Meaning
to watch, keep an eye on, watch over
- to supervise or oversee
In a sentence
Puoi sorvegliare il cane mentre esco un attimo?
Can you watch the dog while I step out for a moment?
Ieri ho sorvegliato i bambini al parco.
Yesterday I watched the children at the park.
Il capo sorveglia il lavoro, ma non aiuta mai.
The boss supervises the work, but never helps.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sorvegliare | infinitive |
| sorvegliamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| sorveglio | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| sorvegliate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sorvegli | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sorvegliano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sorveglia | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sorvegliavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sorvegliavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sorvegliavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sorvegliavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sorvegliavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sorvegliava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sorvegliammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| sorvegliai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| sorvegliaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| sorvegliasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| sorvegliarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| sorvegliò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| sorveglieremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| sorveglierò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| sorveglierete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| sorveglierai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| sorveglieranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| sorveglierà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| sorvegliamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| sorvegli | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| sorvegliate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sorvegli | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sorveglino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sorvegli | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sorvegliassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sorvegliassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sorvegliaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sorvegliassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sorvegliassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sorvegliasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sorveglieremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| sorveglierei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| sorvegliereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sorveglieresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sorveglierebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sorveglierebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sorvegliamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| sorvegliate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| sorveglia | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| sorvegliando | gerund |
| sorvegliato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- More formal and institutional than guardare or controllare; common for security, schools, hospitals, and official contexts.
- For people, use sorvegliare qualcuno; for places or activities, sorvegliare qualcosa. It takes avere in compound tenses: ho sorvegliato.
- Not the usual choice for casually watching TV or looking at something; use guardare instead.