esprimeva

Esprimeva is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb esprimere, meaning to express or convey. It is used to describe actions or states in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or occurred over a period, or to provide background information in a narrative.

Etymology and conjugation: Esprimere derives from Latin exprimere, from ex- “out” and premere “to press.” In Italian, imperfect endings for -ere verbs are -vo, -vi, -va, -vamo, -vate, -vano, so esprimeva can mean “he/she/it was expressing” or “he/she/it used to express.”

Usage: Esprimeva is transitive and typically takes a direct object, such as una opinione, un sentimento, un pensiero, or un’idea. It can be used with subordinate clauses introduced by che to report what was being expressed.

Examples: Durante la riunione, lui esprimeva la sua opinione ogni volta che interveniva. Lei esprimeva gratitudine con un sorriso. Con quella frase, esprimeva il senso della sua scelta.

Notes: The past participle of esprimere is espresso, used in compound tenses. The verb is common in literature and journalism to convey past expressions or statements.