Meaning
to feed; feed on
- (transitive) to feed or nourish someone or an animal
- (reflexive, cibarsi di) to feed on, eat, or nourish oneself with
In a sentence
Questi piccoli uccelli si cibano principalmente di semi e bacche.
These small birds feed mainly on seeds and berries.
Di cosa si cibavano le popolazioni antiche durante l'inverno?
What did ancient populations feed on during the winter?
La madre ha cibato i suoi piccoli con cura costante.
The mother fed her young with constant care.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cibare | infinitive |
| cibo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| cibi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| ciba | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| cibiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| cibate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| cibano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| cibavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| cibavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| cibava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| cibavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| cibavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| cibavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| cibai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| cibasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| cibò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| cibammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| cibaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| cibarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| ciberò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| ciberai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| ciberà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| ciberemo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| ciberete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| ciberanno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| cibi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| cibi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| cibi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| cibiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| cibiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| cibino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| cibassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| cibassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| cibasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| cibassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| cibaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| cibassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| ciberei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| ciberesti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| ciberebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| ciberemmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| cibereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| ciberebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| ciba | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| cibiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| cibate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| cibando | gerund |
| cibato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Formal: in everyday Italian, 'nutrire' or 'dare da mangiare a' are much more common transitively.
- Most frequently encountered reflexively as 'cibarsi di' (to feed on/subsist on).