Meaning
to try, to attempt
- to tempt, to entice
In a sentence
Ho tentato di chiamarti ieri sera.
I tried to call you last night.
Questo dolce mi tenta ogni volta.
This dessert tempts me every time.
Perché non tenti ancora una volta?
Why don't you try one more time?
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| tentare | infinitive |
| tentiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| tento | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| tentate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| tenti | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| tentano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| tenta | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| tentavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| tentavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| tentavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| tentavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| tentavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| tentava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| tentammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| tentai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| tentaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| tentasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| tentarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| tentò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| tenteremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| tenterò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| tenterete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| tenterai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| tenteranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| tenterà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| tentiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| tenti | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| tentiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| tenti | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| tentino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| tenti | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| tentassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| tentassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| tentaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| tentassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| tentassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| tentasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| tenteremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| tenterei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| tentereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| tenteresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| tenterebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| tenterebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| tentiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| tentate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| tenta | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| tentando | gerund |
| tentato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Use 'tentare' for trying something uncertain or risky; 'provare' is safer or more general.
- Avoid 'tentare di' + infinitive for physical attempts (e.g., 'tentare di sollevare' sounds unnatural).
- In compound tenses, 'tentare' takes 'avere' (e.g., 'ho tentato').