rispondevamo

Rispondevamo is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb rispondere, meaning to answer or to respond. The form conveys an action in the past that was ongoing or habitual, and it is commonly used in narrative or descriptive contexts to set scenes or describe repeated past actions. It can also express a past ongoing state, rather than a single completed event.

Conjugation and form: For regular -ere verbs, the imperfect endings are -vo, -vi, -va, -vamo, -vate, -vano. Rispondevamo is thus formed from the stem rispond- plus the imperfect ending -evamo. The corresponding present tense forms are rispondo, rispondi, risponde, rispondiamo, rispondete, rispondono. The past participle is risposto, and the gerund is rispondendo.

Etymology and related forms: Rispondere derives from Latin respondere (to answer). Related Italian forms include risposta (answer), responsabile (responsible), and other derivatives in the same verb family.

Usage notes: The imperfect rispondevamo is used to describe habitual actions in the past, ongoing actions during a past timeframe, or background information in a narrative. It contrasts with tenses that indicate specific, completed actions, such as the passato prossimo or the passato remoto in Italian literary prose.

Examples:

- Quando eravamo ragazzi, rispondevamo sempre alle domande del maestro.

- Durante l’interrogazione, rispondevamo senza esitazione.

See also: rispondere, risposta.