Introduction
The subjunctive mood is a crucial component of advanced Italian, allowing speakers to convey nuance, uncertainty, doubt, and subjectivity. Mastering its use, especially in compound tenses, enhances fluency and enriches communication.
Subjunctive Overview
The subjunctive is used in situations that express doubt, possibility, wish, emotion, or subjective judgment. It often follows certain verbs, expressions, and conjunctions.
Common Uses:
- Doubt: "Non credo che lui sia qui." (I don't believe he is here.)
- Possibility: "È possibile che tu vada domani." (It's possible that you will go tomorrow.)
- Wish: "Spero che tu stia bene." (I hope you are well.)
- Emotion: "Mi dispiace che tu non possa venire." (I'm sorry you can't come.)
- Subjective Judgment: "È importante che tu studi." (It's important that you study.)
Subjunctive in Compound Tenses
In advanced Italian, the subjunctive is also used in compound tenses to express past actions that are connected to the same subjunctive contexts of doubt, uncertainty, or emotion.
Present Perfect Subjunctive
The present perfect subjunctive (congiuntivo passato) is used to refer to actions that are viewed as completed in the past but remain relevant to the present. It combines the present subjunctive of "essere" or "avere" with the past participle of the main verb.
Formation:
- Avere: Present Subjunctive + Past Participle
- "abbia," "abbiamo," "abbiate," "abbiano"
- Essere: Present Subjunctive + Past Participle (with agreement)
- "sia," "siamo," "siate," "siano"
Examples:
- Non credo che lui abbia finito il lavoro.
- (I don’t believe that he has finished the work.)
- È possibile che loro siano arrivati tardi.
- (It is possible that they arrived late.)
- Spero che tu abbia studiato per l'esame.
- (I hope that you have studied for the exam.)
- Dubito che lei abbia visto il film.
- (I doubt that she has seen the movie.)
- È strano che voi siate partiti così presto.
- (It’s strange that you left so early.)
Past Perfect Subjunctive
The past perfect subjunctive (congiuntivo trapassato) is used to talk about actions that were completed before another past action in a subjunctive context. It is often used in subordinate clauses following a main clause in the past tense.
Formation:
- Avere: Imperfect Subjunctive + Past Participle
- "avessi," "avessimo," "avessero"
- Essere: Imperfect Subjunctive + Past Participle (with agreement)
- "fossi," "fossimo," "fossero"
Examples:
- Non sapevo che lui avesse già finito il lavoro.
- (I didn’t know that he had already finished the work.)
- Era possibile che loro fossero arrivati tardi.
- (It was possible that they had arrived late.)
- Pensavo che tu avessi studiato per l'esame.
- (I thought that you had studied for the exam.)
- Mi dispiaceva che lei fosse andata via.
- (I was sorry that she had left.)
- Non credevo che voi aveste visto quel film.
- (I didn’t believe that you had seen that movie.)
Key Verbs and Expressions Triggering the Subjunctive
The subjunctive is frequently triggered by specific verbs and expressions, making it essential to recognize these cues in order to apply the subjunctive correctly.
Common Verbs
- Credere (to believe)
- "Credo che lui venga."
- Dubitare (to doubt)
- "Dubito che sia vero."
- Sperare (to hope)
- "Spero che tu arrivi presto."
- Desiderare (to desire)
- "Desidero che tu faccia questo."
- Pensare (to think)
- "Penso che lui sia stanco."
- Volere (to want)
- "Voglio che tu mi aiuti."
Common Expressions
- È importante che (It’s important that)
- "È importante che tu studi."
- È necessario che (It’s necessary that)
- "È necessario che ci vediamo domani."
- È possibile che (It’s possible that)
- "È possibile che lui venga."
- È probabile che (It’s probable that)
- "È probabile che piova."
- È meglio che (It’s better that)
- "È meglio che tu vada ora."
- Bisogna che (It’s necessary that)
- "Bisogna che tu finisca il lavoro."
Examples of Subjunctive in Compound Tenses
The following examples illustrate how the subjunctive is used in compound tenses to convey meaning in complex sentences.
Present Perfect Subjunctive
- Non credo che Marta abbia detto la verità.
- (I don’t believe that Marta has told the truth.)
- È strano che Gianni abbia lasciato il lavoro.
- (It’s strange that Gianni has left the job.)
- Siamo felici che tu abbia vinto il premio.
- (We are happy that you have won the prize.)
Past Perfect Subjunctive
- Non era vero che loro avessero rubato il denaro.
- (It wasn’t true that they had stolen the money.)
- Anna pensava che io avessi già visto quel film.
- (Anna thought that I had already seen that film.)
- Era impossibile che tu avessi fatto tutto da solo.
- (It was impossible that you had done everything by yourself.)
Comparative Examples: Subjunctive vs. Indicative
Understanding the difference between the subjunctive and the indicative is crucial, as it changes the meaning and nuance of a sentence. Here are some comparative examples to illustrate this distinction:
Indicative vs. Subjunctive
Indicative (Certainty or Fact)
- "So che lui è stanco."
- (I know that he is tired.)
- The indicative is used here because the speaker is stating a fact or certainty.
Subjunctive (Uncertainty or Subjectivity)
- "Credo che lui sia stanco."
- (I believe that he is tired.)
- The subjunctive is used to express uncertainty or subjectivity; it’s the speaker’s belief or opinion, not a confirmed fact.
Present Perfect Indicative vs. Present Perfect Subjunctive
Indicative (Completed Action in the Past)
- "Sono sicuro che Maria ha finito il lavoro."
- (I am sure that Maria has finished the work.)
- The indicative is used because the action is presented as a certain fact.
Subjunctive (Uncertainty or Subjectivity about a Completed Action)
- "Non credo che Maria abbia finito il lavoro."
- (I don’t believe that Maria has finished the work.)
- The subjunctive indicates doubt or uncertainty about whether the action is completed.
Past Perfect Indicative vs. Past Perfect Subjunctive
Indicative (Certain Past Action Before Another Past Action)
- "Sapevo che lui aveva già mangiato."
- (I knew that he had already eaten.)
- The indicative is used to show a certain action that happened before another past action.
Subjunctive (Uncertainty or Subjectivity About a Past Action)
- "Non sapevo che lui avesse già mangiato."
- (I didn’t know that he had already eaten.)
- The subjunctive conveys uncertainty or subjectivity about the action being completed.
Verb Conjugation Tables
Present Perfect Subjunctive
Avere
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Io | abbia avuto |
| Tu | abbia avuto |
| Lui/Lei | abbia avuto |
| Noi | abbiamo avuto |
| Voi | abbiate avuto |
| Loro | abbiano avuto |
Essere
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Io | sia stato/stata |
| Tu | sia stato/stata |
| Lui/Lei | sia stato/stata |
| Noi | siamo stati/state |
| Voi | siate stati/state |
| Loro | siano stati/state |
Past Perfect Subjunctive
Avere
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Io | avessi avuto |
| Tu | avessi avuto |
| Lui/Lei | avesse avuto |
| Noi | avessimo avuto |
| Voi | aveste avuto |
| Loro | avessero avuto |
Essere
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Io | fossi stato/stata |
| Tu | fossi stato/stata |
| Lui/Lei | fosse stato/stata |
| Noi | fossimo stati/state |
| Voi | foste stati/state |
| Loro | fossero stati/state |
Conclusion
The subjunctive mood, particularly in its compound tenses, is an essential tool for conveying nuance and depth in Italian. By mastering the present perfect and past perfect subjunctive, learners can express complex ideas with clarity and precision.