“Provided That” in Italian
In Italian, the expression “provided that” is often translated with the word purché. It is a versatile Italian conjunction that indicates dependency on certain criteria.
It is used to introduce a condition or a requirement that is necessary for something else to happen, which triggers the use of the subjunctive mood, for example:
Puoi uscire, purché finisci i compiti.
You can go out, provided that you finish your homework.
Using purché can imply a certain level of negotiation or conditions in a conversation. Italians often use it to politely enforce boundaries or clarify terms.
Notice that, in English, it can also be often translated as “as long as”:
Puoi uscire, purché torni presto.
You can go out, as long as you come back early.
The Italian “Purché”
When to use “Purché”
When we use purché, we’re often introducing a hypothetical scenario where one action is dependent on the fulfillment of another. This is what makes it a powerful term to specify limits or conditions in different contexts:
Ti aiuto, purché tu faccia la tua parte.
I’ll help you, as long as you do your part.
In this example, purché makes it clear that help will be provided, but only if the other person reciprocates with their effort.
Accetterò il lavoro, purché mi diano più tempo libero.
I’ll accept the job, provided that they give me more free time.
Here, the acceptance of the job is conditional on receiving more free time.
“Purché” + Subjunctive
As I mentioned before, the Italian purché requires the use of the subjunctive mood, because the action or outcome is uncertain or hypothetical, as it depends on something else.
The subjunctive mood, in fact, reflects the uncertain or conditional nature of the statement, and conveys the dependency of one action on another, which is not guaranteed.
It can be used in all four different verb tenses, depending on when the dependency occurs or has occurred. This reflects the timing and likelihood of the condition in relation to the main action. For example:
- Present Subjunctive: This is the most common pairing, expressing a condition in the present or future that must be fulfilled for the main action to occur. For example:
Puoi uscire, purché tu pulisca la tua camera.
You can go out, provided that you clean your room.
- Past Subjunctive: The past subjunctive suggests a condition that must occur prior to the main action, and based on which the main action will hypothetically take place. For instance:
Puoi uscire, purché tu abbia pulito la tua camera prima.
You can go out, provided that you have cleaned your room first.
- Imperfect Subjunctive: The imperfect subjunctive places the conditional in a hypothetical past situation. It is used to describe conditions in the past. For example:
Da bambino, potevi uscire purché pulissi la camera.
As a child, you could go out provided that you cleaned your room.
- Past Perfect Subjunctive: The past perfect subjunctive is used for conditions in the past where the main action depends on a condition that was never met. For example:
Saresti potuto uscire, purché avessi pulito la camera prima.
You could have gone out, provided that you had cleaned your room first.
However, I must confess that I almost never use it in other tenses beside the present subjunctive. It is grammatically correct, but it does not sound natural.
Synonyms of “Purché”
Although purché is a widely used term for setting conditions, Italian has a few alternative phrases that express similar meanings:
- A condizione che: Literally meaning “on the condition that”. It is used in similar contexts and also requiring the subjunctive.
Vengo, a condizione che tu sia puntuale.
I’ll come, on the condition that you are punctual.
- A patto che: It literally means “on the agreement that”. It is used in similar contexts and also requiring the subjunctive.
Ti presterò la macchina, a patto che tu la tratti bene.
I’ll lend you the car, provided that you treat it well.
