Present Indicative Tense (Presente Indicativo): regular verbs of the three conjugations (-are, -ere, -ire and verbs in -isc-)
In Italian, the present indicative tense works much like the present tense in English. You first need to remember that Italian infinitives end in one of three ways (-ARE, -ERE, -IRE) and that are conjugate based on that ending. To conjungate regular Italian verbs in the present indicative tense is easier than you would expect. In fact, the conjugation endings of regular verbs don’t change. Master the endings and you are good to go! Just keep in mind that verbs must agree with subjects and subject pronouns (io, tu, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro/).
Verbo regolare in -are o della prima coniugazione (1st conjugation): parlare (to speak). (io) parl -O, (tu) parl -I, (lui, lei) parl -A, (noi) parl -IAMO, (voi) parl -ATE, (loro) parl -ANO.
Verbo regolare in -ere o della seconda coniugazione (2nd conjugation): leggere (to read). (io) legg -O, (tu) legg -I, (lui, lei) legg -E, (noi) legg -IAMO, (voi) legg -ETE, (loro) legg -ONO.
Verbo regolare in -ire o della terza coniugazione (3rd conjugation): dormire (to sleep). (io) dorm -O, (tu) dorm -I, (lui, lei) dorm -E, (noi) dorm -IAMO, (voi) dorm -ITE, (loro) dorm -ONO.
Note: There exist a particular type of verbs, called verbi incoativi, which are regular but in the present indicative tense they require the addition of the infix -ISC- in between the root of the verb and the regular suffix for the subject pronouns io, tu, lui/lei, loro. Remember: the verbs in -isc- belong exclusevely to the 3rd conjugation (-ire). For example, preferire (to prefer). (io) prefer -ISC -o, (tu) prefer -ISC -i, (lui, lei) prefer -ISC -e, (noi) prefer-iamo, (voi) prefer-ite, (loro) prefer -ISC -ono.
