When to use the congiuntivo (subjunctive) mood

Par Sigrid Lee

We often wonder: When do we use il congiuntivo (the subjunctive) in Italian?

For curiosity's sake, let's have a look at where the subjunctive came from.

The word "subjunctive," as used to denote a grammatical mood, derives directly from the Latin "modus subjunctivus." This, in turn, is a translation from the original Greek term "hypotaktike enklisis" (subordinated mood/mode). In Greek, the subjunctive is almost exclusively used in subordinate clauses (hence the "sub" in subjunctive).

We talk about the subjunctive mood, but "mood" was a variant coming from the original Latin word "modus" (mode), meaning "way" or "manner" (among other things). One way to look at the subjunctive is as a way of using verbs in a subordinate clause.

The earliest known usage of the term "subjunctive" in English dates from the 16th century. Nowadays, this mood or mode is used only sporadically in English. But in Italian, as a language based on Latin, it is used quite a bit. Of course, given that language is in continual evolution, nowadays, people dispense with the subjunctive some of the time, especially in informal speech, as you will discover in watching Yabla videos. Not everyone uses correct grammar all the time.

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The sentences below are fairly simple, where the main clause is not much more than just a pronoun (included in the conjugation of the verb) and a verb. And instead of an object, we have a new (subordinate) clause beginning with che (that) or with other conjunctions.

One key aspect of the subjunctive is that we use it after certain expressions that show:

• Opinion - opinione

penso che (I think that)

No, guarda, io, a questo punto, penso che abbiano ragione. (verb is avere)

No, look. At this point, I think they are right.

Captions 75-76, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 6
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credo che (I believe that),

Lo credo che Marioni ti abbia voluto nell'orchestra. (verb is avere)

I can believe that Marioni wanted you in the orchestra.

Caption 5, La compagnia del cigno S1 EP1 - Part 10
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mi sembra che (it seems to me that),

Mi sembra che il proprietario del chiosco c'entri qualcosa con la morte di Nicola. (verb is entrare)

It seems to me that the owner of the kiosk has something to do with Nicola's death.

Caption 34, Provaci ancora prof! S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale - Part 21
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• Doubt or uncertainty - dubbio o incertezza

dubito che (I doubt that), non sono sicuro che (I'm not sure that)

E allora dico: "dubito che ci siano ancora biglietti". (verb is essere)

And so I say: “I doubt whether there are still tickets.”

Captions 21-22, Corso di italiano con Daniela Il congiuntivo - Part 10
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I could also say:

Non sono sicura che ci siano ancora biglietti (I am not sure there are still tickets).

• Feeling or emotion

temo che (I'm afraid that)

Temo che sia un'emergenza. (verb is essere)

I'm afraid it's an emergency.

Caption 24, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 19
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ho paura che (I'm afraid that)

Ho paura che, che faccia qualche fesseria, perché... (verb is fare)

I am afraid that, that he will do something stupid, because...

Caption 42, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP4 Lo stagno del ranocchio - Part 3
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sono felice che

Comunque, sono felice che tu abbia scelto così. (verb is avere)

Anyway, I'm glad you made that choice.

Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 8
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• Desire or wish - desiderio o augurio

voglio che (I want that),

E non voglio che lo sappia. (verb is sapere)

And I don't want her to know.

Caption 65, La compagnia del cigno S1 EP4 - Part 4
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spero che (I hope that)

Spero che sia tutto chiaro. (verb is essere)

I hope everything is clear.

Caption 54, Marika spiega Pronomi allocutivi: Tu, Lei, Voi - Part 1
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In this lesson, we have used the first person singular (present tense) in terms of the main verb, and the sentences have been fairly simple, in order to focus on the grammar. In future lessons, we will expand our knowledge of the Italian subjunctive to encompass more complex sentences, as well as situations in which we don't necessarily use the subjunctive.

Thanks for reading. For more lessons about the subjunctive, use the search bar on the lessons tab and search for subjunctive or congiuntivo.

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