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Irregular verbs vincere and giungere

The past absolute of vincere (to win) and giungere (to arrive [intransitive] or to join [transitive]) are similar. The past participles of both verbs are irregular.

vincere giungere
Past absolute vinsi

vincesti

vinse

vincemmo

vinceste

vinsero

giunsi

giungesti

giunse

giungemmo

giungeste

giunsero

Past participle vinto giunto

When giungere is used intransitively, it is conjugated with essere in compound tenses: sono giunto/a, etc.; when it is used transitively, the auxiliary is avere: ho giunto, hai giunto, etc. Another use of giungere is with the preposition a before an infinitive, meaning “to succeed (in doing).”

 

Conjugated like vincere: convincere (to convince).

Conjugated like giungere: aggiungere (to add), congiungere (to join), disgiungere (to disjoin), raggiungere (to overtake), soggiungere (to add).


VOCABULARY A

andare innanzi
to progress
arrivare a (+ inf.)                    to manage (to do), to succeed (in doing) destra
right (direction)
formica
ant
infaticato                              indefatigable, tireless miniera
mine
molteplice                      many-sided netto
clean, clear, clear-cut, sharp
pece (f.)
tar, pitch
portentoso              prodigious, miraculous, wonderful proprietà                  precision, correctness; also: property pur (= pure)
even
qualunque                  whatever, any whatever radice
root
taglio
cut
usanza
custom

VOCABULARY B

barbaria (also barbarie)   barbarousness, barbarity cena
supper, dinner
comodo                comfortable, convenient distruggitore (f., distruggitrice)
destructive (cfr. distruggere)
indebolire  to weaken, to enfeeble, to debilitate insito
innate, inherent
posto                                placed (past part., porre); postasi = “having placed itself” rammollire
to soften
salute (f.)
health; safety; salvation
stagione (f.)                    season vezzoso
charming, graceful

 

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Italian for Reading & Translation Copyright © by Lauren Surovi and Carleton W. Carroll. All Rights Reserved.

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