sposavano

Sposavano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb sposare, meaning to marry or to wed. In Italian, the imperfect expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past, so sposavano translates as they were getting married, they used to marry, or they were wed in a narrative sense. The form is commonly found in historical texts, family histories, and literary prose to describe past marriages or engagements.

Grammatically, sposare is a regular -are verb. The imperfect endings are -avo, -avi, -ava, -avamo, -avate, -avano, yielding forms such as io sposavo, tu sposavi, lui/lei sposava, noi sposavamo, voi sposavate, loro sposavano. Related forms include the simple past (passato remoto) sposarono, the past participle sposato, and the gerund sposando. In reflexive use, meaning "to marry," the phrase commonly appears as si sposavano.

Etymology: the verb is linked to the noun sposa (bride), which derives from Latin sponsa or sponsus, terms associated with betrothal and marriage. The verb hence conveys the act of entering into marriage and is used across a range of registers, from formal to literary.

Usage notes: Sposavano appears primarily in past-tense narration. In everyday speech, speakers more often use other tenses to describe past marriages, but the imperfect form remains standard in descriptive or narrative contexts. See also: sposare, matrimonio, sposato, sposando.