Italian congiuntivo imperfetto: the se clause and the past trigger

  • Mood: Congiuntivo
  • Level: B1

Do not file this one under "literary". The congiuntivo imperfetto carries the Italian hypothetical (se avessi tempo…), which is everyday speech, and it's required whenever a congiuntivo trigger sits in a past tense. It's a B1 tense that learners routinely postpone until B2 and shouldn't.

Congiuntivo imperfetto conjugation

Highly regular: one ending set, with only the stem vowel changing by conjugation. Finire is regular here, with no -isc-.

parlare

to talk, to speak · -are (first conjugation)

io parlassi
tu parlassi
lui/lei parlasse
noi parlassimo
voi parlaste
loro parlassero

credere

to believe · -ere (second conjugation)

io credessi
tu credessi
lui/lei credesse
noi credessimo
voi credeste
loro credessero

dormire

to sleep · -ire (third conjugation)

io dormissi
tu dormissi
lui/lei dormisse
noi dormissimo
voi dormiste
loro dormissero

finire

to finish · -ire (third conjugation) · -isc-

io finissi
tu finissi
lui/lei finisse
noi finissimo
voi finiste
loro finissero

When to use the congiuntivo imperfetto

  • Hypothetical se clauses

    The condition takes the congiuntivo imperfetto and the result takes the condizionale presente. This pairing is fixed.

    Se avessi più tempo, viaggerei di più.
    If I had more time, I'd travel more.

  • Any congiuntivo trigger in a past tense

    When the main verb is in the imperfetto, passato prossimo or passato remoto, the subordinate congiuntivo shifts back.

    Pensavo che fosse più facile.
    I thought it was easier.

  • Wishes, with magari

    A standalone exclamation, no main clause needed.

    Magari fosse vero!
    If only it were true!

  • Polite comparison, after come se

    Come se always takes the congiuntivo imperfetto or trapassato, never the indicative.

    Parla come se sapesse tutto.
    He talks as if he knew everything.

How the congiuntivo imperfetto is formed

Take the infinitive stem and add -ssi, -ssi, -sse, -ssimo, -ste, -ssero, keeping the conjugation's own vowel: parlare → parlassi, credere → credessi, dormire → dormissi.

Only five verbs are irregular, and three of them (fare, dire, bere) use the same older stems as the imperfetto indicativo, giving facessi, dicessi, bevessi. Essere is a genuine one-off: fossi, fossi, fosse, fossimo, foste, fossero. Dare and stare give dessi and stessi.

Irregular verbs in the congiuntivo imperfetto

Note what's missing: avere is regular here (avessi), unlike almost everywhere else.

essere

to be

io fossi
tu fossi
lui/lei fosse
noi fossimo
voi foste
loro fossero

fare

to do

io facessi
tu facessi
lui/lei facesse
noi facessimo
voi faceste
loro facessero

dire

to say, to tell

io dicessi
tu dicessi
lui/lei dicesse
noi dicessimo
voi diceste
loro dicessero

bere

to drink

io bevessi
tu bevessi
lui/lei bevesse
noi bevessimo
voi beveste
loro bevessero

dare

to give

io dessi
tu dessi
lui/lei desse
noi dessimo
voi deste
loro dessero

stare

to stay, to be (feel)

io stessi
tu stessi
lui/lei stesse
noi stessimo
voi steste
loro stessero

Common mistakes

Never put the conditional in the se clause

Se avrei tempo is wrong. Italian is strict: se + congiuntivo imperfetto, then condizionale presente.

It's not the same as the French subjonctif imparfait

If you've learned French, do not assume this is a literary relic. In Italian it's ordinary conversation.

Related tenses

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