vanno

Vanno is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb andare, meaning “to go.” It is used with a plural subject to describe movement, destinations, or a state of being in the present. For example, Loro vanno al cinema. (They go to the cinema.) In everyday speech, the subject is often omitted, as in Vanno al mercato, which also means “They are going to the market.”

Grammatical notes include the full present tense conjugation of andare: io vado, tu vai, lui/lei va, noi andiamo, voi andate, loro vanno. The form vanno is specific to the third-person plural; the corresponding second-person plural form is andate, not vanno.

Vanno also occurs in idiomatic phrases. For instance, Le scarpe vanno bene means “The shoes fit well” or “The shoes go/well.” The verb andare expresses movement, intention, or general condition, and its present tense forms frequently appear in everyday Italian to describe locations, directions, or plans.

In terms of usage, vanno is preferred when the subject is explicit or easily inferred as “they.” The form is not used with voi (you plural), which uses andate. As with many Italian verbs, andare and its forms are central to constructing questions about location (Dove vanno i ragazzi?), plans (Che cosa vanno a fare?), and evaluations (Come vanno le cose?).

See also: Italian grammar, andare, conjugation of irregular verbs.