inseguire

Inseguire is a transitive Italian verb that primarily means to chase or pursue someone or something, either in a literal sense (to run after a person, a vehicle, or an animal) or in a figurative sense (to pursue a goal, a dream, or information). It requires a direct object, as in inseguire una persona, inseguire una pista, inseguire un sogno. The term can also convey the idea of following or tracking in order to overtake or catch up, common in sports, law enforcement, or investigative contexts.

Etymology: The verb derives from Latin insequi, to follow after, with the prefix in- and the stem sequ- from sequi (to follow). It shares cognates with other Romance languages, such as Spanish seguir and French suivre, though pronunciation and morphology differ.

Conjugation: Insegue is a regular -ire verb, with present tense forms including io inseguo, tu insegui, lui/lei insegue, noi inseguiamo, voi inseguite, loro inseguono. The imperfect is inseguivo, inseguivi, inseguiva, inseguivamo, inseguivate, inseguivano. The past participle is inseguito, used with auxiliary avere in compound tenses (ho inseguito i sospetti).

Usage notes: Metaphorically, inseguire appears in phrases like inseguire un sogno, inseguire una pista, inseguire una teoria, signaling persistence or long-term effort. The verb is common in journalism, sports commentary, literature, and everyday speech, where the sense of pursuit can be physical or aspirational.

See also: seguire, inseguimento (the act of pursuing), and related terms in Romance languages.