read
The Italian verb leggere means 'to read' in English.
verb
Meaning: to read
Mi piace leggere romanzi.
I like to read novels.
Meaning: to interpret, to understand
Non riesco a leggere il suo atteggiamento.
I can't interpret his attitude.
Meaning: to scan, to skim
Ho solo avuto il tempo di leggere velocemente l'articolo.
I only had time to quickly scan the article.
Meaning: to study, to learn by heart
Devo leggere tutti questi appunti per l'esame di domani.
I have to study all these notes for tomorrow's exam.
A1: Io leggo un libro.
I am reading a book.
A1: Tu leggi il giornale.
You are reading the newspaper.
A2: Loro leggono la mappa.
They are reading the map.
B1: Ho letto quel libro l'anno scorso.
I read that book last year.
B1: Leggevo sempre i fumetti da bambino.
I used to always read comics as a child.
B2: Leggerò il tuo rapporto domani mattina.
I will read your report tomorrow morning.
B2: Se avessi più tempo, leggerei tutti i libri della biblioteca.
If I had more time, I would read all the books in the library.
C1: Dopo aver letto il romanzo, ho capito meglio la cultura giapponese.
After reading the novel, I understood Japanese culture better.
C1: Leggendo le notizie sul giornale, mi sono reso conto di quanto sia importante essere informati.
By reading the news in the newspaper, I realized how important it is to be informed.
C2: Avrei dovuto leggere attentamente il contratto prima di firmarlo.
I should have carefully read the contract before signing it.
Leggere is a very common verb in the Italian language and it is used to indicate the action of reading a text or a book. It can be used in different tenses and moods depending on the context and the intention of the speaker. For example, if you want to say 'I am reading a book', you would use the present tense: 'Sto leggendo un libro'. If you want to say 'I will read this article later', you would use the future tense: 'Leggerò questo articolo più tardi'.
It is important to note that leggere is an irregular verb, which means that its conjugation does not follow the regular patterns of other verbs. Therefore, it is necessary to memorize its conjugation in order to use it correctly. Here are some examples of how leggere is conjugated in different tenses: Present tense - io leggo, tu leggi, lui/lei legge; Imperfect tense - io leggevo, tu leggevi, lui/lei leggeva; Future tense - io leggerò, tu leggerai, lui/lei leggerà.
In addition to its basic meaning of 'to read', leggere can also be used in some idiomatic expressions. For example, 'leggere tra le righe' (to read between the lines) means to understand something that is not explicitly stated, while 'leggere nel pensiero' (to read someone's mind) means to know what someone is thinking without them saying it out loud. These expressions are commonly used in everyday conversations and can add depth and nuance to your Italian language skills.