Italian · Everyday Verbs

"to change" in Italian: cambiare

cambiare

Say it: kahm-BYAH-rehverb/kamˈbja.re/

To change in Italian is cambiare (kahm-BYAH-reh). Everyday: cambio, cambi, cambia, abbiamo cambiato. Prefer cambio as a verb (cambio idea)—il cambio can also be a noun for exchange/gear.

Outfit tweak

Cambio maglia: questa è troppo calda.
I'm changing my shirt—this one is too warm.
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How to pronounce cambiare

Say it

kahm-BYAH-reh

/kamˈbja.re/

Cambiare: kahm-BYAH-reh. Soft bi like byah. Stress BYAH. Cambio: KAHM-byoh.

"to change" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
cambiareto change

Dictionary form.

cambio / cambi / cambiaI change / you change / he-she changes

Present singular.

cambiare ideato change one's mind

Common collocation.

cambiato / cambiatachanged

Past participle.

How to use cambiare in real life

  1. 1Outfit tweak

    Cambio maglia: questa è troppo calda.

    I'm changing my shirt—this one is too warm.

    Cambio as verb.

  2. 2Plans shifting

    Lei cambia idea ogni cinque minuti.

    She changes her mind every five minutes.

    Cambia idea.

  3. 3After a trip

    Abbiamo cambiato hotel all'ultimo momento.

    We changed hotels at the last moment.

    Abbiamo cambiato.

Mistakes English speakers make with cambiare

Incorrect: Io cambiare idea.

Correct: Cambio idea.

Conjugate: io cambio.

Incorrect: Il cambiamento alone for the verb drill.

Correct: Cambio rotta. / Cambia canale.

Il cambiamento is a noun; use a verb form.

Good to know

Cambiare covers clothes, minds, money, and trains. At stations, cambio can mean transfer—listen for context. Cambio idea is a daily social softener when plans shift.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Rethinking dinner plans

  1. ChatPal

    Se vuoi, cambio prenotazione.

    If you want, I'll change the reservation.

  2. You

    Sì—cambiamo locale, questo è pieno.

    Yes—let's change places, this one is full.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok. Tu scegli, io chiamo.

    Okay. You choose, I'll call.

  4. You

    Proviamo quello in via Roma.

    Let's try the one on Via Roma.

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"to change" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to change" in Italian

How do you say to change?

Cambiare.

I change?

Cambio.

Change my mind?

Cambiare idea / cambio idea.

Noun cambiamento?

Different word—use verb forms for this headword.

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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