Meaning
to alternate
- to rotate (crops)
In a sentence
Alterno studio e pausa durante il pomeriggio.
I alternate studying and breaks during the afternoon.
Hai alternato il grano e il mais quest'anno?
Did you rotate wheat and corn this year?
È importante alternare il lavoro a momenti di riposo.
It is important to alternate work with moments of rest.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| alternare | infinitive |
| alterniamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| alterno | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| alternate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| alterni | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| alternano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| alterna | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| alternavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| alternavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| alternavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| alternavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| alternavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| alternava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| alternammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| alternai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| alternaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| alternasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| alternarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| alternò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| alterneremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| alternerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| alternerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| alternerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| alterneranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| alternerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| alterniamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| alterni | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| alterniate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| alterni | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| alternino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| alterni | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| alternassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| alternassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| alternaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| alternassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| alternassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| alternasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| alterneremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| alternerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| alternereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| alterneresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| alternerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| alternerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| alterniamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| alternate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| alterna | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| alternando | gerund |
| alternato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Often used with a direct object: alternare studio e lavoro. For taking turns, Italians often prefer fare a turno or alternarsi.
- Reflexive alternarsi means people or things alternate with each other: Ci alterniamo alla guida.
- With the reflexive form, passato prossimo takes essere: ci siamo alternati. Non-reflexive alternare takes avere: ho alternato.