mangiare

Mangiare is an Italian verb meaning "to eat." It is a native -are verb and is highly common in everyday speech. It is principally transitive, taking a direct object to specify what is eaten (for example, "mangiare la pasta"), but it can also be used intransitively in expressions like "si mangia molto" or "si mangia bene."

In the present tense, the verb forms are: io mangio, tu mangi, lui/lei mangia, noi mangiamo, voi mangiate, loro mangiano. The perfect (passato prossimo) is formed with avere: ho mangiato, hai mangiato, ha mangiato, abbiamo mangiato, avete mangiato, hanno mangiato. The imperfect is mangiavo, mangiavi, mangiava, mangiavamo, mangiavate, mangiavano. The future forms are mangerò, mangerai, mangerà, mangeremo, mangerete, mangeranno. The verb also has a present subjunctive (che io mangi, che tu mangi, che lui mangi, che noi mangiamo, che voi mangiate, che loro mangino) and a standard conditional (mangerei, mangeresti, mangerebbe, mangeremmo, mangereste, mangerebbero). The gerund is mangiando, used in progressive constructions with stare (sto mangiando).

Usage notes: mangiare typically takes a direct object, as in "mangiare la pizza" or "mangiare qualcosa." It is also used with adverbial phrases such as "mangiare bene" (eat well) or "mangiare fuori" (eat out). In formal contexts, synonyms like consumare may be used to emphasize consumption rather than the act of eating. The verb is central to discussions of meals and Italian cuisine, which are often social events centered on shared eating.