuiscono durante la notte. I prezzi diminuiscono quest’anno. Le vendite diminuiscono a causa della stagione.

Grammatical notes: Diminuiscono is a finite form used with a plural subject. The related noun is diminuzione, meaning “decrease,” and the past participle diminuito can function as an adjective in concordance with the noun it describes. The verb is typically contrasted with aumentare, which means to increase.

See also: diminuzione; diminuire; diminutivo (note that diminutivo is a separate term referring to a linguistic diminutive, not to the act of decreasing).

In summary, diminuiscono denotes a plural subject decreasing in amount or intensity and is a standard present-tense form of diminuire in Italian.