Present Subjunctive Moods
Italian 3 5/13/14
Present Subjunctive Mood
• To put it in the most basic terms, it’s the tense
that you should use when:
– You have an opinion.
– You have a desire or a wish that something would
be a certain way.
– You’re experiencing an emotion (happy, sad, sorry,
scared).
– You’re suggesting something to someone.
How to conjugate the present
subjunctive
• il congiuntivo are a little wonky
– first three are exactly the same
– thus requiring you to actually use the io, tu, and
lui/lei* to describe who the subject is.
• Let’s drop some examples below:
The verb ASCOLTARE
• For a verb like ASCOLTARE, which ends in -ARE,
it’s as follows:
The verb SENTIRE
• For a verb like SENTIRE, which ends in -IRE, it’s
as follows:
The verb CONOSCERE
• For a verb like CONOSCERE, which ends in ERE, it’s as follows:
But the most important conjugations
for you to know are:
• If you’ve been learning Italian for a while now,
you should know that the most important
verbs for you to know are always irregular.
(SIGH)
ESSERE – to be
• Peccato che Italia sia troppo lontana da – It’s a
shame that Italy is too far from here. qui.
ANDARE: to go
• Per esempio:
• Spero che Luis non
vada in Polonia da
solo. – I hope that
Luis does not go
to Poland by himself.
FARE: to do/make
• Per esempio:
• Mi fa piacere che
facciate colazione. –
I am glad that you all
made breakfast.
VOLERE: to want
• Per esempio:
• Penso che Maria
voglia uscire con noi. – I
think that Maria
wants to go out
with us.
AVERE: to have
• Ad esempio:
• Penso che gli italiani
abbiano molte ricette
per la pasta. – I think
that Italians have
many recipes for
.pasta
POTERE: to be able to
• Per esempio:
• Spero tu possa
capire quello che
cerco di dirti. – I
hope you can
understand what
I’m trying to tell you.
STARE: to stay/remain, to be
• Per esempio:
• Non desideriamo che
tu stia qui negli stati
uniti. – We don’t
wish that you stay
here in the United States.
DOVERE: to have to, must
• Per esempio:
• Penso che io
debba comprare
qua.
- I think that I
should buy
something here.
VENIRE: to come
• Per esempio:
• Sono triste che tu
non venga stasera.
– I am sad that you
are not going out
tonight.
USCIRE: to go out
• Per esempio:
• Non è necessario
che tu esca di casa.
– It’s not necessary
that you leave home.
SAPERE: to know (a fact, ability)
• Per esempio:
• Dubitano che gli
statunitensi sappiano
cucinare il cibo italiano.
– They doubt that
Americans
know how to cook
Italian food.
DIRE: to say
• Per esempio:
• Crediamo che dicano
le bugie. – We believe
that they are
saying/telling lies.
DARE: to give
• Per esempio:
• Credo che lui
dia l’anello a
Luisa. – I believe
that he is giving
the ring to Luisa.
One thing I hope you noticed:
• There are trigger phrases used over & over again where you can
easily decided whether to use the subjunctive tense or not.
• These were:
•
•
•
•
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•
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Peccato che… – It’s a shame that…
Spero che… – I hope that…
Mi fa piacere che… – I am pleased that…
Penso che… – I think that…
Desidero che... – I desire/want that…
Dubito che… – I doubt that….
Credo che… – I believe that…