Congiuntivo presente or congiuntivo imperfetto? Use the congiuntivo presente when the main verb is in the present or the future: Penso che sia stanco (I think he is tired). Use the congiuntivo imperfetto when the main verb is in a past tense or in the conditional: Pensavo che fosse stanco (I thought he was tired) and Vorrei che tu venissi (I would like you to come).
The rest of this lesson explains why, with a table for matching the tenses and the mistakes I hear most often.
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.
The imperfetto also follows the conditional and “se”
The past is not the only trigger for the congiuntivo imperfetto. It is also the tense you need after a main verb in the conditional, and in hypothetical sentences with se (if):
Vorrei che tu venissi alla festa.
I would like you to come to the party.
Se fossi ricco, comprerei una casa a Roma.
If I were rich, I would buy a house in Rome.
Parla come se fosse il capo.
He talks as if he were the boss.
You can read more about these sentences in the lessons on if clauses and “as if” in Italian.
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 has 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 |
When to Use the Congiuntivo: Common Triggers
Before you choose between presente and imperfetto, you have to know that you need the subjunctive at all. These are the most common triggers, each followed by che and a new subject:
- Opinion: credo che, penso che, immagino che
- Doubt: dubito che, non sono sicuro che
- Wish and hope: voglio che, spero che, vorrei che
- Feelings: sono felice che, mi dispiace che
- Impersonal expressions: è importante che, bisogna che, è necessario che
- Some conjunctions: benché, sebbene, affinché, purché, prima che
Presente and Imperfetto of Common Verbs
For the full conjugations, see the lessons on the present subjunctive and the imperfect subjunctive. These are the forms of four very frequent verbs for io, tu and lui/lei, which share the same form in the presente:
| Verb | Congiuntivo presente (io / tu / lui, lei) | Congiuntivo imperfetto (io / tu / lui, lei) |
|---|---|---|
| essere | sia | fossi / fossi / fosse |
| avere | abbia | avessi / avessi / avesse |
| andare | vada | andassi / andassi / andasse |
| fare | faccia | facessi / facessi / facesse |
Common Mistakes With Presente and Imperfetto
- Using the presente after a past main verb. Not Credevo che sia stanco but Credevo che fosse stanco (I thought he was tired).
- Using the imperfetto after a present main verb. Not Spero che tu venissi domani but Spero che tu venga domani (I hope you come tomorrow).
- Using the indicative instead of the subjunctive. Not Credo che è stanco but Credo che sia stanco. You will hear the indicative in casual speech, but standard Italian, and every exam, expects the subjunctive.
- Using the conditional after “se”. Not Se avrei tempo, verrei but Se avessi tempo, verrei (if I had time, I would come).
- Using che + subjunctive when the subject does not change. When both verbs share the same subject, Italian prefers di + infinitive: Credo di avere ragione (I think I am right) rather than Credo che io abbia ragione.
