The Italian subjunctive (congiuntivo), explained
The Italian subjunctive (congiuntivo) is the mood of a clause the speaker does not present as fact: an opinion, a doubt, a wish, a feeling or a judgement. Certainty keeps the indicative: "So che Marco arriva" (I know Marco is coming). Opinion takes the congiuntivo: "Penso che Marco arrivi" (I think Marco is coming). It follows che when the two clauses have different subjects, conjunctions such as benché, affinché and prima che, and superlatives. With one subject, use di + infinitive: "Penso di venire".
Updated 24 October 2026
The congiuntivo in one table
| What comes first | Mood of the next verb | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge, certainty: sapere, essere sicuro, è vero | indicative | So che hai ragione. | I know you’re right. |
| Opinion, belief: pensare, credere, sembrare | congiuntivo | Credo che abbia ragione. | I think she’s right. |
| Doubt: dubitare, non essere sicuro | congiuntivo | Dubito che venga. | I doubt he’ll come. |
| Wish, request: volere, sperare, preferire | congiuntivo | Voglio che tu resti. | I want you to stay. |
| Feeling: essere contento, avere paura, mi dispiace | congiuntivo | Mi dispiace che tu parta. | I’m sorry you’re leaving. |
| Impersonal judgement: è importante, bisogna, è meglio | congiuntivo | Bisogna che tu studi. | You need to study. |
| Same subject in both clauses | di + infinitive | Penso di partire domani. | I think I’ll leave tomorrow. |
| Benché, affinché, prima che, a meno che, senza che | congiuntivo | Esco benché piova. | I’m going out although it’s raining. |
| Perché meaning "because" | indicative | Studio perché ho un esame. | I’m studying because I have an exam. |
| Perché meaning "so that" | congiuntivo | Te lo dico perché tu lo sappia. | I’m telling you so that you know. |
| Superlative, il primo, l’unico + che | congiuntivo | È l’unico che mi capisca. | He’s the only one who understands me. |
| Se + an unreal condition | imperfect congiuntivo | Se fossi ricco, viaggerei. | If I were rich, I’d travel. |
Read the table as one question asked again and again: does the speaker present the second clause as a fact? If yes, the verb stays in the indicative. If the clause is something the speaker thinks, doubts, wants, fears, judges or has not yet seen happen, the verb goes into the congiuntivo. Lists of "triggers" are useful, but every item on them answers that question the same way, and the few exceptions (perché, è vero che, dopo che) answer it the other way for a reason you can see.
Certainty or opinion: so che è, credo che sia
The congiuntivo almost never stands alone. It lives in a subordinate clause, usually one that begins with che, and the verb of the main clause decides its mood. Verbs that present the clause as a fact keep the indicative: sapere, essere sicuro, essere certo, vedere, dimostrare, and the impersonal è vero, è chiaro, è evidente. Verbs that present it as something in the speaker’s head take the congiuntivo: pensare, credere, ritenere, immaginare, supporre, sembrare, parere, dubitare.
This is where Italian parts company with Spanish and French. In Spanish "creo que es verdad" takes the indicative, and only the negative "no creo que sea" takes the subjunctive. In Italian an opinion is an opinion whether it is affirmed or denied: "credo che sia vero" and "non credo che sia vero" both take the congiuntivo. The two sentences below differ only in the main verb, and the verb after che changes mood because of it.
.
I know Marco is arriving tomorrow. (A fact the speaker vouches for.)
Select a word to see why it is there.
arrivaVerb“arrives”
- Why this word
- Present indicative of arrivare, third person singular
- Indicative, because so presents his arrival as a known fact. The present tense refers to tomorrow, as "is arriving" does in English.
- Dictionary
- arrivare · verb — to arrive
- Alternatives
- arriverà (future: also indicative)
In this sentence
- arriva · Verb:
- Indicative, because so presents his arrival as a known fact. The present tense refers to tomorrow, as "is arriving" does in English.
- So · Verb:
- Sapere presents what follows as a fact the speaker knows. A verb of knowledge or certainty leaves the verb after che in the indicative.
.
I think Marco is arriving tomorrow. (An opinion: the speaker does not vouch for it.)
Select a word to see why it is there.
arriviVerb“arrives”
- Why this word
- Present congiuntivo of arrivare, third person singular
- Congiuntivo, because penso presents his arrival as an opinion. An -are verb swaps its -a for -i: arriva becomes arrivi.
- Dictionary
- arrivare · verb — to arrive
- Alternatives
- arriverà (future indicative: accepted after penso for a future event)
In this sentence
- arrivi · Verb:
- Congiuntivo, because penso presents his arrival as an opinion. An -are verb swaps its -a for -i: arriva becomes arrivi.
- Penso · Verb:
- Pensare gives an opinion, not a fact. Italian verbs of opinion and belief (pensare, credere, ritenere) put the verb after che in the congiuntivo, even when the speaker is fairly sure.
A few verbs change camp with their meaning. Dire takes the indicative when it reports ("Dice che è stanco", he says he is tired) and the congiuntivo when it passes on an instruction ("Digli che mi chiami", tell him to call me). Negating a verb of certainty removes the certainty, so "non è vero che" and "non sono sicuro che" take the congiuntivo. After "non so se", both moods are correct: "non so se sia a casa" is more careful, "non so se è a casa" is everyday.
One subject: di + infinitive. Everything above assumes two different subjects, the person who thinks and the person in the clause. When they are the same person, Italian drops che and the conjugated verb and uses di + infinitive: "Penso di venire" (I think I’ll come), not "Penso che io venga". The same goes for credere, sperare, temere and essere contento: "Credo di aver capito" (I think I’ve understood), "Spero di vederti presto". Volere, preferire and desiderare take the bare infinitive, with no di: "Voglio venire" for yourself, "Voglio che tu venga" for someone else.
- Sono sicura che il treno è in ritardo.I’m sure the train is late. (Certainty: indicative.)
- Mi sembra che il treno sia in ritardo.It seems to me the train is late. (Impression: congiuntivo.)
- Credo di avere la febbre.I think I have a temperature. (Same subject: di + infinitive.)
- Non è vero che Luisa abbia sbagliato.It isn’t true that Luisa got it wrong. (Denied fact: congiuntivo.)
What people actually say. In relaxed conversation, many Italians use the indicative after pensare and credere: "penso che è tardi" is heard every day, all over the country. Writing, exams, formal emails and careful speech keep the congiuntivo, and "penso che sia tardi" never sounds wrong in any setting, while "penso che è tardi" can sound careless in the wrong one. Separately, the future indicative after a verb of opinion is fully standard when the clause is about the future: "Penso che arriverà domani" is correct Italian, not a shortcut. The practical rule for a learner: use the congiuntivo, and recognise the indicative when you hear it.
Wishes, feelings and impersonal expressions
A wish is about something that has not happened, a feeling is a reaction rather than a report, and a judgement evaluates a clause instead of stating it. All three take the congiuntivo. Wishes and requests: volere, desiderare, sperare, preferire, chiedere, aspettarsi ("Spero che stiate tutti bene"). Feelings: essere contento, essere felice, avere paura, temere, mi dispiace, mi piace, mi stupisce ("Ho paura che sia troppo tardi"). Notice that a feeling takes the congiuntivo even when the fact behind it is real: "Mi dispiace che tu stia male" (I’m sorry you’re ill). The clause is not being reported; it is being reacted to.
Impersonal expressions, the ones with no person as subject, work the same way: è importante, è necessario, è meglio, è possibile, è probabile, è strano, è un peccato, bisogna, occorre, può darsi, basta. The exceptions are the impersonals that certify a fact, which keep the indicative for the same reason sapere does: è vero, è chiaro, è certo, è ovvio, si sa.
.
It’s important that you get enough sleep.
Select a word to see why it is there.
dormaSubject“sleep”
- Why this word
- Present congiuntivo of dormire, second person singular
- Congiuntivo, because è importante judges the sleeping, it does not report it. Verbs in -ere and -ire take -a: dormi becomes dorma.
- Dictionary
- dormire · verb — to sleep
In this sentence
- dorma · Subject:
- Congiuntivo, because è importante judges the sleeping, it does not report it. Verbs in -ere and -ire take -a: dormi becomes dorma.
- importante · Predicate:
- The judgement. È importante, like è necessario, è meglio and è possibile, evaluates the che-clause rather than reporting it, so the clause takes the congiuntivo.
- tu · Subject:
- Italian usually leaves subject pronouns out, but here it earns its place: dorma is the same form for io, tu and lui or lei, so tu says who has to sleep.
The same-subject logic applies here too. With no particular person in mind, an impersonal expression takes a plain infinitive: "È importante dormire abbastanza" is general advice for everyone. Name a person, and you need che and the congiuntivo: "È importante che tu dorma abbastanza" is advice for you. The same holds for bisogna: "Bisogna partire presto" (one has to leave early) against "Bisogna che partiate presto" (you all have to leave early).
- Preferisco che me lo dica lui.I’d rather he told me himself.
- Sono contenta che siate venuti.I’m glad you came.
- Può darsi che piova stasera.It may rain this evening.
- È chiaro che non ha studiato.It’s clear he hasn’t studied. (A certified fact: indicative.)
Conjunctions: benché, affinché, prima che, and the two perché
Some conjunctions take the congiuntivo every time, whatever the verb in the main clause. Most of them introduce something that is not, or not yet, a fact: affinché and perché in the sense of "so that" (a goal), prima che (something that has not happened yet), a meno che (a condition that may not hold), senza che (something that does not happen), purché and a condizione che (a requirement), nel caso che and qualora (a hypothesis), and come se (a comparison with something unreal, in the imperfect: "come se fosse facile").
The concessive conjunctions are the exception to the logic but not to the rule: benché, sebbene, nonostante and malgrado take the congiuntivo even though what they introduce is true. "Benché sia tardi" admits that it is late. Treat them as fixed: the conjunction demands the mood. Their everyday partner anche se (even if, even though) takes the indicative: "anche se è tardi".
.
Let’s go out before it starts raining.
Select a word to see why it is there.
cominciVerb“starts”
- Why this word
- Present congiuntivo of cominciare, third person singular
- Congiuntivo, required by prima che. Weather has no subject word in Italian, and the -a of comincia becomes -i: cominci.
- Dictionary
- cominciare · verb — to begin, to start
- Alternatives
- inizi (same meaning, also congiuntivo)
In this sentence
- cominci · Verb:
- Congiuntivo, required by prima che. Weather has no subject word in Italian, and the -a of comincia becomes -i: cominci.
- prima · Adverb:
- Prima che (before) is one of the conjunctions that always takes the congiuntivo: the rain has not started yet, so the clause describes something not yet real. Dopo che (after) looks back at something that has happened and takes the indicative.
The same-subject rule reaches the conjunctions as well. When the subject does not change, prima che becomes prima di, senza che becomes senza, and affinché or perché becomes per, each followed by an infinitive: "Ti chiamo prima che tu esca" (before you go out) but "Ti chiamo prima di uscire" (before I go out).
Perché is the one conjunction that goes both ways, and the meaning decides. When it means "because", it gives a real reason and takes the indicative: "Resto a casa perché piove". When it means "so that", it states a goal and takes the congiuntivo: "Ti lascio le chiavi perché tu possa entrare". The test is to try affinché in its place: if affinché fits, use the congiuntivo; if only "because" fits, use the indicative.
A meno che usually brings a non that does not negate anything: "Vengo, a meno che non piova" means I’ll come unless it rains. The non is optional and common in speech and writing alike.
- Sebbene abbia studiato, non ha passato l’esame.Although he studied, he didn’t pass the exam.
- Te lo presto purché me lo restituisca domani.I’ll lend it to you as long as you give it back tomorrow.
- Sono uscita senza che nessuno se ne accorgesse.I went out without anyone noticing.
- Dopo che è partito, abbiamo cenato.After he left, we had dinner. (Dopo che: indicative.)
Relative clauses after superlatives, il primo and l’unico
A relative clause (one introduced by che, cui or il quale) normally takes the indicative, because it describes something real: "Ho un amico che parla tedesco". It takes the congiuntivo in two cases. The first is after a superlative or a word that singles something out: il più, il meno, il migliore, il peggiore, il primo, l’ultimo, l’unico, il solo. Saying something is the best or the only one is a judgement about everything else, and careful Italian marks that with the congiuntivo.
.
It’s the best film I’ve ever seen.
Select a word to see why it is there.
abbiaAuxiliary“have”
- Why this word
- Present congiuntivo of avere, first person singular
- The auxiliary in the congiuntivo makes the past congiuntivo, abbia visto. The superlative before it is a judgement about every other film, and careful Italian marks the clause with the congiuntivo.
- Dictionary
- avere · verb — to have
- Alternatives
- ho (indicative: common in speech)
In this sentence
- abbia · Auxiliary:
- The auxiliary in the congiuntivo makes the past congiuntivo, abbia visto. The superlative before it is a judgement about every other film, and careful Italian marks the clause with the congiuntivo.
- visto · Verb:
- Vedere takes avere, so its past congiuntivo is abbia visto: only the auxiliary changes mood, and the participle stays as it is.
- io · Subject:
- Kept because abbia is the same form for io, tu and lui or lei. Without io the sentence could mean "that he has ever seen".
The second case is a relative clause about something you are looking for, wishing for or denying, when you do not know it exists. Compare "Cerco una casa che abbia un giardino" (I’m looking for a house with a garden, any house, if there is one) with "Ho trovato una casa che ha un giardino" (I’ve found a house that has one, a real house). Negatives work the same way: "Non c’è nessuno che sappia rispondere" (there is no one who can answer).
In conversation the indicative is common here too: "il più bello che ho mai visto" is something you will hear. In writing, keep the congiuntivo after a superlative and after l’unico or il primo.
- È il primo libro che mi abbia fatto piangere.It’s the first book that has made me cry.
- Sei l’unica persona di cui mi fidi.You’re the only person I trust.
- Cerchiamo qualcuno che sappia usare Excel.We’re looking for someone who can use Excel.
The forms: sia, abbia, sia stato, fossi
You need three tenses to use the congiuntivo well, and the present does most of the work. The present congiuntivo swaps the vowel: -are verbs take -i, -ere and -ire verbs take -a. The three singular persons share one form, which is why "che io", "che tu" and "che lui" keep their pronoun far more often than indicative verbs do. Noi always ends in -iamo, the same as the indicative.
| Person | parlare | prendere | finire | essere | avere |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| che io | parli | prenda | finisca | sia | abbia |
| che tu | parli | prenda | finisca | sia | abbia |
| che lui / lei | parli | prenda | finisca | sia | abbia |
| che noi | parliamo | prendiamo | finiamo | siamo | abbiamo |
| che voi | parliate | prendiate | finiate | siate | abbiate |
| che loro | parlino | prendano | finiscano | siano | abbiano |
Most irregular verbs build the congiuntivo on the io form of the present indicative: vado gives vada, faccio gives faccia, vengo gives venga, dico gives dica, esco gives esca, posso gives possa, voglio gives voglia, devo gives debba (deva also exists). Sapere (sappia), stare (stia), dare (dia), essere and avere have their own forms and are worth learning by heart.
The past congiuntivo is the present congiuntivo of the auxiliary plus the participle, with the same auxiliary and the same agreement as the passato prossimo: "Spero che abbiate mangiato bene", "Penso che sia partita ieri". Use it for something that happened before the moment of thinking, hoping or fearing.
The imperfect congiuntivo replaces the present when the main verb is in a past tense or in the conditional: "Penso che sia a casa" becomes "Pensavo che fosse a casa", and "Voglio che tu venga" becomes "Vorrei che tu venissi". Its forms are regular for almost every verb: parlassi, prendessi, finissi, avessi; essere gives fossi, fossi, fosse, fossimo, foste, fossero.
Its best-known job is the if-clause of an unreal condition. Italian puts the imperfect congiuntivo after se and the conditional in the other clause: "Se fossi in te, non lo farei" (if I were you, I wouldn’t do it), "Se avessi tempo, verrei" (if I had time, I’d come). The conditional never goes after se in this pattern. For a condition in the past, both move back one step: "Se l’avessi saputo, sarei venuto" (if I had known, I would have come).
- Non credo che abbiano capito.I don’t think they understood.
- Speravo che tu mi chiamassi.I was hoping you would call me.
- Se potessi, cambierei lavoro.If I could, I’d change jobs.
Common mistakes
NotSo che tu sia stanco.
ButSo che sei stanco.
Sapere presents the clause as a known fact, so it takes the indicative. The congiuntivo is not a more elegant indicative: after a verb of certainty it is simply wrong.
NotCredo che hai ragione.
ButCredo che tu abbia ragione.
In writing and careful speech, credere and pensare take the congiuntivo, affirmative or not. "Credo che hai ragione" is heard in casual talk but counts as a mistake in an exam or an email. Spanish speakers make it most, because Spanish says "creo que tienes razón".
NotSpero che io trovi lavoro.
ButSpero di trovare lavoro.
When the person who hopes and the person who finds are the same, Italian uses di + infinitive. Che + congiuntivo is for a second subject: "Spero che tu trovi lavoro".
NotNon esco perché piova.
ButNon esco perché piove.
Perché meaning "because" gives a real reason and takes the indicative. "Perché piova" would mean "so that it rains".
NotBenché fa freddo, esco senza giacca.
ButBenché faccia freddo, esco senza giacca.
Benché, sebbene and nonostante always take the congiuntivo, even though the cold is real. If you want the indicative, use anche se: "Anche se fa freddo".
NotSe sarei libero, verrei.
ButSe fossi libero, verrei.
The conditional belongs in the main clause, never after se. The if-clause of an unreal condition takes the imperfect congiuntivo.
Practise these with the tutorwith Pro
Check yourself
1 / 11
You know for certain that Luca is at home. Fill the gap.
So che Luca ___ a casa.
Answer
sia: The congiuntivo would treat Luca being at home as an opinion, but so says you know it.
fosse: Imperfect congiuntivo: the wrong mood, and the wrong tense after a present-tense main verb.
è ✓: Sapere presents the clause as a fact, so the verb stays in the indicative.
2 / 11
You think the shop is closed today, but you are not sure. Fill the gap, in careful Italian.
Credo che il negozio ___ chiuso oggi.
Answer
sarebbe: The conditional says the shop would be closed, under some condition. That is a different statement, not an opinion about today.
sia ✓: Credere gives an opinion, so the verb after che goes into the congiuntivo.
è: Common in casual speech, but in writing and careful speech credere takes the congiuntivo. Unlike Spanish, Italian keeps it after an affirmative credo.
3 / 11
Which sentence says "I think I’ll leave early tomorrow"?
Answer
Penso che io parta presto domani.: Che + congiuntivo needs a second subject. With one subject it sounds like a translation from English.
Penso di partire presto domani. ✓: The thinker and the person leaving are the same, so Italian uses di + infinitive.
Penso che parto presto domani.: Indicative after penso is colloquial, and the sentence still uses che where one subject calls for di + infinitive.
4 / 11
You are staying in because you are tired. Fill the gap.
Stasera resto a casa perché ___ stanco.
Answer
sia: The congiuntivo after perché expresses a goal ("so that I may be tired"), which makes no sense here.
sono ✓: Perché means "because" here and gives a real reason, so the indicative.
fossi: Imperfect congiuntivo: the wrong mood for a reason, and the wrong tense for a present-tense sentence.
5 / 11
Although it is late, you are going out. Fill the gap.
Benché ___ tardi, esco con Paola.
Answer
è: The indicative needs anche se: "Anche se è tardi". Benché does not allow it.
sia ✓: Benché always takes the congiuntivo, even though it really is late.
sarà: The future never follows benché, and it is not a future event: it is late now.
6 / 11
Which sentence means "If I had more time, I would learn Japanese"?
Answer
Se avrei più tempo, imparerei il giapponese.: The conditional never goes after se. It belongs only in the main clause.
Se avessi più tempo, imparerei il giapponese. ✓: An unreal condition: imperfect congiuntivo after se, conditional in the main clause.
Se ho più tempo, imparerei il giapponese.: Se + present indicative is a real possibility and pairs with a present or future: "Se ho più tempo, imparo il giapponese".
7 / 11
She is the kindest person you know. Fill the gap, in careful Italian.
È la persona più gentile che io ___.
Answer
conosco: Heard in conversation, but after a superlative written Italian keeps the congiuntivo.
conoscessi: The imperfect congiuntivo would need a past or conditional main verb, such as "Era la persona più gentile che conoscessi".
conosca ✓: A relative clause after a superlative takes the congiuntivo in careful Italian.
8 / 11
Build the sentence.
“I want you to come with us.”
Answer
Voglio che tu venga con noi
Wish, che, a new subject, then the congiuntivo. For your own coming it would be the bare infinitive: "Voglio venire".
9 / 11
Build the sentence: the same person phones and goes out.
“I’ll call you before I go out.”
Answer
Ti chiamo prima di uscire
Prima che + congiuntivo is for two subjects ("prima che tu esca"). With one subject, prima di + infinitive.
10 / 11
Fill the gap with the auxiliary in the present congiuntivo.
Spero che il viaggio ___ andato bene.
Answer
sia
Sperare expresses a hope, so the clause takes the congiuntivo. Andare takes essere, and the past congiuntivo is sia andato.
11 / 11
Put avere in the imperfect congiuntivo, first person singular.
Se ___ la macchina, ti accompagnerei io.
Answer
avessi
An unreal condition: the if-clause takes the imperfect congiuntivo, avessi, and the main clause the conditional, accompagnerei.
The congiuntivo in Epsylo
Italian has a hand-written profile in Epsylo, so every verb comes back with its mood named in its card: present indicative, present congiuntivo, imperfect congiuntivo. Open the verb of a che-clause to see what made it take the mood it has, and open the main verb or the conjunction to see the word that triggered it. Try writing the same clause after so and after penso, or after perché in its two meanings, and watch which verb changes.
Questions
- Does pensare always take the subjunctive in Italian?
- When the subject changes, yes: "penso che sia giusto". In relaxed speech many Italians say "penso che è giusto", but writing and careful speech keep the congiuntivo. When the subject stays the same, pensare takes di + infinitive instead: "penso di venire". For a future event, the future indicative is also standard: "penso che verrà".
- Do Italians still use the congiuntivo?
- Yes. It is weaker in casual speech after verbs of opinion and after superlatives, where the indicative is common, but it stays firm after conjunctions such as benché, affinché and prima che, after wishes, in "se fossi" conditions, and everywhere in writing. Using it correctly never sounds stiff; leaving it out can sound careless.
- What is the difference between the Italian and the Spanish subjunctive?
- The biggest one is verbs of opinion. Spanish uses the indicative after an affirmative creer or pensar ("creo que es verdad") and the subjunctive only after the negative. Italian uses the congiuntivo after both: "credo che sia vero", "non credo che sia vero". Spanish also uses the subjunctive after cuando for future events, where Italian uses the future indicative: "quando arriverai".
- When do I use the imperfect subjunctive in Italian?
- When the main verb is in a past tense or the conditional ("pensavo che fosse a casa", "vorrei che tu venissi"), after come se ("come se fosse facile"), and in the if-clause of an unreal condition: "se fossi ricco, viaggerei".
- Can you leave out che before the congiuntivo?
- Yes, after verbs of opinion and wishing, in writing and careful speech: "credo sia giusto", "spero tu stia bene". It only works before a congiuntivo: after sapere or another verb of certainty, che has to stay.
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