Meaning
to operate (on), work, act
- to operate (surgery)
- to operate, work, act (in a field)
- to carry out, produce
In a sentence
La nostra associazione opera in tutta Italia.
Our association operates throughout Italy.
Il chirurgo deve operare un paziente d'urgenza.
The surgeon has to operate on a patient urgently.
Non posso operare senza istruzioni chiare.
I can't work without clear instructions.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| operare | infinitive |
| operiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| opero | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| operate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| operi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| operano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| opera | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| operavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| operavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| operavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| operavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| operavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| operava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| operammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| operai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| operaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| operasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| operarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| operò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| opereremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| opererò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| opererete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| opererai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| opereranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| opererà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| operiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| operi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| operiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| operi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| operino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| operi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| operassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| operassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| operaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| operassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| operassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| operasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| opereremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| opererei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| operereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| opereresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| opererebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| opererebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| operiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| operate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| opera | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| operando | gerund |
| operato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Often more formal than fare or lavorare. In everyday speech, Italians usually prefer fare un'operazione, lavorare, or agire depending on context.
- For surgery, operare qualcuno means "to operate on someone"; the patient is a direct object, unlike English "operate on."
- With intransitive meanings like "to operate/work," it usually takes avere in compound tenses: ha operato nel settore per anni.