Imperfect Subjunctive in Italian

In Brief

The Italian imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto) appears chiefly when a past-tense or conditional main clause requires the subjunctive: Pensavo che fosse vero (“I thought it was true”) and Vorrei che venissi (“I’d like you to come”). It also follows se in present or future hypotheticals: Se avessi tempo, viaggerei (“If I had time, I would travel”). Its characteristic endings contain -ss-: parlassi, credessi, dormissi.

Overview

The subjunctive is a mood (a set of verb forms that presents an action through doubt, desire, emotion, opinion, or another non-neutral viewpoint). The imperfect subjunctive is one of its past forms. Despite its name, it does not simply correspond to the English past progressive in “was doing.” Its job depends on the relationship between two clauses and on the speaker’s attitude.

At B2, you meet it mainly through the Italian sequence of tenses: the way the tense in a main clause influences the tense in a dependent clause. Compare Penso che sia a casa (“I think he is at home”) with Pensavo che fosse a casa (“I thought he was at home”). The event in the dependent clause is simultaneous with the thought in both sentences, but the past viewpoint in pensavo normally shifts sia to fosse.

English often gives no visible clue that Italian needs this form. “I wanted you to stay,” “I thought she was tired,” and “If I knew” all use ordinary-looking English past forms. Italian distinguishes them with restassi, fosse and sapessi. Learning complete sentence frames is therefore more reliable than trying to translate one English tense at a time.

How It Works

Forming regular verbs

For regular verbs, remove the final -re from the infinitive (the dictionary form, such as parlare) and add the endings below. The first- and second-person singular forms are identical, so an explicit subject may sometimes prevent ambiguity.

Person	parlare	credere	dormire
io	parlassi	credessi	dormissi
tu	parlassi	credessi	dormissi
lui/lei/Lei	parlasse	credesse	dormisse
noi	parlassimo	credessimo	dormissimo
voi	parlaste	credeste	dormiste
loro	parlassero	credessero	dormissero

The endings can be summarized as follows:

Verb class	Singular pattern	Plural pattern
-are	-assi, -assi, -asse	-assimo, -aste, -assero
-ere	-essi, -essi, -esse	-essimo, -este, -essero
-ire	-issi, -issi, -isse	-issimo, -iste, -issero

Verbs in -isc- do not keep -isc- here: finire becomes finissi, not finiscassi. Spelling adjustments preserve the infinitive’s sound: cercare → cercassi, pagare → pagassi, mangiare → mangiassi and cominciare → cominciassi.

Essential irregular forms

Many common verbs are irregular because they use a special stem, but they still take recognizable imperfect-subjunctive endings.

Infinitive	Imperfect subjunctive	Example form
essere (to be)	fossi, fossi, fosse, fossimo, foste, fossero	che fosse pronto
avere (to have)	avessi, avessi, avesse, avessimo, aveste, avessero	se avessi tempo
dare (to give)	dessi, dessi, desse, dessimo, deste, dessero	che mi desse una mano
stare (to stay/be)	stessi, stessi, stesse, stessimo, steste, stessero	che stessero bene
fare (to do/make)	facessi, facessi, facesse…	se facessi attenzione
dire (to say)	dicessi, dicessi, dicesse…	volevo che dicessi la verità
bere (to drink)	bevessi, bevessi, bevesse…	pensavo che bevesse caffè
sapere (to know)	sapessi, sapessi, sapesse…	se lo sapessi
venire (to come)	venissi, venissi, venisse…	vorrei che venissi

After a main clause in the past

Use the imperfect subjunctive when all three conditions apply:

1. There is a main clause and a dependent clause, often joined by che.
2. The main expression calls for the subjunctive—for example, it expresses desire, doubt, emotion, opinion, appearance, or necessity.
3. The main verb gives a past viewpoint, while the dependent action is simultaneous or later relative to it.

The basic pattern is:

past main clause + che + imperfect subjunctive

• Volevo che mi aiutassi. — I wanted you to help me. The help was desired after or during the wanting.
• Non credevo che fosse possibile. — I did not believe it was possible. The supposed impossibility existed at the time of the belief.
• Era importante che arrivassero presto. — It was important that they arrive early. The arrival was later than the assessment.

The main clause may contain the imperfect (pensavo), the perfect past (ho sperato), or another past form. What matters is the past viewpoint and the normal trigger for the subjunctive—not merely the presence of che. A statement of certainty such as Sapevo che era a casa normally takes the indicative (the ordinary factual mood), not fosse.

If the dependent action happened before the past main action, use the pluperfect subjunctive instead: Pensavo che fosse già partito (“I thought he had already left”). Here fosse partito clearly predates pensavo.

After a present conditional

Polite wishes and requests with vorrei (“I would like”), preferirei (“I would prefer”), or mi piacerebbe (“I would like”) commonly take the imperfect subjunctive when the clauses have different subjects:

• Vorrei che tu restassi. — I’d like you to stay.
• Preferirei che ne parlassimo domani. — I’d prefer us to discuss it tomorrow.

When the subject stays the same, Italian normally uses an infinitive instead: Vorrei restare (“I would like to stay”), not vorrei che io restassi.

In hypothetical sentences with se

For an unreal, imagined, or relatively unlikely situation in the present or future, use this pairing:

se + imperfect subjunctive, present conditional

• Se avessi tempo, viaggerei di più. — If I had time, I would travel more.
• Compreremmo la casa se costasse meno. — We would buy the house if it cost less.

The clause order may change, but the verb forms do not. In standard Italian, do not put the conditional directly after hypothetical se: use se potessi, not se potrei. Real or open conditions use the indicative instead: Se domani piove, resto a casa (“If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay home”).

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Pensavo che fosse italiano.	I thought he was Italian.	State simultaneous with a past thought
Sembrava che dormisse.	It seemed as though he was sleeping.	Appearance in the past
Non credevo che Marta avesse ragione.	I didn’t think Marta was right.	Negative opinion with a past viewpoint
Speravamo che tutto andasse bene.	We hoped everything would go well.	The hoped-for outcome was later
Il medico voleva che stessi a riposo.	The doctor wanted me to rest.	Different subjects: doctor and patient
Era necessario che firmassimo entrambi.	It was necessary for both of us to sign.	Impersonal expression of necessity
Mi sorprendeva che nessuno dicesse niente.	It surprised me that nobody said anything.	Past emotion or reaction
Vorrei che venissi con me.	I’d like you to come with me.	Polite wish with vorrei
Preferirebbero che ne parlassimo in privato.	They would prefer us to discuss it in private.	Present conditional plus imperfect subjunctive
Se avessi tempo, viaggerei di più.	If I had time, I would travel more.	Present hypothetical
Se fossi in te, accetterei l’offerta.	If I were you, I would accept the offer.	Common advice formula
Cosa faresti se vincessi la lotteria?	What would you do if you won the lottery?	Imagined future situation
Anche se costasse di più, lo comprerei.	Even if it cost more, I would buy it.	Concession in a hypothetical setting
Magari fossi già in vacanza!	If only I were already on holiday!	Independent wish

Common Mistakes

Using the indicative after a past subjunctive trigger

• Wrong: Pensavo che è stanco.
• Right: Pensavo che fosse stanco.
• Why: The tiredness is simultaneous with a thought in the past, and pensare che in this non-factual viewpoint calls for the subjunctive.

Treating che as an automatic subjunctive signal

• Wrong: Sapevo che fosse a Roma.
• Right: Sapevo che era a Roma.
• Why: Sapere presents the information as known fact, so the indicative is normal. The meaning of the main expression—not che by itself—selects the mood.

Putting the conditional after hypothetical se

• Wrong: Se avrei più tempo, studierei italiano.
• Right: Se avessi più tempo, studierei italiano.
• Why: A present hypothetical uses the imperfect subjunctive in the se clause and the present conditional in the result clause.

Using the imperfect subjunctive for an earlier action

• Wrong: Pensavo che partisse già. (when you mean “had already left”)
• Right: Pensavo che fosse già partito.
• Why: An action completed before the past thought requires the pluperfect subjunctive. Partisse instead suggests an action simultaneous with or later than the thought.

Keeping -isc- in verbs such as finire

• Wrong: Volevo che finiscasse presto.
• Right: Volevo che finisse presto.
• Why: The imperfect subjunctive uses finiss-; the present-tense insertion -isc- does not appear.

Using che when both clauses have the same subject

• Awkward: Speravo che io riuscissi a partire presto.
• Natural: Speravo di riuscire a partire presto.
• Why: With the same subject, Italian usually prefers di plus the infinitive. The explicit construction can occur for contrast, but it is not the neutral choice.

Usage Notes

The imperfect subjunctive is fully alive in both speech and writing. Some informal varieties of Italian may replace a subjunctive with an indicative, especially in spontaneous conversation, but learners should master the standard distinction. Forms such as vorrei che vieni or se avevo tempo, viaggiavo may be heard in particular colloquial or regional contexts; they should not replace vorrei che venissi and se avessi tempo, viaggerei in careful standard Italian.

English creates a useful but incomplete parallel in “If I were you.” English preserves a special were here, while many other English verbs use an ordinary past form: “if I had,” “if I knew,” “if I went.” Italian marks every verb consistently: se fossi, se avessi, se sapessi, se andassi. Conversely, not every English “was” or “-ed” form maps to this tense. First decide whether Italian needs a subjunctive trigger or a hypothetical se clause.

Subject pronouns are usually omitted, but io and tu can clarify identical forms: Credevo che partissi can mean “I thought you were leaving,” while Credeva che io partissi makes “I” explicit. Context often resolves the meaning without a pronoun.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Relative tense, not simply “past tense”

The label “imperfect” can mislead. In Vorrei che venissi domani, venissi refers to tomorrow, not the past. The tense is licensed by the conditional vorrei and presents the desired event relative to that viewpoint. Think in terms of the relationship between clauses rather than calendar time.

Wishes without a main clause

The imperfect subjunctive can stand alone in wishes concerning the present or future:

• Magari fosse vero! — If only it were true!
• Oh, potessi tornare indietro! — If only I could go back!

Magari with the imperfect subjunctive presents a wish as unreal or remote. For regret about a completed past event, Italian uses the pluperfect subjunctive: Magari avessi ascoltato! (“If only I had listened!”).

Concession and comparison

The same form appears after expressions such as anche se (“even if”) when the situation is hypothetical: Anche se piovesse, usciremmo (“Even if it rained, we would go out”). It also occurs in past or hypothetical comparisons with come se (“as if”): Parlava come se sapesse tutto (“He spoke as if he knew everything”). With come se, Italian conventionally uses a past subjunctive form even when English does not visibly mark one.

Indirect speech and tense shift

When reported speech moves a viewpoint into the past, a present subjunctive may shift to the imperfect subjunctive:

• Direct viewpoint: È importante che tu venga. — It is important that you come.
• Past report: Ha detto che era importante che tu venissi. — She said it was important that you come.

Actual tense choice can depend on whether the statement is still current and on the speaker’s viewpoint, so sequence-of-tenses rules are a framework rather than mechanical word replacement.

Practice Tips

1. Build three six-person paradigms. Conjugate one regular verb from each class—such as parlare, credere, and dormire—then add essere and avere. Say the forms aloud so the recurring -ss- becomes automatic.
2. Transform complete sentences. Change Penso che sia pronto to Pensavo che fosse pronto, and Spero che vengano to Speravo che venissero. This trains sequence of tenses rather than isolated endings.
3. Make a two-column hypothetical drill. On the left write five prompts beginning with Se avessi…, Se fossi…, Se potessi…; on the right complete each with a present conditional. Check that se never introduces the conditional in these standard patterns.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Subjunctive — introduces the mood and the expressions that trigger it.
• Next step: Pluperfect Subjunctive — expresses an action completed before a past viewpoint and unreal conditions in the past.
• Closely related: Possible Conditional — develops the se + imperfect subjunctive, present conditional pattern in detail.