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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 |