sbagliava

Sbagliava is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb sbagliare, meaning to make a mistake or to be wrong. The word sbagliare denotes the act of erring or missing the mark, while sbagliava specifically marks a past, ongoing, or habitual action. The form is used with third-person singular subjects (lui/lei) and, in formal address, with Lei; capitalization helps distinguish the latter.

Grammatically, sbagliava expresses an imperfect past action or state. Other imperfect forms exist for different subjects (io sbagliavo, tu sbagliavi, noi sbagliavamo, voi sbagliavate, loro sbagliavano). The tense is often chosen to indicate repetition, progression, or background description in narrative.

Usage and nuance: sbagliava is applied to describe past mistakes or being wrong in a general sense, not a single finished error. It commonly appears in storytelling, reporting, or reflection, for example: "Lui sbagliava spesso quando era giovane" or "Sbagliava sempre la risposta." The verb is widely used in everyday Italian as a natural way to discuss error in the past.

Etymology and related terms: sbagliare shares its root with the noun sbaglio (a mistake). The pair are closely related and contrasted with errare (to err) and fallire (to fail) in synonyms.