B2 · The subjunctive (congiuntivo)
Sequence of tenses with the congiuntivo
When the main clause is in the past, the subordinate moves back with it.
At a glance
- Remember
- When the main clause is in the past, the congiuntivo moves back a step — and would becomes sarebbe partito.
- Form
- penso che sia a casaI think he is at home
- Signal words
- penso che
- pensavo che
- credevo che
- temevo che
- vorrei che
- Trap
- Wrong:Ero sicuro che accetterebbe.Right:Ero sicuro che avrebbe accettato.
Your turn
5 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| I think he is at home | penso che sia a casa |
| I think he has left | penso che sia partito |
| I think he will leave | penso che partirà |
| I thought he was at home | pensavo che fosse a casa |
| I thought he had left | pensavo che fosse partito |
| I thought he would leave | pensavo che sarebbe partito |
| I would like you to come | vorrei che tu venissi |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Main clause present, same time: congiuntivo presente.
Credo che Luca abbia ragione.I think Luca is right.
Main clause present, earlier: congiuntivo passato.
Spero che abbiate fatto buon viaggio.I hope you had a good journey.
Main clause past, same time: congiuntivo imperfetto.
Credevo che Luca avesse ragione.I thought Luca was right.
Main clause past, earlier: congiuntivo trapassato.
Temevo che fosse successo qualcosa.I was afraid something had happened.
Example sentences
Mi sembra che sia un po’ stanco.He seems to me a bit tired.
Non sapevo che foste già tornati.I did not know you were already back.
Ero sicuro che avrebbe accettato.I was sure he would accept.
Vorrei che tu restassi ancora un po’.I would like you to stay a little longer.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
I was sure he would accept: the English would is simple, and so the Italian comes out simple too — accetterebbe. After a main clause in the past, a later event takes the condizionale <b>passato</b>: avrebbe accettato. It looks like would have accepted, and it still means only that he was expected to accept. The simple form is a mistake here, not a shade of meaning.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Which congiuntivo goes in the subordinate clause depends on two questions: what tense is the main clause in — and does the event in the subordinate happen at the same time, earlier or later? The answers make a small table that has to be understood once.
Main clause in the present or future (penso, penserò): same time, the congiuntivo presente (penso che sia a casa); earlier, the congiuntivo passato (penso che sia partito); later, usually the futuro (penso che partirà).
Main clause in a past tense or the condizionale (pensavo, ho pensato, vorrei): same time, the congiuntivo imperfetto (pensavo che fosse a casa); earlier, the congiuntivo trapassato (pensavo che fosse partito); later, the condizionale passato (pensavo che sarebbe partito).
English moves back too — I think he is, I thought he was — so the principle costs nothing. What English does not prepare you for is the last box. I thought he would leave has a simple would, and the obvious translation is the simple condizionale. Italian wants the compound one: sarebbe partito, literally he would have left, even though the leaving is still in the future.
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