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This page contains information about:: Italian Present Tense, Plural, Italian Definite and Indefinite Articles, Numbers, Italian Alphabet, and some Italian Expressions. |
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Italian Lesson 3 Try Rocket Italian for FreeSign up for your free, no-obligation 6 Day Trial and see how well Rocket Italian works for you! YES! I want to try Rocket Italian for free! Level 2 Lesson 3: Subjunctive, More Italian Idioms, Proverbs, and Essential Dictionary Of the many Italian verb moods, the congiuntivo (subjunctive) is probably the most difficult to learn for an English speaking person. It does not have a direct or indirect comparison with any English verb tense and so it is often forgotten. But don't worry... many Italians often wrongly use another verb mood in place of the "congiuntivo", particularly when speaking and in informal situations. This is wrong, but is becoming more and more accepted, so if you make a mistake most people would not look down on you, if they even notice at all! The congiuntivo is always used in a secondary clause, and its tense is determined by the tense of the verb of the primary clause. It is used in the following situations: - When expressing emotion and fear: Ho paura che tu abbia un incidente (I'm scared you are going to have an accident). - When expressing opinions and doubts: Non credo che tu sappia l'italiano abbastanza bene (I don't think you know Italian sufficiently well). - When expressing desire: Voglio che tu vada a dormire presto domani (I want you to go to sleep early tomorrow). - When expressing necessity and importance: È fondamentale che tu raggiunga questi risultati (It is critical that you achieve these results). - When expressing appearances and hope: Spero che tu abbia prenotato l'aereo (I hope you have booked the plane). - When expressing possibility and probability and lack thereof: È improbabile che Giovanni venga domani, è ancora in viaggio (It is unlikely that Giovanni comes tomorrow, he is still traveling). - After certain conjunctions (mainly ending in -che): see lesson 4 for more details on these conjunctions. It is to be noted, however, that the subjunctive is used only if the subject of the second clause is different than the subject of the first clause. Ho paura che tu abbia preso l'influenza (I fear you got the flu). In this case the subjects of the two clauses are different, therefore the subjunctive is used in the second clause. Ho paura di aver preso l'influenza (I fear I got the flu). The subject is the same in both clauses, the infinitive is used in the second clause. There are four tenses for the congiuntivo: presente (present), passato (past), imperfetto and trapassato (past perfect). The congiuntivo presente is formed by adding the correct endings to the stem of the verb
Test them out with their six day free trial offer Many verbs are irregular and therefore must be learnt by heart:
The congiuntivo imperfetto is also created by adding the correct endings to the root of the verbs; of course, the endings are different.
Again, many verbs are irregular:
The "congiuntivo passato" and "congiuntivo trapassato" are formed by adding the past participle of the verb to the "congiuntivo presente" or "congiuntivo imperfetto", respectively, of the verbs "avere" or "essere": Sia andato (congiuntivo passato), Fossi venuto (congiuntivo trapassato), Abbia dormito (congiuntivo passato), Avessimo saputo (congiuntivo trapassato). But how to know which tense to use? It all depends from the verb tense of the main clause. If the main clause is in the present, future or imperative, then you would use the "congiuntivo presente" if the second clause refers to something happening at the same time or in the future compared to the main clause, or the "congiuntivo passato" if it is something happening in a period previous to the period of the first clause. For example: Credo che tu sia troppo stanco ora (I believe you are too tired now): I believe, now, that you are too tired, now. Both clauses refer to something taking place in the present, so the "congiuntivo presente" is used. However: Credo che tu sia stato troppo duro con lei (I believe you have been too harsh with her): I believe, now, that you have been too harsh with her at some time in the past (even if not in a distant past). The congiuntivo passato is used here. When the main clause is in the past tense or in the conditional, the "congiuntivo" imperfetto or trapassato is used, again according to the period to which the second clause refers too. Ieri pensavo che tu fossi un bravo ragazzo (Yesterday I thought you were a good boy). Congiuntivo imperfetto. Te lo avrei detto se lo avessi saputo (I would have told you if I knew). ITALIAN PROVERBS AND IDIOMS
AN ESSENTIAL DICTIONARY OF ITALIAN - PART 3
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