Italian grammar · Intermediate (B1)
The congiuntivo: the Italian subjunctive
How to form the congiuntivo presente, passato and imperfetto, the common irregular forms, and when Italians use it.
What it is
The (subjunctive) is a set of verb forms for things that are in someone's head rather than stated as facts: opinions, feelings, hopes, wishes and doubts. It usually comes after : (I think it's true).
Compare (It's true), a fact, with (I think it's true), an opinion. In relaxed conversation you'll sometimes hear the normal present instead, but the congiuntivo is always correct, and it's expected in careful Italian.
The congiuntivo presente
In regular verbs, -are verbs take -i, and -ere and -ire verbs take -a. The , and / forms are the same, so add the subject when it isn't clear: . The form is the same as in the present, and ends in -iate.
Verbs like keep -isc- (). Verbs in -care and -gare add an h (, ), and verbs in -iare keep only one i (, ).
| Person | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / | ||||
Irregular forms
Many common verbs are irregular. Often the stem comes from the form of the present: → , → , → , → .
| Infinitive | / / / | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
When to use it
Use the congiuntivo after these groups of words. With opinions, feelings, hopes and wishes, the person in the second part is usually different; if it's the same person, use + infinitive instead: (I hope to see you), not Spero che io ti veda.
After , meaning “because”, and a real , use the normal indicative: .
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| opinions and doubts | , , , |
| feelings | |
| hopes and wishes | |
| impersonal phrases | , , , |
| linking words | (although), (so that), (before) |
The congiuntivo passato
For something that has already happened, use the congiuntivo of or + the past participle. The rules for and are the same as in the passato prossimo: (I'm sorry you missed the train), (I hope you got there safely).
- Credo che Marta sia già partita.I think Marta has already left.
- Sono contento che vi siate divertiti.I'm glad you had fun.
The congiuntivo imperfetto
The congiuntivo imperfetto is formed from the form of the imperfetto without -vo, plus -ssi, -ssi, -sse, -ssimo, -ste, -ssero: , , . (), () and () are irregular.
Use it after a past verb or a conditional, like and , and in imaginary clauses: (I'd like you to come), (If I were you, I'd go).