osservò

Osservò is the passato remoto, the third-person singular past tense form of the Italian verb osservare. It translates to “he observed” or “she observed” and is commonly found in written narrative, historical accounts, or formal prose.

Etymology and meaning: osservare derives from Latin observare, with the meaning of watching, noticing, or taking note. The form osservò preserves the stem osserv- and carries the characteristic acute accent on the final o to indicate the stressed syllable in the passato remoto.

Usage: osservò is primarily used in literary and historical contexts in modern Italian. In everyday speech, speakers typically use the passato prossimo (ha osservato) rather than the passato remoto, except in certain regional literary traditions or stylistic choices. In formal writing and antiquated or epic narratives, the passato remoto remains standard for narrating past events.

Conjugation pattern: The verb osservare follows the regular -are paradigm in the passato remoto. For example: Io osservai, Tu osservasti, Egli osservò, Noi osservammo, Voi osservaste, Essi osservarono. The accent is placed on the final o in the third-person singular form: osservò.

Examples: Egli osservò la scena con attenzione. Durante il viaggio, l’autore osservò i cambiamenti nei costumi della popolazione. These uses illustrate the narrative and descriptive functions of the form, especially in books and historical writing.

See also: osservare, Italian verb conjugation, passato remoto.