Imperfetto Subjunctive  for Past Tense (Part 1) : Speak Italian!

               The  imperfetto subjunctive mood is easy to conjugate for use with the Italian past tense, but tricky to use!

Speak Italian: How to Use the Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

Can you speak Italian? By now, many of you have passed the beginning stages of learning to speak Italian and can read and comprehend quite a bit of the Italian language. Meraviglioso!

But have you tried to take the next step to speak Italian fluently? Can you use the imperfetto subjunctive mood when you are speaking in the past tense?  To express complex feelings in Italian correctly, it is important to use the Italian subjunctive mood. Using the subjunctive mood is difficult for English speakers, as we only rarely use this tense in English, and this is something that I am always working on! The next three blogs in the “Speak Italian” series willfocus on how to conjugate and use the imperfetto Italian subjunctive mood,or “il congiuntivo”for speaking in the past tense.

Let’s take that giant step from simple beginning sentences to more complex and fluid sentences in Italian by using the imperfetto subjunctive moodwhile speaking in the past tense. In this segment, we will discuss  the phrases that take  the subjunctive mood  when  in the past tense  and  how to conjugate the imperfetto subjunctive mood for avere, essere and stare .  Example sentences will follow !

Speak Italian: How to Use the Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

In each blog in the  “Speak Italian” series about the   imperfetto subjunctive mood( “il congiuntivo”),  we will first present phrases in the past tense that take the imperfettosubjunctive mood.

Then,  we will review how to conjugate the imperfetto subjunctive mood.

Finally, we will present common phrases from daily life that take the Italian subjunctive mood.

Remember these examples as “anchors” in your knowledge for when you must speak Italian and try out the imperfettosubjunctive mood in your next Italian conversation!

Enjoy the first blog in this series, “Imperfetto Subjunctive for Past Tense (Part 1): Speak Italian!”
—Kathryn Occhipinti

Some of this material is adapted from our textbook,  Conversational Italian for Travelers © 2012 by Stella Lucente, LLC, found on www.learntravelitalian.com . Special thanks to Italian instructor Maria Vanessa Colapinto.

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Speak Italian: How to Use the Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood (Part 1)

Introducing… Italian Phrases That Take the Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

Italian has a subjunctive mood that is used to express beliefs, thoughts,or hopes with the verbs credere, pensare,and sperare.

The subjunctive mood is also said to “open up” a conversation to discussion about a particular topic by expressing doubt, uncertainty, desire, or a feeling.

Certain phrases are commonly used to start a sentence in order to introduce the subjunctive mood, and these initial phrases will be in the indicative tense (the “usual” present or past tense). These initial phrases imply uncertainty and trigger the subjunctive mood in the phrase to follow.

We have already learned to use the imperfettosubjunctive mood with the conditional tense in our blogs about Italian hypothetical phrases!   Now, as stated before, we will focus on the use of the imperfettosubjunctive mood after introductory phrases that are in the past tense.

These groups are listed below:

Groups 1-6: “Noun Clauses”

1. Phrases that use the verbs  credere (to believe), pensare (to think),and sperare (to hope). These verbs use the pattern: [verb +  di+ infinitive verb ]  to describe the beliefs, thoughts, or hopes that one has. When the subject in the introductory phrase is not the same as the subject in the subjunctive clause that follows, the pattern changes to:  [verb+ che+ subjunctive verb ].*
2. Impersonal constructions that begin with, “It is…”such as, “È possibile che…”
3. Phrases that express a doubt, such as, “I don’t know…”or “Non so che…”
4. Phrases that express suspicion, such as, ” I suspect that…”or “Sospetto che…”
5. Phrases that express uncertainty, such as, “It seems to me…”or “Mi sembra che…”and ” To wonder if…” or  “Chiedersi se… “
6. Impersonal verbs followed by the conjunction che,such as, “Basta che…” “It is enough that,”or “Si dice che…” “They say that…

*When the speaker in the introductory phrase will carry out the action in the phrase to follow, Italian will use the following construction to link the phrases for credere, pensare,and sperare :   di+ infinitive verb. Example: Penso di andare a Roma domani.  =  I think I will go to Rome tomorrow.  (Use   pensare a  when thinking ABOUT something or someone.)

Points to remember about the subjunctive mood:

In Italian, the introductory phrases  that take the subjunctive mood (those that trigger doubt, uncertainty, desire, or a feeling)   usually end with a linking word, also known as a conjunction, which will be  che.  In this situation, chemeans  that. The clause that follows our introductory phrase will then describe what the uncertainty is about.

Note that the simple present or past tenses can also be used after the introductory phrases listed below, rather than the subjunctive mood, if you are speaking about a fact or something you believe to be true. This use will make perfect sense to the Italian listener, even when the subjective mood is otherwise commonly used.

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To follow is a (long) list of phrases that can be used to introduce the subjunctive mood, with examples from the passato prossimopast tense in the first two columns and the imperfettopast tense in the last two columns.

Basic translations are given in our tables, but remember that the imperfettopast tense can also be translated as “was… ing.”  Therefore, “Speravo che” means, “I hoped,” and “I was hoping.” In the last section, we will then present examples for the past tense.

Passato Prossimo Past Subjunctive  Phrase Groups 1 and 2			Imperfetto Past Subjunctive Phrase Groups 1 and 2
Ho creduto che	I believed that		Credevo che	I believed that
Ho pensato che	I thought that		Pensavo che	I thought that
Ho sperato che	I hoped that		Speravo che	I hoped that
È stato possibile che	It was possible that		Era possibile che	It was possible that
È stato probablile che	It was probable that		Era probabile che	It was probable that
È stato bene che	It was fine/good that		Era bene che	It was fine/good that
Sarebbe stato bene che	It would  have been good that
È stato giusto che	It was right that		Era giusto che	It was right that
È stato meglio  che	It was better that		Era meglio che	It was better that
È stato incredible che	It was incredible that		Era incredibile che	It was incredible that
È stato un peccato che	It was a shame that		Era un peccato che	It was a shame that
È stata una vergogna che	It was a disgrace that		Era una vergogna che	It was a disgrace that
È stato normale che	It was normal that		Era normale che	It was normal that

Passato Prossimo Past Subjunctive  Phrase Groups 3, 4, and 5			Imperfetto Past Subjunctive Phrase Groups 3, 4, and 5
Non ho saputo che	I didn’t know that		Non sapevo che	I didn’t know that
Non ho saputo dove	I did’t know where		Non sapevo dove	I didn’t know where
Non sono stato sicuro che	I wasn’t sure that		Non ero sicuro che	I wasn’t sure that
Non ho avuto idea che	I had no idea that		Non avevo idea che	I had no idea that
			Non vedevo l’ora che…	I couldn’t wait that
Non c’è stato nulla che	There was nothing that		Non c’era nulla che	There was nothing that
Mi è parso* che	It seems to me		Mi pareva che	It seemed to me
Mi è sembrato* che	It seems to me		Mi sembrava che	It seemed to me
(Può darsi che  only used in present tense)	(Perhaps)
Ho avuto l’impressione che	I had the impression that		Avevo l’impresione che	I had the impression that
Ho supposto che	I supposed that		Supponevo che	I supposed that
Ho immaginato che	I imagined that		Immaginavo che	I imagined that
Ho sospettato che	I suspected that		Sospettavo che	I suspected that
Ho dubitato che	I doubted that		Dubitavo che	I doubted that
Sono stato(a) convinto che	I was convinced that		Ero convinto che	I was convinced that
(A meno che only used in present tense)	(Unless)
Ho convenuto che	It was best that		Conveniva che	It was best that
È bastato(a) che	It was enough that		Bastava che	It was enough that
(Malgrado che only used in present tense)	(In spite of that)
Si è detto che	It was said that = One says/said that		Si diceva che	It was said that
Hanno detto che	They said that		Dicevano che	They said that
C’è stato bisognato che	It was necessary that = There was a need for that		Bisognava che	It was necessary that

* Use the phrases “Mi era parso che”and “Mi era sembrato che”  when the phrase that follows will refer to another speaker’s actions. Do NOT change the ending of  parsoor sembrato.  In this case, parsoand sembratorefer to “it”  in the phrase, “It seems to me that…” and so are invariable.

However, when saying, “It seems to me…” followed by an adjective that describes how the speaker himself feels about something, the last letter of  parsoand sembratomust match in gender and number what is being described. 

So, to describe how a beautiful girl seemed to me, I would say:
Mi era parsa bella.   – or – Mi era sembrata bella.  =  She seemed beautiful to me.

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Finally, a word of caution:

DO NOT USE THE SUBJUNCTIVE WITH THE FOLLOWING THREE PHRASES!

Forse = Perhaps

 Per me= For me

Secondo me= According to me

The above may seem like exceptions to the rule, but perhaps… because these phrases already express doubt or your personal opinion… in the Italian way of thinking, it would be redundant to use these phrases along with the subjunctive!

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Speak Italian: The Imperfetto  Subjunctive Mood (Part 1)

How to Conjugate Italian Verbs “Essere,” “Avere,” and “Stare” in the Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

Listed in the table below are the imperfettosubjunctive forms for the Italian auxiliary verbs avere, stare,and essere,which are often used with the conditional and past tenses in written and spoken Italian.

In our last two blogs, we showed how to use the imperfettosubjunctive tense with conditional verbs when we need to make hypothetical phrases in Italian.  We saw that in these cases, the conjunction “se”for “if”introduces the dependent clause with the imperfettosubjunctive verb.

In this blog, we will focus on the use of the imperfettosubjunctive with the Italian past tense.  In these cases, the conjunction chewill introduce the dependent clause with the  imperfettosubjunctive verb.

In our conjugation tables, che is included in parentheses in the subject pronoun column as a reminder that these verb forms are often introduced with the conjunction  che.  Also,  make sure to include the subject pronoun in your sentence after chefor clarity, since the singular forms are identical.

Practice the imperfettosubjunctive verbs out loud by saying che , the subject  pronoun and then the correct verb form that follows!

Avere—to have—Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

(che) io	a ves si	I had
(che) tu	a ves si	you (familiar) had
(che) Lei (che) lei/lui	a ves se	you (polite) had she/he had
(che) noi	a ves simo	we had
(che) voi	a ves te	you all had
(che) loro	a ves sero	they had

Essere—to be—Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

(che) io	fos si	I were
(che) tu	fos si	you (familiar) were
(che) Lei (che) lei/lui	fos se	you (polite) were she/he were
(che) noi	fos simo	we were
(che) voi	fos te	you all were
(che) loro	fos sero	they were

Stare—to stay/be—Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

(che) io	st es si	I stayed/were
(che) tu	st es si	you (familiar) stayed/were
(che) Lei (che) lei/lui	st es se	you (polite) stayed/were she/he stayed/were
(che) noi	ste s simo	we stayed/were
(che) voi	st e ste	you all stayed/were
(che) loro	st es s ero	they stayed/were

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Speak Italian: How to Use the  Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood (Part 1)

Example Phrases Using “Stare” in the Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood with the Past Tense

To follow are some examples of when the Italian subjunctive mood in the past tense might be used in conversation during daily life.

Notice that English uses the simple past tense to express the same idea, but we use our verbs a bit differently to make the subjunctive.  In stead of saying “I was,” we use “I were.”  Or, alternatively, “were + infinitive form or gerund. ”

English examples:  “If I were to go…” or “If I were going…” Also, “had + past participle,” such as, “If I had seen…”

In our first blog about the subjunctive mood , we presented example sentences using stare (to stay/to be). We mentioned in our first blog that starein the present subjunctive comes up very commonly in email greetings;  especially if there has not been recent communication, it is customary to mention a hope that all is well with friends and family. We will present the same examples using a reference to the past to include in conversation.

With these particular phrases in which we talk about “hoping,” in most cases, the imperfettoform of the past tense will be used.  However, if we “hope” for just one instant in time, with that time frame mentioned in the sentence, we can use the passato prossimo,which is  given in the same column in blue text.

Past Tense Phrase		Past Tense Subjunctive Phrase
Tu sei stato bene.	You were well.	Speravo  che tu stessi  bene. Ieri, ho sperato che tu stessi bene.	I hoped (was hoping)  that you (familiar) were  well. Yesterday, I had hoped that you (familiar) were well.
Lei è stata bene.	She was well.	Speravo  che lei stesse  bene. Ieri, ho sperato che lei stesse bene.	I hoped  (was hoping)  that she was  well . Yesterday, I had hoped that she was well.
Lui è stato bene.	He was well.	Speravo  che lui stesse b ene. Ieri, ho sperato che lui stesse bene ieri.	I hoped (was hoping)  that he was  well (yesterday). Yesterday, I had hoped that he was well.
La famiglia è stata bene.	The family was well.	Speravo  che la tua famiglia*  stesse  bene. L’anno scorso, ho sperato che la tua famiglia stesse bene.	I hoped (was hoping)  that the family* was  well. Last year, I had hoped that the family was well.
Tutti sono stati bene.	Everybody was fine.	Speravo  che tutti stessero  bene. L’anno scorso, ho sperato che tutti stessero bene.	I hoped (was hoping) that everybody was  well. Last year, I had hoped that everybody was fine.

*Famiglia = familyand is a collective noun that takes the third person singular.

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Example Phrases Using “Avere” in the Past Tense Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

As we noted in our first blog about the Italian subjunctive, we often close an email with a hope as well—for a nice weekend, for instance, or that we will see the person we have contacted sometime soon.

In a similar way,  if we have been separated from someone for some amount of time, when we email or meet that person again, we may include a hope that time spent has gone well in the past.  In this case, the phrases we most commonly use will need to use avere (to have) in the imperfettosubjunctive mood.

Again, the examples presented below are from our first blog on this topic. An example of how one might use the same phrase in the past tense is given in the imperfettoform – the most likely form to be used in these examples.

Present Tense Phrase		Past Tense Subjunctive Phrase
Buona settimana!	Have a good week!	Speravo  che tu avessi una buona settimana.	I hoped (was hoping)  that you had  a good week!
Buon fine settimana!	Have a good weekend!	Speravo  che tu avessi  un buon fine settimana.	I hoped  (was hoping)  that you had  a good weekend!
Buona giornata. Buona serata.	Have a good day. Have a good evening.	Speravo  che tu avessi  una buona giornata/buona serata.	I hoped (was hoping)  that you had  a good day/evening.

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Example Phrases Using “Essere” in the Past Tense Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood

As we discussed in our first blog on the subjunctive, the verb essere (to be)is commonly used when describing someone’s characteristics to someone else.  But what if we are not sure that someone possesses a certain characteristic, or we would like someone to possess a characteristic we fear they may not have?

These thoughts, of course, can take place in the past as easily as in the present.  When speaking about the past tense, we must use the imperfetto subjunctive mood in our sentence! Here are a few examples. How many more can you think of?

Present or Past Tense Phrase		Present Tense Subjunctive Phrase
Lei era  bella.	She was beautiful.	Mi sembrava  che lei fosse  bella. Dieci anni fa, mi sono sembrato che lei fosse bella.	It seemed to me that she was beautiful =  She seemed beautiful to me.Ten years ago, it seemed to me that she was  beautiful.
L’insegnante era  simpatico.	The teacher was nice.	Speravo  che l’insegnante fosse  simpatico.	I hoped (was hoping) that the teacher was  nice.
Dio è in cielo.	God is in heaven.	Credevo  che Dio fosse  in cielo. Quando aveva dieci anni, ho creduto che Dio fosse in cielo.	I believed  that God was  in heaven. When I was ten years old, I believed that God was in heaven.
L’attrice era brava in quel film.	The actress was great in that film.	Pensavo  che l’attrice fosse  brava i n quel film.	I thought  that the actress was  great in that film.
Lui era fortunato.	He was fortunate.	Credevo  che lui fosse  fortunato. L’anno scorso, ho creduto che lui fosse fortunato.	I believed that he was  fortunate. Last year, I believed that he was fortunate.
Lei era contenta.	She was happy.	Mi pareva  che lei fosse  contenta. Il mese scorsa, mi parevo che lei fosse contenta.	It seemed to me that she was happy =  She seemed happy to me. Last month, it seemed to me that she was  happy.
Loro erano  bravi cantanti.	They were wonderful singers.	Può darsi che loro fossero bravi cantanti quando erano giovani.	Perhaps they were  wonderful singers when they were young.
Lui era un bravo studente.	He was a good student.	Dubitavo  che lui fosse  un bravo studente.	I doubted  that he was  a good student.
Lei era  sposata.	She was married.	Era probabile che lei fosse  sposata.	She was probably married. (It was probable that she was  married.)
Loro erano  contenti.	They were happy.	Era possibile che loro fossero  contenti.	It was possible that they were  happy.

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Speak Italian: The Imperfetto  Subjunctive Mood (Part 1)

How to Conjugate and Use

 “Chiedersi ”  –  To Wonder

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In our previous blog on Italian hypothetical phrases,  Italian Subjunctive (Part 4): Italian Hypothetical Phrases of Love , we discussed the verb chiedersi ,which is the verb Italians use to describe the idea of “wondering if…” something might happen.

Let’s see how this works in the past tense, in a situation when one might have “wondered if…” something might have happened.

“Mi chiedevo…”literally means, “I asked myself,”which translates into “I wondered.”  At first glance, it may seem like chiedersishould fall into the category of improbable hypothetical phrases – especially when this verb is followed by se, such as in the phrase  “I wondered if…” But, as we’ve learned in previous blogs, instead, chiedersifollows the same rules as our verbs of uncertainty in Rule 4.

Therefore, when chiedersiis used in the past tense,  the phrase that follows will take the imperfettosubjunctive and the  trapassatosubjunctive forms. 

Here are  our previous examples for when one is wondering in the past tense about something that may have happened in either the present or the past.

Mi chiedevo se lui fosse  un attore bravo in quel film.
I wondered if he is a great actor in that film.

Mi chiedevo se lui fosse stato un attore bravo in quel film.
I wondered   if he was a great actor in that film.

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Speak Italian: Common Italian Phrases to Introduce the Past Tense

Now that we are speaking in Italian in the past tense, we may want to use some of these expressions to refer to recent or more remote past events.

Notice from the list below that ieri (yesterday/last)is used to refer to specific times during the day.  Ieriis invariable (the ending does not change).  The ending for scorso (last)is gender specific (the ending changes to reflect the gender of the noun it describes).

stamattina	this morning
ieri	yesterday
l’altro ieri	the day before yesterday
ieri mattina	yesterday morning
ieri pomeriggio	yesterday afternoon
ieri sera	yesterday evening
ieri notte	last night

scorso(a)	last
l’anno scorso	last year
il mese scorso	last month
la settimana scorsa	last week

lunedì scorso	last Monday
martedì scorso	last Tuesday
mercoledì scorso	last Wednesday
giovedì scorso	last Thursday
venerdì scorso	last Friday
sabato scorso	last Saturday
domenica scorsa	last Sunday

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, is the author of the
Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books and a teacher of  Italian for travelers to Italy in the Peoria and Chicago area.
“Everything you need to know to enjoy your visit to Italy!”

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Italian Subjunctive Past Tense (Part 1): Speak Italian!