Breakdown of Se la candela si spegnesse, userei un fiammifero per riaccenderla.
io
I
usare
to use
se
if
la
it
il fiammifero
the match
la candela
the candle
spegnersi
to go out
riaccendere
to light again
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Se la candela si spegnesse, userei un fiammifero per riaccenderla.
What mood and tense is si spegnesse?
si spegnesse is the third-person singular imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto) of the pronominal verb spegnersi (“to go out,” “to extinguish oneself”).
Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive after se in this sentence?
In Italian conditional sentences of the “contrary-to-fact” type (unreal or highly unlikely now or in the future), the protasis (the “if” clause) uses the imperfect subjunctive, and the apodosis (the main clause) uses the present conditional. Here, se la candela si spegnesse describes an imagined situation.
Why is there a reflexive pronoun si with spegnesse?
Spegnersi is a pronominal verb meaning “to go out” or “to extinguish itself,” commonly used for lights, candles, appliances, etc. Without si, spegnere would mean “to extinguish something,” not “to go out by itself.”
What is userei, and why is it used here?
Userei is the first-person singular present conditional (condizionale semplice) of usare (“to use”). It expresses the result of the unreal condition: “I would use a match…”
How do you form the Italian present conditional for regular verbs?
- Take the infinitive (e.g., usare, vendere, partire).
- Drop the final -e.
- Add the endings: -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero.
Example: usare → usar-- -ei = usarei.
Why is riaccenderla one word, and why is the pronoun attached there?
In Italian, object pronouns can attach (enclitic) to an infinitive. Here:
- Base infinitive: riaccendere (“to relight”)
- Direct object pronoun: la (“it,” referring to la candela”)
Combined: riaccender-la → riaccenderla
What is the role of per before riaccenderla?
Per introduces a purpose clause equivalent to “in order to” in English. So per riaccenderla means “in order to relight it.”
Can the two clauses be swapped in Italian?
Yes. Italian allows you to say the apodosis first:
“Userei un fiammifero per riaccenderla, se la candela si spegnesse.”
The meaning stays the same.
Could you express the same idea with fosse spenta instead of si spegnesse?
Yes. You could focus on the candle’s state rather than the event:
“Se la candela fosse spenta, la riaccenderei con un fiammifero.”
Here fosse spenta is the imperfect subjunctive passive of spegnere, describing “if the candle were out.”
How would you phrase this sentence if the candle actually went out in the past (past unreal)?
Use the past perfect subjunctive (congiuntivo trapassato) in the se-clause and the past conditional in the main clause:
“Se la candela si fosse spenta, avrei usato un fiammifero per riaccenderla.”