The Subjunctive Mood
The congiuntivo (subjunctive) is a grammatical mood used to express unreality, doubt, possibility, necessity, desire, uncertainty, or hypothetical situations.
In Italian, congiuntivo differs from the indicativo (indicative mood), which is used to state facts and certainties, and condizionale (conditional mood), used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, suggestions, or conditions.
In languages which display the subjunctive, like Italian, this mood is typically triggered by specific expressions or verbs that indicate doubt, necessity, or hypothetical conditions.
In Italian, the subjunctive mood is composed of four tenses: congiuntivo presente, congiuntivo passato, congiuntivo imperfetto, and congiuntivo trapassato, as you can see from the table below:
| Congiuntivo Presente | Congiuntivo Passato |
|---|---|
|
Spero che lui venga alla festa. I hope that he comes to the party. |
Mi dispiace che tu non sia venuto. I am sorry that you did not come. |
| Congiuntivo Imperfetto | Congiuntivo Trapassato |
|
Credevo che la festa finisse prima. I thought that the party ended sooner. |
Speravo che tu avessi studiato di più. I hoped that you had studied more. |
In my experience as a tutor of Italian, I noticed that many students struggle with understanding the difference between present and imperfect subjunctive, therefore here I will focus on this!
Congiuntivo Presente vs Congiuntivo Imperfetto in Italian
Congiuntivo Presente
The congiuntivo presente is used when the verb of the main clause is in the indicative present tense. I always tell my students that this tense is used when the subject is expressing – in the present – something that is likely to happen in the present or future.
Its structure therefore is: presente – presente. Let me give you an example of what I mean:
Credo che tu sia stanco.
I think that you are tired.
Me thinking is a present occurrence, and you being tired is a present occurrence as well.
Congiuntivo Imperfetto
The congiuntivo imperfetto is used when the main clause is in an indicative past tense, like passato prossimo, imperfetto, or passato remoto.
To explain this verb tense, I tell my students that the subject was expressing – in the past – something that was likely to happen in that current moment.
If seen from the present perspective, the action likely to be happening is a past action, but in the moment when the subject was expressing their doubt, desire, or hypothesis, that was a present situation.
Its structure, therefore, is: passato – presente. Let me show you an example to make it clearer:
Credevo che lui fosse greco.
I thought that he was Greek.
Back then, I thought something. And that something was a present thought for me, meaning that in the moment that I had that thought I was thinking that he was Greek.
Key Differences
Let me summarize the main differences in the following table:
| Aspect | Congiuntivo Presente | Congiuntivo Imperfetto |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of the Main Clause | Used when the main clause is in the present. | Used when the main clause is in the past. |
| Certainty and Hypotheticals | Deals with present or future uncertainty, desires, or doubts. | Often addresses past doubts or hypothetical situations. |
| Example |
Dubito che lui sia felice. I doubt that he is happy. |
Dubitavo che lui fosse felice. I doubted that he was happy. |
Understanding these differences will help you use the subjunctive forms correctly in Italian, so that you can convey the right nuances and meanings.
Distinction of all Subjunctive Tenses
Although I noticed that the difference between present and imperfect subjunctive is the hardest to conceptualize, I want to provide you with an overview of all subjunctive tenses, so that you’ll be struggling with none!
| Congiuntivo Presente | Congiuntivo Passato |
|---|---|
| Verb of the main clause in the indicative present tense. It expresses – in the present – something that is likely to happen in the present or future. | Verb of the main clause in the indicative present tense. It expresses – in the present – an action that has occurred before the present moment. |
|
Spero che tu arrivi in tempo. I hope that you arrive on time. |
Spero che tu sia arrivato in tempo. I hope that you arrived on time. |
| Structure: Presente – Presente | Structure: Presente – Passato |
| Congiuntivo Imperfetto | Congiuntivo Trapassato |
|---|---|
| Verb of the main clause in an indicative past tense. It expresses – in the past – something that was likely to happen in that current moment. | Verb of the main clause in an indicative past tense. It expresses – in the past – an action that ahs occurred even before the past action. |
|
Speravo che lui arrivasse in tempo. I hoped that he arrived on time. |
Speravo che tu fossi arrivato in tempo. I hoped that you had arrived on time. |
| Structure: Passato – Presente | Structure: Passato – Passato |
