The Italian Imperfect Subjunctive, known as “Congiuntivo Imperfetto,” is one of the verb tenses used in Italian to express actions or states that are uncertain, hypothetical, or contrary to reality in the past. It is often used in dependent clauses following certain conjunctions or verbs that require the subjunctive mood.
Conjugating the Imperfect Subjunctive
To conjugate the imperfect subjunctive in Italian, you need to use the stem of the verb and add specific endings based on the verb category (-are, -ere, or -ire). Let’s explore how each verb category is conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive for each person.
Regular -are Verbs:
For regular -are verbs, the endings for the imperfect subjunctive are as follows:
io: -assi
tu: -assi
lui/lei: -asse
noi: -assimo
voi: -aste
loro: -assero
Example:
Mangiare (to eat):
Io mangiassi (I ate, I would eat)
Tu mangiassi (You ate, You would eat)
Lui/Lei mangiasse (He/She ate, He/She would eat)
Noi mangiassimo (We ate, We would eat)
Voi mangiaste (You all ate, You all would eat)
Loro mangiassero (They ate, They would eat)
Regular -ere Verbs:
For regular -ere verbs, the endings for the imperfect subjunctive are as follows:
io: -essi
tu: -essi
lui/lei: -esse
noi: -essimo
voi: -este
loro: -essero
Example:
Vendere (to sell):
Io vendessi (I sold, I would sell)
Tu vendessi (You sold, You would sell)
Lui/Lei vendesse (He/She sold, He/She would sell)
Noi vendessimo (We sold, We would sell)
Voi vendeste (You all sold, You all would sell)
Loro vendessero (They sold, They would sell)
Regular -ire Verbs:
For regular -ire verbs, the endings for the imperfect subjunctive are as follows:
io: -issi
tu: -issi
lui/lei: -isse
noi: -issimo
voi: -iste
loro: -issero
Example:
Partire (to leave):
Io partissi (I left, I would leave)
Tu partissi (You left, You would leave)
Lui/Lei partisse (He/She left, He/She would leave)
Noi partissimo (We left, We would leave)
Voi partiste (You all left, You all would leave)
Loro partissero (They left, They would leave)
Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Like many other tenses in Italian, some verbs have irregular conjugations in the imperfect subjunctive. Here are a few common examples:
Essere (to be):
Io fossi (I were, I would be)
Tu fossi (You were, You would be)
Lui/Lei fosse (He/She were, He/She would be)
Noi fossimo (We were, We would be)
Voi foste (You all were, You all would be)
Loro fossero (They were, They would be)
Avere (to have):
Io avessi (I had, I would have)
Tu avessi (You had, You would have)
Lui/Lei avesse (He/She had, He/She would have)
Noi avessimo (We had, We would have)
Voi aveste (You all had, You all would have)
Loro avessero (They had, They would have)
Dare (to give):
Io dessi (I gave, I would give)
Tu dessi (You gave, You would give)
Lui/Lei desse (He/She gave, He/She would give)
Noi dessimo (We gave, We would give)
Voi deste (You all gave, You all would give)
Loro dessero (They gave, They would give)
Example Sentences:
To better understand how the imperfect subjunctive is used in sentences, let’s look at some examples:
Speravo che tu andassi alla festa. (I hoped you would go to the party.)
Se avessi più tempo, farei una vacanza. (If I had more time, I would take a vacation.)
Vorrei che loro mangiassero meno dolci. (I would like them to eat fewer sweets.)
Se fossi ricco, comprerei una casa al mare. (If I were rich, I would buy a house by the sea.)
Mia madre voleva che io imparassi a suonare il pianoforte. (My mother wanted me to learn how to play the piano.)
Sarebbe meglio se voi partiste domani mattina. (It would be better if you all left tomorrow morning.)
Conclusion:
The imperfect subjunctive tense in Italian, known as “Congiuntivo Imperfetto,” is used to express actions or states in the past that are uncertain, hypothetical, or contrary to reality. It is conjugated based on the verb category (-are, -ere, or -ire) and the specific endings for each person. Some verbs have irregular conjugations in the imperfect subjunctive, and it is important to memorize them. By understanding the rules and practicing with examples, you can gradually become familiar with the usage of the imperfect subjunctive and improve your Italian language skills.
Originally posted 2023-07-16 19:40:08.