Meaning
to characterize
- to be characteristic of
In a sentence
Il suo sorriso caratterizza tutto il suo viso.
Her smile characterizes her whole face.
Che cosa caratterizza questo quartiere secondo te?
What characterizes this neighborhood, in your opinion?
Quel periodo ha caratterizzato la mia vita.
That period characterized my life.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| caratterizzare | infinitive |
| caratterizziamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| caratterizzate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizzi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| caratterizza | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| caratterizzavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| caratterizzavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizzavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| caratterizzava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| caratterizzammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| caratterizzaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizzasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| caratterizzò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| caratterizzeremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| caratterizzerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizzerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzeranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| caratterizzerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| caratterizziamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| caratterizziate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| caratterizzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| caratterizzassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| caratterizzaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizzassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| caratterizzasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| caratterizzeremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| caratterizzereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizzeresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| caratterizzerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| caratterizziamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| caratterizzate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| caratterizza | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| caratterizzando | gerund |
| caratterizzato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Often takes direct object: caratterizzare un personaggio. For 'be typical of,' use impersonal forms like caratterizza la città or è caratteristico di.
- More formal and analytical than descrivere or definire; common in criticism, sociology, marketing, and academic writing.
- In compound tenses it usually takes avere: ha caratterizzato il periodo. Past participle agrees only when used adjectivally: tratti caratterizzati.