Subjunctive in Italian
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In the following pages we are going to see in detail the use and the occurence of the subjunctive mood in Italian.
There are four main tenses for this mood:
| Simple tenses | Compound tenses |
|---|---|
The subjunctive is very common among the Italian speakers. It is used both in independent and dependent clauses.
Lesson outline
HideWhere to use the congiuntivo in Italian
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Independent clause
In the independent clauses, it is possible to find the subjunctive to convey the following messages:
- a desire or a wish: e.g. Oh, se io fossi lì con te! (Oh, if I could be there with you!)
- a doubt or an assumption: e.g. Che abbia perso il treno? (What if he had lost the train?)
- an order or a proposal: e.g. Prego, vada prima lei di me! (Please, go before me!)
Dependent clause
The most frequent use of the subjunctive mood in Italian can be observed in the dependent clauses.
Let's see in detail for what it is used for.
| Clause | Usage | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final |
| Chiamerò il taxi affinché tu possa arrivare a casa sano e salvo. | I will call the cab in order that you would arrive home safe and sound. |
| Subjective |
| Credo che tu abbia ragione. | I think you are right. |
| Objective |
| Ho paura che sia tardi. | I'm afraid it would be late. |
| Relative |
| Hanno cercato quale strada fosse la più breve. | They searched for the shorter way to go. |
| Declarative |
| Pensano che il ladro abbia agito da solo. | They think that the thief did the rob alone. |
| Causative |
| Sono venuto con te in modo che noi potessimo parlare. | I came with you so that we could talk. |
| Concessive |
| Sebbene loro non fossero ancora arrivati, era già tutto pronto. | Even though they weren't there yet, everything was ready. |
| Conditional |
| Se voi poteste rispondere alla domanda, ve ne sarei grato. | If you could answer my question, I would be so thankful. |
| Temporal |
| Andiamo a casa sua, prima che sia tardi. | Let's go to her house, before it would be too late. |
| Hypothetical |
| Se tu non fossi stato così incauto, non ti saresti fatto male. | If you hadn't been so careless, you wouldn't have hurt yourself. |
Remember! The tense of the dependent clause and the one of the independent clause must present an agreement of tenses.
The agreement of tenses: consecution temporum
In order to preserve the grammaticality of the Italian sentences, tenses of the main clause and of the dependent clause must present an agreement.
Below, we will explain the main rules for this agreement (namely, consecutio temporum) in Italian.
For the subjunctive, we have to consider:
- The contemporaneity, that refers to an event that it is happening simultaneously both in the dependent and in the independent clause.
- The anteriority, that refers to an event that took place before the moment in which the speaker is talking.
In particular:
| Main clause tense | Time relation | Dependent clause tense | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present indicative or conditional | Anteriority | Past subjunctive | Credo che abbiano perso il treno. | I think that they lost the train. |
| Present indicative or conditional | Contemporaneity | Present subjunctive | Temo che non ci sia tempo. | I'm afraid there is no time for this. |
| Past indicative or conditional | Anteriority | Past perfect subjunctive | Ho pensato che avessero perso il treno. | I thought they had lost the train. |
| Past indicative or conditional | Contemporaneity | Imperfect subjunctive | Ho temuto che non ci fosse tempo. | I was afraid there wasn't time for this. |
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Thank you for the feedback, Wouter and Eliane! I'm happy to know that you are satisfied with the lessons. I really enjoy working with you and I love to witness your progress, class after class.
Why should you choose me? Take a look at what people say who have taken online classes with me.
Book lessons with me and
- prepare Dutch exams "Basisinburgering A1" and "Inburgeringsexamen A2". Your full commitment and my energetic, professional approach are the winning combination to help you succeed at once!
- learn Dutch because you live in the Netherlands (or are planning to move there) and still don’t speak the language properly or haven’t started yet. You’ll enjoy your environment more!
- learn Italian for work or because you will move to this beautiful country or simply because you just love it. Let me help you experience the language!
- study Spanish for pleasure, work or because you have to prepare an exam for school and you need to get confident to perform optimally
- get confident in useful daily conversations, meetings at work, exams, and presentations
- overcome the fear of failure; if you have learning problems, feel shy or need a boost of energy you’ll get confident enough to achieve your goals
My lessons are based on conversations. My method is to help you practice the language from the very beginning in spontaneous and direct conversations, using often role plays.
With books, articles, songs, and other interesting and stimulating material I will encourage conversation, develop grammar in a simpler way, and improve pronunciation.
Learning a foreign language is not a matter of doing much effort, but rather of being consistent, enjoying the lessons and allowing your intuition to work with you. You will book immediate results while having fun!
I've been teaching Dutch, Spanish and Italian for many years, in The Netherlands, for private institutes, for the integration of foreigners into society (Inburgering), and online from Italy, where I currently live.
Contact me for a free trial and let me know how I can help you.
CANCELATION POLICY
If you cancel a reservation please do it at least 24 hours before the session
(otherwise I would have to charge you for the lesson).
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My name is Luisa and I teach Italian for foreign students, English, French and German for Italian students
Since 1994, I have dedicated myself to translating and teaching thanks to my travels, abroad studies, foreign reading and writing. I provide fun and customized lessons based on the student's goals. I also triy to minimize English speaking during the lessons. I give homework exercises, and my lessons are intermixed with grammar, conversation, customs and traditions. My goal is to make certain that each student finds learning Italian exciting.
I am available for any explanations also via e mail
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Luisa is a really nice teacher with a lovely personality. She makes you feel very comfortable and will tailor the lessons for you. Thank you Luisa.
Dear Veronica, thank you, thank you so much !! :-))
Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
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