sapevate

Sapevate is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb sapere for the second person plural (voi), meaning “you knew” or “you used to know.” It is used to describe past knowledge, habitual states, or background information in narrative.

In Italian, sapere means “to know” or “to know how to.” The imperfect tense conveys ongoing or repeated past action. The full imperfect conjugation is io sapevo, tu sapevi, lui/lei sapeva, noi sapevamo, voi sapevate, loro sapevano. The past participle of sapere is saputo, used in compound tenses such as ho saputo (I have learned/known). Present tense forms include so, sai, sa, sappiamo, sapete, sanno.

Sapevate is commonly used in questions to refer to knowledge in the past, for example: “Sapevate che la conferenza era stata spostata?” (“Did you know that the conference had been moved?”) It also appears in narration to set a background fact: “Quando eravamo giovani, voi sapevate sempre dove trovare i funghi.” In everyday speech, it can introduce indirect speech or soften statements about past information.

Etymology and related forms: sapere derives from Latin sapere, related to the sense of knowing and wisdom, with cognates in various Romance languages. Related verbs include sape, sapienza (wisdom), and sapiente. The verb contrasts with the present tense sapete (you know) and with the perfect saputo (having known) in broader Italian usage.