subìre

Subìre is an Italian verb meaning to undergo or to suffer, often in the sense of experiencing something imposed or endured, sometimes a hardship, a change, or a consequence of an action. It is commonly used with a direct object referring to what is being undergone, or with expressions such as essere soggetto a, meaning to be subject to.

Etymology and usage notes: Subìre derives from Latin subīre, formed from sub- “under” and -īre “to go.” In modern Italian the infinitive is normally written subire. The form subìre with an accent on the i appears in some dictionaries to indicate pronunciation or historical usage; it is not standard in everyday contemporary Italian. The verb is closely related to soffrire and patire, but subire emphasizes undergoing an event rather than a voluntary or prolonged state of pain.

Conjugation and forms: Subire follows a regular -ire conjugation pattern in the present tense: io subisco, tu subisci, lui/lei subisce, noi subiamo, voi subite, loro subiscono. The passato prossimo uses avere: ho subito; the imperfect: subivo, subivi, subiva, subivamo, subivate, subivano. The passato remoto (literary) forms include subii, subisti, subì, subimmo, subiste, subirono. The past participle is subito, and the gerund is subendo.

Usage notes: Subire is used for events or actions that happen to someone or something, often implying external impact or constraint, e.g., "La città ha subito gravi danni" (The city suffered serious damage), "subire una pena" (to undergo a penalty). It contrasts with soffrire (to suffer emotionally or physically) and patire (to endure or suffer, sometimes with a moral or long-term nuance).

See also: soffrire, patire, essere soggetto a.