How to use the Italian Subjunctive Mood (Parts 1-3)

How to use the Italian Subjunctive Mood (Parts 1-3) is a summary page of our first three blogs on the Italian subjunctive mood.  

All of the phrases used to introduce the subjunctive mood are given on this page.  

Click on the link at the end of each section for the complete blog, which will include present tense conjugation of the Italian subjunctive mood and example sentences.

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Italian Subjunctive Mood (Part 3): Speak Italian!

               The Italian subjunctive mood is easy to conjugate, but tricky to use!

 

How to Use the Italian Subjunctive Mood (Part 3)

Have you ever wondered how to use the Italian subjunctive mood?  To express complex feelings in Italian correctly, it is important to use the Italian subjunctive mood. Learning how to use the Italian subjunctive mood is difficult for English speakers, as we only rarely use this tense in English, and it’s something that I am always working on! This is the third blog post in the “Speak Italian” series that focuses on how to conjugate and use the Italian subjunctive mode, or “il congiuntivo.” 

To take that giant step from simple beginning sentences to more complex and fluid sentences in Italian, in this segment, we will discuss how to express one’s needs in Italian and learn about other important introductory phrases and individual words that take the subjunctive mood. 

In Part 3 of our series of blogs on how to use the Italian Subjunctive Mood, we will repeat the conjugation of the subjunctive mood for the auxiliary -are, -ere, and -ire verbs and learn the conjugation of the auxiliary, or helping, verbs dovere, potere, and volere. Example sentences will follow!

Speak Italian: How to Use the Italian Subjunctive Mood

In each blog post in the “Speak Italian” series about the subjunctive mood (“il congiuntivo”), phrases that take the Italian subjunctive mood will be presented. Then we will review the Italian conjugation for the subjunctive mood in the present and past tenses. Finally, examples of common phrases used in daily life with the subjunctive mood will be presented. Remember these examples as “anchors” in your knowledge for when you must speak Italian and try out the subjunctive mood in your next Italian conversation!

Enjoy the third blog post in this series, “Italian Subjunctive (Part 3) – Speak Italian!”
—Kathryn Occhipinti

Some of this material is adapted from our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers © 2012 by Stella Lucente, LLC, found on www.learntravelitalian.com. Special thanks to Italian instructors Simona Giuggioli and Maria Vanessa Colapinto.

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Speak Italian: How to Use the Italian Subjunctive Mood (Part 3)

Once Again… Phrases That Take the Italian Subjunctive Mood

Verbs in Italian can have a subjunctive mood that is used to express doubt, uncertainty, desire, or a feeling.

The subjunctive mood is said to “open up” a conversation to discussion about a particular topic.

Certain phrases are commonly used to start a sentence in order to introduce the subjunctive mood, and these initial phrases will be in the indicative tense (the “usual” present or past tense). These initial phrases imply uncertainty and trigger the subjunctive mood in the phrase to follow.

In our first blog about the Italian subjunctivemood, we learned that these initial phrases fall into several groups. We discussed Group 1  through Group 5.

In our second blog about the Italian subjunctive mood, we discussed Groups 6 and 7.

In this blog, we will discuss phrases that express feelings (any emotion, fear, or surprise) in Group 9 and describe the situations in which they are used to  introduce the subjunctive mood.

We will also now discuss Group 10, in which we list individual words that refer to the purpose or timing of an action that must be followed by the subjunctive mood. These words are part of “adverbial clauses” that modify verbs. As such, they are often used in the phrase that completes a sentence, but can also be found at the beginning of a sentence. Many of these words are easy to recognize since they end in -che.

Finally, Groups 11 and 12 are individual adjectives or pronouns that can introduce another clause and must be followed by the subjective mood, which we will discuss in blogs to follow.

Hypothetical Phrases are mentioned at the end of our list, to complete our discussion of specific words or phrases that can be used to introduce the subjunctive mood.

Groups 1-9: “Noun Clauses”

Group 10: “Adverbial Clauses”

Groups 11 and 12: “Adjective/Pronoun Clauses”

1. 1. 1. Phrases that use the verbs credere (to believe), pensare (to think), and sperare (to hope). These verbs use the pattern: [verb  + di + infinitive verb]  to describe the beliefs, thoughts, or hopes that one has. When the subject in the introductory phrase is not the same as the subject in the subjunctive clause that follows, the pattern changes to: [verb + che + subjunctive verb].*
      2. Impersonal constructions that begin with, “It is…” such as, “È possibile che…”
      3. Phrases that express a doubt, such as, “I don’t know…” or “Non so che…”
      4. Phrases that express suspicion, such as, ” I suspect that…” or “Sospetto che…”
      5. Phrases that express uncertainty, such as, “It seems to me…” or “Mi sembra che…” and  “Chiedersi se… “ or ” To wonder if…”
      6. Impersonal verbs followed by the conjunction che, such as, “Basta che…” “It is enough that,” or “Si dice che…” “They say that…
      7. Phrases that use the verbs volere, desiderare, chiedere, esigere  when the subject in the introductory phrase is not the same as the subject in the clause that follows. In this situation, these verbs will be followed by che.
      8. Phrases that use the verbs piacere and dispiacere when the subject in the introductory phrase is not the same as the subject in the clause that follows. In this situation, these verbs will be followed by che.
      9. Phrases that express feelings (any emotion, fear, surprise) and use the pattern: [avere, essere, or augurarsi verb  +  di + infinitive verb].  When the subject in the introductory phrase is not the same as the subject in the clause that follows, the pattern changes to: [avere, essere, or augurarsi verb + che + subjunctive verb].
      10. Sentences that begin with words that end in –ché, or complex conjunctions that end with che:  affinché, perché (so as, so that, in order that), purché (as long as, provided that, only if)**, a meno che, senza che (unless), può darsi che (it may be possible that, possibly, maybe), prima che (before that).  Also the many words that mean although/even though, one of which ends in -che: benché  (also sebenne, malgrado, nonostante).***
      11. Sentences that begin with adjectives or pronouns that include the idea of any in a description of a person, place or thing:  qualsiasi, qualunque (any), chiunque (whoever), dovunque (anywhere).
      12. Sentences that begin with adjectives or pronouns that include the idea of nothing or only  in a description of a person, place, or thing: niente che, nulla che (nothing that), nessuno che (nobody that), l’unico, il solo, a che (the only one that).

Hypothetical Phrases:  Phrases that begin with se (if) in certain situations. Phrases that begin with come se (as if), and magari (if only). 

 

As usual, there is a summary table at the end of each descriptive section that shows how to use these  additional groups that take the subjunctive mood in Italian. The present tense phrases are in the first two columns and the past tense phrases in the last two columns. Notice that the imperfetto form of the past tense is given in our table.

Points to remember about the subjunctive mood:

 In Italian, the introductory phrases usually end with a linking word, also known as a conjunction, which will be che.  In this situation, che means that.  We now see from Group 9 that some words or phrases already have -ché or che as an integral part of them. In these cases, che is not repeated.  The clause that follows our introductory phrase will then describe what the uncertainty is about.

Note that the simple present or past tenses can also be used after the introductory phrases listed below, rather than the subjunctive mood, if you are speaking about a fact or something that you believe to be true. This use will make perfect sense to the Italian listener, even when the subjective mood is otherwise commonly used.

*When the speaker in the introductory phrase will carry out the action in the phrase to follow, Italian will use the following construction to link the phrases for credere, pensare, and sperare :  di + infinitive verb. Example: Penso di andare a Roma domani.  =  I think I will go to Rome tomorrow. (Use  pensare a when thinking ABOUT something or someone.)

**solo se also means only if but does NOT take the subjunctive mood.

*** anche se also means even though/if but does NOT take the subjunctive mood.

 

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Expressing One’s Feelings with “Di” and “Che” and the Italian Subjunctive Mood

Phrases Used to Express Feelings with “Di” in Italian

When expressing one’s feelings in Italian in the first person (io conjugation), many common Italian expressions are followed by di (of). In this case, when di is followed by another verb, the verb in the second phrase will be in the infinitive tense (if you remember, infinitive verbs end in -are, -ere, -ire, and translate as “to…”). Below are some examples of these phrases, along with example sentences, adapted from Chapter 7 of the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook.

 

avere bisogno di	to have need of	Ho bisogno di… riposare.
avere paura di	to be afraid/have fear of	Ho paura di… guidare.
avere voglia di	to feel like	Ho voglia di… mangiare una pizza.
essere certo di	to be certain of	Sono certo(a) di… ricordare il tuo nome.
essere sicuro di	to be certain of	Sono sicuro(a) di… ricordare questo posto.
essere felice di	to be happy to	Sono felice di… incontrare mio cugino oggi.
essere fortunato di	to be lucky to	Sono fortunato(a) di… mangiare questa cena.
essere libero di	to be free to	Sono libero(a) di… viaggiare.
essere stanco di	to be tired of	Sono stanco(a) di… volare.
temere di…	to be afraid of	Temo di… essere in ritardo.
augurarsi di…	to wish/to hope (of)	Mi auguro di… fare una buona vacanza.

 

Phrases Used to Express Feelings with “Che” and the Italian Subjunctive Mood

Some of the expressions listed in the following table are most commonly used with the same subject for the second phrase. As noted in our previous discussions, these phrases will be followed with “di” and an infinitive verb. They are reprinted here to correspond with the previous table, followed by an asterisk and an explanation in parentheses.

For most of the expressions of feeling we have been talking about, though, it is possible to express a feeling that the speaker (io) has regarding another person or people. In this case, then, these expressions must be followed by che, and the subjunctive mood should be used for the verb in the second phrase.

In our example table, we will illustrate this by following the Italian phrases in which the subjects can be different with ...che tu, which we know means …that you, although of course, this rule follows no matter which subject pronoun we use.

Phrases Used to Express Feelings with “Che” and the Italian Subjunctive Mode

Present Tense Subjunctive Phrase Group 8			Past Tense Subjunctive Phrase Group 8
Ho bisogno… che tu	I need… that you* *(This expression is not commonly used in Italian to tell another person what needs to be done; voglio che is used instead.)		Avevo bisogno… che tu	I needed… that you* *(This expression is not commonly used in Italian to tell another person what needs to be done; volevo che is used instead.)
Ho paura… che tu	I am afraid… that you		Avevo paura…  che tu	I was afraid… that you
Ho voglia di… *	I feel like… * *(always used with the same subject +di in both phrases)		Avevo voglia… *	I felt like…* *(always used with the same subject + di in both phrases)
Sono certo(a)… che tu	I am certain… that you		Ero certo… che tu	I was certain… that you
Sono sicuro(a)… che tu	I am certain… that you		Ero sicuro… che tu	I was certain… that you
Sono felice… che tu	I am happy… that you		Ero felice… che tu	I was happy… that you
Sono fortunato(a)… che tu	I am happy… that you		Ero fortunato(a)… che tu	I was fortunate… that you
Sono libero(a) di… *	I am free… * *(always used with the same subject +di in both phrases)		Ero libero(a)… *	I was free… * *(always used with the same subject +di in both phrases)
Sono stanco(a) di…	I am tired…* *(always used with the same subject +di in both phrases)		Ero stanco(a)… che tu	I was tired…* *(always used with the same subject +di in both phrases)
Temo… che tu	I am afraid… that you		Temevo… che tu	I was afraid… that you
Mi auguro… che tu	I hope… that you		Mi auguravo… che tu	I hoped… that you

 

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Idiomatic Use of the Italian Subjunctive Mood

The final group of words in the table below take the subjunctive mood when used to start a sentence . These conjunctions, adjectives, and pronouns imply that a second phrase is necessary to complete the sentence.

Only the most commonly used have been given in the table.  For a more complete list, see first section of this blog.

Phrases Used to Introduce the Subjunctive Mood—Idiomatic

Present Tense Subjunctive Phrase Groups 9, 10, 11
Prima che	Before that (Prima che is used to mean“before that”and followed by the subjunctive mood when the subject in the first phrase is different from the subject in the second phrase; usePrima di + infinitivewhen the subject of both phrases is the same.)
Benché, Sebbene	Although, even though
Può darsi che	It may be possible that, Possibly, Maybe
Affinché	So as, so that, in order that
Perché	So that (Perché is only used in the subjunctive mode when it means “so that.” Other meanings of perché include “why” and “because,” and in these cases, the subjunctive mode is not used.)
Purché	As long as, provided that, only if

Finally, our usual reminder:

DO NOT USE THE SUBJUNCTIVE WITH THE FOLLOWING THREE PHRASES!

Forse = Perhaps       

Secondo me = According to me

Per me = For me

The above may seem like exceptions to the rule, but perhaps… because these phrases already express doubt or your personal opinion… in the Italian way of thinking, it would be redundant to use these phrases along with the subjunctive!

And, two more  phrases we can now add that do NOT take the subjunctive mood:

Solo se = Only if

Anche se = Even though/if

 

Read the full blog “Italian Subjunctive  (Part 3). Click here!

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Italian Subjunctive Mood (Part 2): Speak Italian!

For Part 2 of our blog series on “how to use the Italian subjunctive mood,” we will discuss the situations in which phrases that use the verbs volere, desiderare, piacere, and dispiacere take the subjunctive mood. We will also learn the conjugation of the subjunctive mood for the -are, -ere, and -ire verbs and the commonly used irregular verbs andare, fare, sapere, and venire. 

How to Use the Italian Subjunctive Mood with
Volere and Desiderare

When expressing one’s desire in Italian in the first person (io conjugation), voglio/vorrei and desidero are used in similar situations to mean I want and I would like. In this case, these helping verbs are followed directly by another verb that is in the infinitive tense (if you remember, infinitive verbs end in -are, -ere, -ire and translate as “to…”).  Of course, these verbs can also be followed by a noun, the “object of our desire”!

Volere and desiderare are covered in detail in Chapter 4 of our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers, if you would like a review. Below are some simple examples:

Voglio imparare l’italiano.      I want to learn Italian.

Vorrei viaggiare in Italia.         I would like to travel in Italy.

Desidero andare al cinema.    I want to go to the movies.

But when these same verbs—voglio/vorrei and desidero—are used to express a desire for something that the speaker in the first person (io) wants another person to do, then these helping verbs must be followed by che, and then the subjunctive mood should be used for the verb in the next phrase.

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How to Use the Italian Subjunctive Mood with
Piacere and Dispiacere

The verb forms mi piace, mi piacerrebbe and mi dispiace, mi dispiaccerebbe follow the same rule given for the verbs in Group 6 we just discussed: when the verb that follows these introductory phrases refers to the speaker (io form), then a verb in the infinitive form follows directly.  When the verb that follows refers to someone else, che is used as a link to a verb in the subjunctive mood in the second clause.

In our example table that follows, we will illustrate the use of che followed by a different speaker from the introductory phrase with ...che tu.  This conjunction  means …that you.  Of course, we can replace tu with any of the other subject pronouns, and then the phrases would be: ….che Lei, che lei, che lui, che noi, che voi, or che loro.

Phrases Used to Introduce the Subjunctive Mood  with Volere, Desiderare, Piacere, Dispiacere

Present Tense & Conditional Tense Subjunctive Phrases Groups 6 and 7			Past Tense & Past Conditional Tense Subjunctive Phrases Groups 6 and 7
Voglio… che tu	I want… that you		Volevo… che tu	I wanted… that you
Vorrei… che tu	I would like… that you		Volevo… che tu	I wanted… that you
Desidero… che tu	I want… that you		Desideravo… che tu	I wanted… that you
Mi piace… che tu	I like… that you		Mi piaceva… che tu	I liked… that you
Mi dispiace… che tu	I am sorry… that you		Mi dispiaceva… che tu	I was sorry… that you
Mi piacerebbe… che tu	I would like… that you		Mi sarebbe piaciuto… che tu	I would have liked… that you
Mi dispiacerebbe… che tu	I don’t mind… that you		Mi sarebbe piaciuto… che tu	I didn’t mind… that you

Read the full blog “Italian Subjunctive Mood (Part 2). Click here!

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Italian Subjunctive Mood (Part 1): Speak Italian!

In Part 1 of our blog series on “how to use the Italian subjunctive mood,” in this segment, we will discuss the phrases that take the subjunctive mood and the how to conjugate the subjunctive mood for avere, essere and stare.

To follow is a (long) list of phrases that can be used to introduce the Italian subjunctive mood, with the present tense in the first two columns and the past tense in the last two columns. Notice that the imperfetto form of the past tense is given in our table.

Phrases That Take the Subjunctive Mood

Present Tense Subjunctive Phrase Groups 1 and 2			Past Tense Subjunctive Phrase Groups 1 and 2
Credo che	I believe that		Credevo che	I believed that
Penso che	I think that		Pensavo che	I thought that
Spero che	I hope that		Speravo che	I hoped that
È possibile che	It is possible that		Era possibile che	It was possible that
È probablile che	It is probable that		Era probabile che	It was probable that
È bene che	It is fine/good that		Era bene che	It was fine/good that
Sarebbe bene che	It would be good that		Sarebbe stato bene che	It would have been good that
È giusto che	It is right that		Era giusto che	It was right that
È meglio  che	It is better that		Era meglio che	It was better that
È incredible che	It is incredible that		Era incredibile che	It was incredible that
È un peccato che	It is a shame that		Era un peccato che	It was a shame that
È una vergogna che	It is a disgrace that		Era una vergogna che	It was a disgrace that
È normale che	It is normal that		Era normale che	It was normal that

Present Tense Subjunctive Phrase Groups 3, 4, and 5			Past Tense Subjunctive Phrase Groups 3, 4, and 5
Non so che	I don’t know that		Non sapevo che	I didn’t know that
Non so dove	I don’t know where		Non sapevo dove	I didn’t know where
Non sono sicuro che	I am not sure that		Non ero sicuro che	I wasn’t sure that
Non ho idea che	I have no idea that		Non avevo idea che	I had no idea that
Non mi aspetto che	I couldn’t wait that		Non mi aspettavo che	I couldn’t wait that
Non c’è nulla che	There is nothing that		Non c’era nulla che	There was nothing that
Mi pare che	It seems to me		Mi pareva che	It seemed to me
Mi sembra che	It seems to me		Mi sembrava che	It seemed to me
Può darsi che	Perhaps
Ho l’impressione che	I have the impression that		Avevo l’impresione che	I had the impression that
Suppongo che	I suppose that		Supponevo che	I supposed that
Immagino che	I imagine that		Immaginavo che	I imagined that
Dubito che	I doubt that		Dubitavo che	I doubted that
Sono convinto che	I am convinced that		Ero convinto che	I was convinced that
A meno che	Unless
Conviene che	It is best that		Conveniva che	It was best that
Basta che	It is enough that		Bastava che	It was enough that
Malgrado che	In spite of that
Si dice che	It is said that		Si diceva che	It was said that
Dicono che	They say that		Dicevano che	They said that
Bisogno che	It’s necessary that		Bisognavo che	It was necessary that

*When the speaker in the introductory phrase will carry out the action in the phrase to follow, Italian will use the following construction to link the phrases for credere, pensare, and sperare :  di + infinitive verb. Example: Penso di andare a Roma domani.  =  I think I will go to Rome tomorrow.

Read the full blog “Italian Subjunctive Mode (Part 1). Click here!

 

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, is the author of the
Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books and a teacher of Italian for travelers to Italy in the Peoria and Chicago area.
“Everything you need to know to enjoy your visit to Italy!”

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