The Subjunctive Mood in Italian
The subjunctive mood in Italian, known as congiuntivo, is commonly used in dependent clauses that are introduced by certain conjunctions and expressions, specifically to express:
- a doubt
- a desire
- a necessity
- a possibility
It has four tenses: present subjunctive, past subjunctive, imperfect subjunctive, and past perfect subjunctive.
“In Caso” + Subjunctive
What Does “in Caso” Mean?
As simple as it is, in caso means “in case (that)”. It is used to introduce a condition or a hypothetical situation, which is the reason why it is often followed by the congiuntivo (subjunctive mood).
In caso fosse necessario comprare piùcibo, possiamo andare al supermercato.
In case it was necessary to buy more food, we could go to the supermarket.
Another form of in caso is nel caso in cui. They both mean the same thing and are used in the same way, that is, to introduce hypothetical situations or conditions.
The only slight difference is that nel caso in cui might sound a bit more formal and structured. It is like if you said “in the event that” or “in case that”.
How to use “in Caso” + Subjunctive
We use the structure in caso + subjunctive to talk about a hypothetical situation or precautions. We can this structure with all the types of subjunctive: presente, imperfetto,passato, and trapassato.
- Congiuntivo presente
This combination is used to express a hypothetical situation or a possibility in the present or future. It implies that something might happen, but it’s uncertain.
In caso tu sia stanco, puoi riposarti.
In case you are tired, you can rest.
Here, the main action is in the present or future, and the condition (being tired) is also in the present or future.
In caso tu voglia venire alla nostra festa, fammi sapere.
In (the likely) case you want to come to our party, let me know.
- Congiuntivo passato
This is used to express a hypothetical action that has already been completed or is relevant to the present but is still uncertain.
In caso tu sia andato via, avvisami.
In case you have gone away, let me know.
Here, it indicates a condition that may have already happened, but its impact or relevance is still considered.
Nel caso in cui tu abbia finito i compiti, puoi uscire.
In (the likely) case, you finished your homework; you can go out.
- Congiuntivo imperfetto
This is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past. It often pairs with the conditional mood in the main clause.
In caso lui fosse qui, lo saluterei.
In case he were here, I would greet him.
Here, we are expressing a condition that could have been true in the past or in a hypothetical situation that is unlikely or impossible in the present.
In caso tu volessi venire alla nostra festa, fammi sapere.
In (the not-so-likely) case you wanted to come to our party, let me know.
- Congiuntivo trapassato
This combination is used to express a hypothetical action that occurred further back in the past and is often paired with the past conditional in the main clause.
In caso tu fossi andato via, mi avresti lasciato solo.
In case you had gone away, you would have left me alone.
Here, it is used for hypothetical situations or actions that could have occurred in the past but didn’t or vice versa.
Nel caso in cui tu avessi finito i compiti, puoi uscire.
In (the not-so-likely) case, you finished your homework; you can go out.
“Se” vs “in Caso”
Let me now introduce you a topic that is often overlooked in most of the Italian books: the difference between se and in caso. They are both used in Italian to introduce conditional or hypothetical situations, but they have different usage contexts.
Se translates to “if” in English and is the most commonly used conjunction to introduce if-clauses in Italian. It can be used in both real (indicative mood) and hypothetical (subjunctive mood) contexts.
Of course, the mood and tense used after se depend on the type of condition being expressed:
- Real Condition (Indicative Mood):
Se piove, resto a casa.
If it rains, I stay at home.
- Hypothetical Condition (Subjunctive and Conditional Mood):
Se lui fosse qui, sarebbe felice.
If he were here, he would be happy.
- Unreal Past Condition (Subjunctive Mood):
Se lo avessi saputo, non sarei venuto.
If I had known it, I wouldn’t have come.
As we saw, in caso translates to “in case” and is used to introduce a precautionary condition or a possible situation that is more hypothetical. It is used with the subjunctive mood only because it expresses uncertainty.
In caso tu abbia freddo, prendi una coperta.
In case you are cold, take a blanket.
