piangeva

Piangeva is the third-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb piangere, meaning to cry or weep. The imperfect is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, or to set a scene in narrative past tense. It conveys duration or habit rather than a completed moment of crying.

Conjugation and usage notes: piangeva corresponds to the he/she/it was crying or he/she/it cried over a period in the past. The full imperfect conjugation of piangere is io piangevo, tu piangevi, lui/lei piangeva, noi piangevamo, voi piangevate, loro piangevano. In subordinate clauses, the imperfect subjunctive form is che piangesse. The imperfect contrasts with the passato prossimo ha pianto, which marks a completed action.

Grammatical role and examples: piangeva often appears in descriptive or narrative passages to indicate emotion or background conditions. For example, in a story: “Lui piangeva per la perdita,” meaning he was crying over the loss. It can also express habitual past behavior: “Quando era piccolo, piangeva spesso per sciocchezze.” The nuance depends on context and surrounding tenses.

Etymology and related forms: piangere derives from Latin plangere, related to lament or beating the breast. The imperfect form piangeva shares its root with other Italian -ere verbs and appears in many tenses to describe the evolving state of crying in the past.

See also: piangere, imperfect indicative, imperfect subjunctive.