The Italian conditional tense (condizionale presente) works like the English “would”: parlerei means “I would speak”. You form it from the same stem as the simple future and add the endings -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero.
The Conditional Mood in Italian
The conditional mood in Italian, known as condizionale, is similar to the English would + verb (I would eat) and is used to express:
- a possibility
- a hypothesis
- a polite request
- a wish
It has two tenses: present conditional and past conditional. Here, I will focus on the present conditional only, but there is an article dedicated to the Italian past conditional too, so go check it out!
Present Conditional in Italian
Regular Verbs Conjugation
Forming the present conditional in Italian is relatively easy: as with all verb conjugations, you have to drop the ending of the infinitive (-are, –ere, –ire) and add those of the corresponding tense.
In the case of the Italian present conditional, these endings are composed of:
- thematic vowel (-are-> e; –ere-> e; –ire-> i)
- r
- conjugation
Sounds familiar? Yes, it is the same as the simple future, but the endings are different, of course! Let me show you what I mean with the verb cantare (to sing).
First, we get rid of the ending of the infinitive and obtain cant-. This is a first conjugation verb, therefore we add the thematic vowel e, and obtain cant–e. Then, we add the r and obtain cant–e–r, and finally we attach the endings that are specific for the present conditional, as follows:
| io | -ei |
| tu | -esti |
| lui/lei | -ebbe |
| noi | -emmo |
| voi | -este |
| loro | -ebbero |
Therefore, if you want to say that you would sing a song, you can say Io canterei una canzone.
As I said, it is not that hard, but if you feel it is tricky at the beginning, I’ll give you good news: the endings are the same for all three verb conjugations! Feel relieved?
Here I created three tables so that you can see how regular verbs work:
- -are as in parlare (to talk)
| Io parlerei | I would talk |
| Tu parleresti | You would talk |
| Lui/lei parlerebbe | He/she would talk |
| Noi parleremmo | We would talk |
| Voi parlereste | You would talk |
| Loro parlerebbero | They would talk |
- -ere as in credere (to think)
| Io crederei | I would think |
| Tu crederesti | You would think |
| Lui/lei crederebbe | He/she would think |
| Noi crederemmo | We would think |
| Voi credereste | You would think |
| Loro crederebbero | They would think |
- -ire as in sentire (to feel)
| Io sentirei | I would feel |
| Tu sentiresti | You would feel |
| Lui/lei sentirebbe | He/she would feel |
| Noi sentiremmo | We would feel |
| Voi sentireste | You would feel |
| Loro sentirebbero | They would feel |
Future vs Conditional: What Changes?
The stem is identical. Only the endings change:
| Person | Simple future | Present conditional |
| io | canterò (I will sing) | canterei (I would sing) |
| tu | canterai | canteresti |
| lui/lei | canterà | canterebbe |
| noi | canteremo | canteremmo |
| voi | canterete | cantereste |
| loro | canteranno | canterebbero |
Spelling Changes
Some regular -are verbs change their spelling to keep the same sound, exactly as in the future:
- Verbs in -care and -gare add an h: cercare -> cercherei (I would look for), pagare -> pagherei (I would pay).
- Verbs in -ciare and -giare drop the i: cominciare -> comincerei (I would start), mangiare -> mangerei (I would eat).
Irregular Verbs Conjugation
Of course, there are some irregularities. But, as always, irregular verbs have irregular roots, meaning that the endings are always the same, as well as the overall construction of the conjugation.
Specifically, I like dividing Italian irregular conditional verbs into two groups: short form verbs and irregular verbs.
- Short form verbs are those verbs that drop the thematic vowel when conjugated in the present conditional. Verbs like avere, andare, dovere, potere, sapere, vivere, and vedere display this phenomenon:
- avere -> avr-
- andare -> andr-
- dovere -> dovr-
- potere -> potr-
- sapere -> sapr-
- vivere -> vivr-
- vedere -> vedr-
For instance:
Non vivrei mai a Roma, troppo caotica. Però andrei a Firenze.
I would never live in Rome, too chaotic. But I would go to Florence.
- Irregular verbs are those verbs that change completely the root. Examples of this class of verbs are essere, volere, venire, and bere.
- essere -> sar-
- volere -> vorr-
- venire -> verr-
- bere -> berr-
For example:
Sarebbe meglio prendere il treno, non vorrei guidare.
It would be better to take the train, I wouldn’t want to drive.
Other verbs follow the same pattern as in the future. Some double the r, like rimanere -> rimarr- (rimarrei) and tenere -> terr- (terrei), while fare, dare and stare keep their a: farei, darei, starei. You can see the same stems in my lesson on the irregular future.
The Most Useful Conditional Forms
| Verb | Io form | Meaning |
| volere | vorrei | I would like |
| potere | potrei | I could |
| dovere | dovrei | I should |
| essere | sarei | I would be |
| avere | avrei | I would have |
| fare | farei | I would do |
| piacere | mi piacerebbe | I would like (to) |
When to use Condizionale Presente
In Italian, we use the present conditional in the following cases:
- To express a desire or a purpose:
Ti offrirei la cena ma ho dimenticato il portafogli.
I would buy you dinner but I forgot my wallet.
- To say or ask something kindly:
Mi porterebbe una bottiglia d’acqua, per favore?
Could you bring me a bottle of water, please?
- To express doubt and uncertainty:
Non prenderei l’ultimo treno, è troppo tardi.
I wouldn’t catch the last train, it’s too late.
- To refer to an action that is possible or likely, and that depends on a particular condition.
Dormirei tutto il giorno se non dovessi studiare.
I would sleep all day if I didn’t have to study.
Useful Phrases
Vorrei un caffè, per favore.
I would like a coffee, please.
Potresti aiutarmi?
Could you help me?
Dovresti riposare di più.
You should rest more.
Mi piacerebbe viaggiare di più.
I would like to travel more.
Al tuo posto, accetterei.
In your place, I would accept.
Sarebbe bello!
That would be nice!
“If” Sentences: Se + Imperfect Subjunctive
To say what you would do in an imaginary situation, use se with the imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto) and the present conditional in the main clause:
Se avessi più tempo, viaggerei di più.
If I had more time, I would travel more.
Se fossi ricco, comprerei una casa a Roma.
If I were rich, I would buy a house in Rome.
You can learn how to form the verb after se in my lesson on the imperfect subjunctive.
Present Conditional or Past Conditional?
The present conditional talks about what would happen now or in the future: Vorrei un caffè (I would like a coffee). The past conditional talks about what would have happened: Avrei voluto un caffè (I would have liked a coffee). Read the full explanation in my lesson on the past conditional.
Italian newspapers also use the conditional to report facts that are not confirmed. That use has its own lesson: the journalistic conditional.
Ready to Make Wishes
Vorrei imparare l’Italiano velocemente! (I would like to learn Italian fast!)
Well, now you can! You are a step further in your Italian learning journey: I have just embarked the world of possibility. You can now express a desire, ask favors kindly, express doubt and uncertainty, and talk about possibilities.
So, practice the use of this verb tense and unlock new topics and conversations!
