prendevano

Prendevano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb prendere, meaning they were taking, they used to take, or they used to catch, depending on the context. Prendere is a versatile verb with senses including to take, seize, grab, catch, receive, understand, and obtain, among others. In the imperfect form prendevano, the action is presented as ongoing or habitual in the past.

In Italian, the imperfect of prendere is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the stem prendi- or prendev- for the third-person plural; prendevano is the standard form for they were taking or they used to take. The imperfect is distinct from the passato prossimo, which would express a completed action (hanno preso).

Usage notes:

- Narrative use: prendevano is common in storytelling to describe past actions without defining a precise endpoint, e.g., Durante il viaggio, prendevano appunti. They were taking notes during the trip.

- Various senses: prendevano una decisione (they were making a decision), prendevano freddo (they were getting cold), prendevano in giro qualcuno (they were making fun of someone). The sense of prendere depends on the object or phrase that follows.

- Register: widely used in standard Italian; remains readable in both literary and everyday contexts.

Etymology and related forms:

Prendere derives from Latin captere, with the modern forms retaining the core meaning of taking or seizing. Related forms include prendo (I take), prende (he/she takes), prese (took, passato remoto), and preso (taken, participle). See also prendere for the base verb and its other tenses.