Meaning
to surround, encircle
- to surround, to encircle
- to enclose
In a sentence
Alte montagne circondano il lago.
High mountains surround the lake.
Perché mi circondi di scatole in salotto?
Why are you surrounding me with boxes in the living room?
Ci hanno circondati, ma siamo usciti subito.
They surrounded us, but we got out right away.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| circondare | infinitive |
| circondiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| circondo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| circondate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| circondi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| circondano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| circonda | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| circondavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| circondavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| circondavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| circondavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| circondavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| circondava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| circondammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| circondai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| circondaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| circondasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| circondarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| circondò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| circonderemo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| circonderò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| circonderete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| circonderai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| circonderanno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| circonderà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| circondiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| circondi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| circondiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| circondi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| circondino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| circondi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| circondassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| circondassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| circondaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| circondassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| circondassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| circondasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| circonderemmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| circonderei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| circondereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| circonderesti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| circonderebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| circonderebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| circondiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| circondate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| circonda | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| circondando | gerund |
| circondato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Use circondare for physical or figurative surrounding; use accerchiare more for military/police encirclement, often with stronger pressure.
- Common with direct objects: La casa è circondata da alberi. In passive, use da for what surrounds something.
- It takes avere in compound tenses: ho circondato, not sono circondato, unless using the adjective-like past participle.