Present Subjunctive - Irregular Verbs: Italian Grammar Lesson

Q: What verbs take subjunctive in Italian?

When constructing an Italian sentence, the word 'che' usually requires the use of the subjunctive mood. This is particularly true when using verbs such as 'pensare' (to think), 'credere' (to believe), and 'sperare' (to hope). In these cases, the subjunctive is used after 'che' to convey uncertainty or doubt.

Key Takeaways

The subjunctive mood in Italian, or congiuntivo, expresses doubt, desire, necessity, and possibility.
Irregular verbs in the present subjunctive change their root but maintain the same endings as regular verbs.
Common irregular verbs include essere, avere, andare, fare, and venire.
Examples of usage include expressing hopes, such as Spero che tu vada al dottore. (I hope you go to the doctor).
Understanding the subjunctive mood enhances your ability to express complex thoughts and engage in more nuanced conversations in Italian.

Stefano's Insights

Play to see captions...

Ah, il congiuntivo, quel meraviglioso mondo di incertezze e possibilità! È il tempo verbale che ci permette di esprimere dubbi, desideri e necessità. Sì, è vero, alcuni verbi sono irregolari, ma non temere: una volta padroneggiate le coniugazioni dei verbi regolari, sei a metà strada! Ricordo ancora quando ho cercato di spiegare a un amico inglese perché dovesse usare il congiuntivo in italiano. Dopo un'ora di spiegazioni, mi ha chiesto: 'Ma non possiamo semplicemente essere certi di tutto?' Ah, quanto mi piace il congiuntivo! È come il sale nella cucina italiana: indispensabile per dare sapore alla lingua. Quindi, avanti, pratica e scopri quanto può essere affascinante esprimere i tuoi pensieri più profondi in italiano!

Ah, the subjunctive, that wonderful world of uncertainties and possibilities! It's the verb tense that allows us to express doubts, desires, and necessities. Yes, it's true, some verbs are irregular, but fear not: once you've mastered regular verb conjugations, you're halfway there! I still remember trying to explain to an English friend why he should use the subjunctive in Italian. After an hour of explanations, he asked me, 'But can't we just be certain about everything?' Ah, how I love the subjunctive! It's like salt in Italian cooking: indispensable for adding flavor to the language. So go ahead, practice, and discover how fascinating it can be to express your deepest thoughts in Italian!

Quick facts

When is the present subjunctive used in Italian?

It's used to express hopes, hypotheses, desires, fears, possibilities, and doubts, typically following main clauses with conjunctions like "che."

What are common conjunctions introducing the subjunctive?

Conjunctions include "che," "a meno che non" (unless), "affinché" (so that), and "prima che" (before).

Are irregular verbs in the subjunctive also irregular in the indicative?

Yes, verbs irregular in the present indicative remain irregular in the present subjunctive.

How do the endings for io, tu, and lui/lei compare in the subjunctive?

The endings for io, tu, and lui/lei are the same in the present subjunctive, aiding memorization.

How does the noi form in the subjunctive compare to the indicative?

The subjunctive form for "noi" often looks identical to its present indicative counterpart.

Can you give an example of conjugating "essere" in the subjunctive?

"Essere": io sia, tu sia, lui/lei sia, noi siamo, voi siate, loro siano.

What do you notice about the verbs "dare," "fare," and "stare" in the subjunctive?

These verbs feature the recurrence of the letter 'i' in their conjugations.

How is "dovere" unique in its subjunctive conjugation?

"Dovere" offers two forms for io, tu, lui/lei, and loro: debba/deva, debbano/devano.

How are subjunctive forms of "bere" and "dire" constructed?

They maintain their indicative roots but adjust endings: "bere" becomes io beva, tu beva; "dire" becomes io dica, tu dica.

What's a helpful pattern for remembering irregular subjunctive verbs?

Keep the indicative root and add -a for io, tu, lui/lei, and -iamo, -iate, -ano for noi, voi, loro.

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Main Article

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, past, imperfect, and past perfect. Here, I will focus on the irregular present subjunctive only.

There are articles dedicated to the regular present subjunctive, past subjunctive, imperfect subjunctive, and past perfect subjunctive too, so go check them out!

Irregular Present Subjunctive in Italian

Why are Some Verbs Irregular?

In linguistics, a verb is considered irregular if it does not follow the typical conjugation patterns of its language. This means that its forms cannot be predicted by applying the standard rules that apply to regular verbs.

However, I have good news for you: once you learned the conjugations of the regular present subjunctive, you have already done half of the work.

In fact, like all other irregular verbs, the irregular present subjunctive is irregular because it changes the verb root, but the endings are always the same.

Here, I will explore the conjugations of some of the most common irregular verbs in Italian: essere, avere, andare, fare, venire, dire, stare, potere, volere, sapere, and dovere.

It is not a coincidence that almost all of these verbs are auxiliary verbs. In fact, let me tell you an interesting linguistic fact I love sharing with my students: all irregular verbs in all languages are very commonly used verbs.

Essere

Italian	English
io sia	I am
tu sia	you are
lui/lei sia	he/she is
noi siamo	we are
voi siate	you are
loro siano	they are

Mi sembra che voi siate stanchi, volete andare a dormire?

It looks like you are tired. Do you want to go to sleep?

Andare

Italian	English
io vada	I go
tu vada	you go
lui/lei vada	he/she goes
noi andiamo	we go
voi andiate	you go
loro vadano	they go

Spero che Lucia vada dal dottore.

I hope Lucia goes to the doctor.

Avere

Italian	English
io abbia	I have
tu abbia	you have
lui/lei abbia	he/she has
noi abbiamo	we have
voi abbiate	you have
loro abbiano	they have

Non credo che loro abbiano voglia di venire.

I don’t think they want to come.

Fare

Italian	English
io faccia	I do/make
tu faccia	you do/make
lui/lei faccia	he/she does/makes
noi facciamo	we do/make
voi facciate	you do/make
loro facciano	they do/make

Non credo che facciano una festa.

I don’t think they’ll have a party.

Venire

Italian	English
io venga	I come
tu venga	you come
lui/lei venga	he/she comes
noi veniamo	we come
voi veniate	you come
loro vengano	they come

Sono contenta che veniate in chiesa con noi.

I am happy that you come to church with us.

Dire

Italian	English
io dica	I say
tu dica	you say
lui/lei dica	he/she says
noi diciamo	we say
voi diciate	you say
loro dicano	they say

Spero che Luca mi dica la verità.

I hope Luca tells me the truth.

Stare

Italian	English
io stia	I stay
tu stia	you stay
lui/lei stia	he/she stays
noi stiamo	we stay
voi stiate	you stay
loro stiano	they stay

È meglio che stiate a casa dato che piove.

It’s better that you stay home since it’s raining.

Potere

Italian	English
io possa	I can
tu possa	you can
lui/lei possa	he/she can
noi possiamo	we can
voi possiate	you can
loro possano	they can

Spero che lei possa andare in vacanza.

I hope she can go on holiday.

Volere

Italian	English
io voglia	I want
tu voglia	you want
lui/lei voglia	he/she wants
noi vogliamo	we want
voi vogliate	you want
loro vogliano	they want

Adriano pensa che voi non vogliate venire.

Adriano thinks that you don’t want to come.

Dovere

Italian	English
io debba	I must
tu debba	you must
lui/lei debba	he/she must
noi dobbiamo	we must
voi dobbiate	you must
loro debbano	they must

Non penso che lei debba venire.

I don’t think she has to come.

Sapere

Italian	English
io sappia	I know
tu sappia	you know
lui/lei sappia	he/she knows
noi sappiamo	we know
voi sappiate	you know
loro sappiano	they know

È meglio che lei sappia cosa ci hanno detto.

It’s better that she knows what they told us.

Other Irregular Verbs

Italian	English	Italian	English	Italian	English
Bere		Dire		Rimanere
io beva	I drink	io dica	I say	io rimanga	I stay
tu beva	you drink	tu dica	you say	tu rimanga	you stay
lui/lei beva	he/she drinks	lui/lei dica	he/she says	lui/lei rimanga	he/she stays
noi beviamo	we drink	noi diciamo	we say	noi rimaniamo	we stay
voi beviate	you drink	voi diciate	you say	voi rimaniate	you stay
loro bevano	they drink	loro dicano	they say	loro rimangano	they stay
Scegliere		Uscire		Venire
io scelga	I choose	io esca	I go out	io venga	I come
tu scelga	you choose	tu esca	you go out	tu venga	you come
lui/lei scelga	he/she chooses	lui/lei esca	he/she goes out	lui/lei venga	he/she comes
noi scegliamo	we choose	noi usciamo	we go out	noi veniamo	we come
voi scegliate	you choose	voi usciate	you go out	voi veniate	you come
loro scelgano	they choose	loro escano	they go out	loro vengano	they come

Ready to Talk About Possibilities

Credo che tu possa imparare l’Italiano velocemente! (I think you can learn Italian fast!)

If you keep studying, I am sure you can! You are a step further in your Italian learning journey: I have just embarked the world of uncertainty. You can now express your desires, necessities, and doubts.

So, practice the use of this verb tense and unlock new topics and conversations!

Key Terms and Concepts

Congiuntivo (Subjunctive Mood)

The congiuntivo is a verb mood used in dependent clauses to express doubt, desire, necessity, or possibility.

Irregular Present Subjunctive

Irregular verbs in the present subjunctive change their root but maintain consistent endings. This makes their forms unpredictable by standard conjugation rules.

Dependent Clauses

In Italian, dependent clauses often use the subjunctive mood to convey uncertainty, wish, or doubt when linked by specific conjunctions and expressions.

Essere Irregular Conjugation

The verb essere (to be) in the present subjunctive is conjugated as sia, siamo, siate, siano.

Auxiliary Verbs

Irregular verbs like essere and avere frequently serve as auxiliary verbs in compound tenses and are commonly irregular across languages.

Andare Irregular Conjugation

In the present subjunctive, andare (to go) is conjugated as vada, andiamo, andiate, vadano.

Avere Irregular Conjugation

In the present subjunctive, avere (to have) is conjugated as abbia, abbiamo, abbiate, abbiano.

Test your knowledge in 10 quick questions

Words

congiuntivosubjunctive

essereto be

avereto have

andareto go

fareto do/make

dubbiodoubt

desideriodesire

necessitànecessity

possibilitàpossibility

verboverb

Phrases

congiuntivosubjunctive

essereto be

avereto have

andareto go

fareto do/make

siaI am

vadaI go

abbiaI have

desideriodesire

dubbiodoubt

Sentences

Spero che tu abbia una buona giornata.

I hope that you have a good day.

È importante che lui sia puntuale per la riunione.

It's important that he is on time for the meeting.

Desidero che noi andiamo in vacanza insieme.

I wish that we go on vacation together.

Penso che loro facciano un ottimo lavoro.

I think that they do a great job.

Dubito che tu sappia la risposta corretta.

I doubt that you know the correct answer.

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FAQs

Which Italian verbs are irregular in subjunctive?

Italian language learners should be aware that there are several irregular verbs in the Italian language. Out of these, "essere", "andare", and "avere" are the most frequently used ones.

What verbs take subjunctive in Italian?

When constructing an Italian sentence, the word "che" usually requires the use of the subjunctive mood. This is particularly true when using verbs such as "pensare" (to think), "credere" (to believe), and "sperare" (to hope). In these cases, the subjunctive is used after "che" to convey uncertainty or doubt.