When to use l'imperfetto and when to use il passato prossimo

D: How can I know when to use il tempo imperfetto and when to use il passato prossimo? / Q: How can I know when to use tempo imperfecto and when to use passato prossimo?

A: Scegliere tra imperfetto the passage prossimo chiede la your massive attenzione, perché innazitutto devi capire la differenziazione tra un’azione compiuta, with a start and a fine, and a non complete, but there is no need for a start and a fine. / A: Choosing between imperfetto or passato prossimo requires your utmost attention, because first of all you must understand the differentiation between a completed action, with a beginning and an end, and an uncompleted action, which does not have a beginning and an end necessary.

See the comparative table tra il passato prossimo e l'imperfetto:/ See the comparative table between the passato prossimo and the imperfectto:

IMPERFETTO	PROSSIMO PASSAGE
Per azione non computa;	Per azioni compiute, with an inzio and a fine;
Per due azioni che succedono contemporaneously non compiute;	Per un’azione considetta nella its totalità;
Per un’azione che succeeds at that moment;	Per azioni compiute che succedono una dopo l'altra;
Per azioni che si ripetono, ricorrenti;	Per azioni che succedono a loose return.
Per un’azione non compiuta che viene introduction of the complete un’altra (al passato prossimo).	Per an azione computa che interrupts an altra azione non computa (all'imperfetto).

Vedi gli esempi:/ See the examples:

1) Giuseppe she has camminato./ Giuseppe walked.

2) Giuseppe camminava.../ Giuseppe walked...

3) Cosa Giulia ha detto to Giancarlo?/ What did Giulia say to Giancarlo?

4) Stanotte alluna facevothere sweetness. / Tonight at one o'clock in the morning I was taking a shower.

5) lie mango, I mustla tv./ While eating, via tv.

6) sleep stata dal Ieri doctor. / I went to the doctor's office yesterday.

Make attenzione alle formula che seguono! / Pay attention to the formulas that follow!

• When you have in a sentence: ongoing action that was interrupted = IMPERFETTO + PROSSIMO PASSAGE;

• When you have in a sentence: successive and concluded actions = PROSSIMO PASSAGE + PROSSIMO PASSAGE;

• When you have in a sentence: contemporary actions = IMPERFETTO + IMPERFETTO;

• When you have in a sentence: action at a precise moment, not completed or past action that was repeated as a habit = IMPERFETTO;

• When you have in a sentence: action completed = PROSSIMO PASSAGE.

Vedi gli esempi: / See the examples:

1) From Giovanni Giulia she manipulated molto./ When she was young, Giulia ate a lot.

2) L’ottobre di 2000 abitave in Brazil. / In October 2000 I was living in Brazil.

3) Paolo he was always nervous when took off al lavoro. / Paolo was always nervous when he got to work.

4) Press hanno shop le bibite, and poi le cose da mangiare./ First they bought the drinks and then things to eat.

5) Paolo ha bevuto fine alla fine della party. / Paolo drank until the end of the party.

6) Giulia he has chiamato Paolo Ieri and hanno parlato during un’ora./ Giulia called Paolo yesterday, and they talked for an hour.

7) Lie Paolo parlava with me, abbiamo visa Mario. / While Paolo was talking to me, we saw Mario.

8) Camminavo and parlavo al telefonino, when Paolo he is an arrivato./ I was walking and talking on my cell phone when Paolo arrived.

9) ho squeeze la borsa and I'm stuck i soldi. / I opened the bag and took the money.

Isabela Reis de Paula
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Languages ​​with Qualification in Portuguese and Italian
By the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ

Italian - Brazil School

Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/italiano/quando-usare-limperfetto-quando-usare-il-passato-prossimo.htm