Language/Italian/Grammar/Conditional-Subjunctive

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Italian Grammar - Subjunctive and Imperative Moods > Conditional Subjunctive

The Conditional Subjunctive mood is one of the most complex and least used tenses in Italian. It is used to indicate events that might have happened in the past, but did not happen because some condition was not fulfilled. In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use Conditional Subjunctive mood in Italian.

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: How to Use be & Conditional Mood.

Formation

To form the Conditional Subjunctive, you need to use the present subjunctive of the auxiliary verb "avere" or "essere" (depending on the main verb), followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here is the formula:

• avere or essere (depending on the main verb) + present subjunctive + past participle of the main verb

Here are the conjugations of "avere" and "essere" in the present subjunctive:

Person	Avere	Essere
io	abbia	sia
tu	abbia	sia
lui/lei	abbia	sia
noi	abbiamo	siamo
voi	abbiate	siate
loro	abbiano	siano

Here are some examples of regular verbs in the Conditional Subjunctive:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
Se avessi tempo, partirei.	seh ah-VEHS-see TEHM-poh pahr-TEE-reh-ee	If I had time, I would leave.
Se avessi soldi, comprerei una macchina.	seh ah-VEHS-see SOHL-dee, kohm-PREH-reh-ee OO-nah mahk-KEE-nah	If I had money, I would buy a car.

Here are some examples of irregular verbs in the Conditional Subjunctive:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
Se potessi, andrei al mare.	seh poh-TEHS-see, ahn-DREH-ee ahl MAH-reh	If I could, I would go to the sea.
Se sapessi dov'è, andrei a trovarlo.	seh sah-PEHS-see doh-VEH, ahn-DREH-ee ah traw-VAHR-loh	If I knew where he is, I would go find him.

Usage

As mentioned above, the Conditional Subjunctive is used to indicate events that might have happened in the past, but did not happen because some condition was not fulfilled. It is often used in hypothetical or imagined scenarios, or to express regret over past events. Here are some examples:

• Se avessi saputo prima, sarei venuto alla festa. (If I had known earlier, I would have come to the party.)
• Se avessi fatto il compito, non mi avrebbe punito. (If I had done the homework, he wouldn't have punished me.)
• Se fossi in te, non farei una cosa del genere. (If I were you, I wouldn't do such a thing.)

Exercises

1. Conjugate the verb "essere" in the Conditional Subjunctive for each pronoun. 2. Conjugate the verb "avere" in the Conditional Subjunctive for each pronoun. 3. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets:

• Se (avere) il tempo, vado al cinema.
• Se (andare) a Roma, farei una passeggiata al Colosseo.
• Se (essere) in tempo, partiamo subito.

Sources

• Italian Condizionale - Present And Past Conditional in Italian
• Subjunctive – Learn Italian

Table of Contents - Italian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

Introduction to Italian Language

• Italian Alphabet
• Nouns and Articles
• Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Present Tense of Irregular Verbs

  ---

Daily Life Expressions

• Greetings and Introductions
• Foods and Drinks
• Transportation
• Numbers and Dates

  ---

Italian Culture and Tradition

• Italian Regions and Cities
• Italian Cuisine and Wine
• Italian Art and Music
• Italian Festivals and Celebrations

  ---

Past and Future Tenses

• Passato Prossimo
• Futuro Semplice
• Imperfect Tense
• Condizionale Presente

  ---

Social and Work Life

• Family and Relationships
• Work and Employment
• Shopping and Services
• Tourism and Hospitality

  ---

Italian Literature and Cinema

• Famous Italian Writers and Poets
• Italian Cinema Industry
• Italian Contemporary Art

  ---

Subjunctive and Imperative Moods

• Present Subjunctive
• Imperative Form
• Simple Past Subjunctive
• Conditional Subjunctive

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Science and Technology

• Computer and Technology
• Science and Research
• Environment and Ecology

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Italian Politics and Society

• Contemporary Italian Politics
• Italian Society and Customs
• Religion and Believes

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Compound Tenses

• Trapassato Prossimo
• Trapassato Remoto
• Futuro Anteriore
• Congiuntivo Passato

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Arts and Design

• Fashion and Design
• Music and Performing Arts
• Visual Arts

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Italian Language and Dialects

• Italian Language Variations
• Italian Language in the World
• Italian Language as a Second Language

Other Lessons

• Imperfect Tense
• Gender
• Present Subjunctive
• Future Tense
• Present Tense
• Imperative Form
• Passato Prossimo
• Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Accent mark to distinguish a word
• Negation

Videos

Conditional Clauses in Italian - YouTube

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