piangere

Piangere is an Italian verb meaning “to cry” or “to weep.” It denotes the act of shedding tears in response to emotion, pain, or joy. The verb is intransitive and typically does not take a direct object; crying is described as happening to the subject and is often expressed with di or per phrases, such as piangere di gioia or piangere per la perdita.

Etymology and related forms: piangere derives from Latin plangere, meaning “to lament” or “to strike the chest,” and is related to other Romance forms such as Spanish llorar and French pleurer. The English word plangent also comes from the same root.

Conjugation overview: piangere is a regular -ere verb with a stable stem piang-. Present indicative forms: io piango, tu piangi, lui/lei piange, noi piangiamo, voi piangete, loro piangono. Imperfect: piangevo, piangevi, piangeva, piangevamo, piangevate, piangevano. Passato prossimo: ho pianto. Gerund: piangendo. Past participle: pianto. Other tenses and moods (future, subjunctive, conditional) follow standard -ere-verb patterns, for example: piangerò, che io pianga, io piangerei.

Usage notes: The verb broadly describes crying as an emotional reaction. It can express crying from sorrow, pain, or joy. It is common to pair piangere with di or per phrases to indicate cause or reason (piangere di dolore, piangere per una perdita) and with fare to express causing someone to cry (fare piangere). Synonyms include singhiozzare (to sob) and piagnucolare (to whine).

Examples: Oggi ho pianto guardando quel film. Hai pianto dopo la notizia? Piangeva di gioia.