The Present Subjunctive: Opinions and Hopes
Italian uses the indicative mood to state facts, but when you want to express subjectivity—like opinions, hopes, beliefs, or doubts—you must use the subjunctive mood (il congiuntivo).
Subjunctive verbs almost always appear in subordinate clauses introduced by the word che (that). To conjugate regular -are verbs in the present subjunctive, drop the -are and add the following endings:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example (piantare) |
|---|
| io | -i | pianti |
| tu | -i | pianti |
| lui/lei | -i | pianti |
| noi | -iamo | piantiamo |
| voi | -iate | piantiate |
| loro | -ino | piantino |
Notice that the io, tu, and lui/lei forms are identical. Because of this, Italians often include the subject pronoun (like tu or lui) if the context isn't clear enough to tell who is performing the action.
Common verbs that trigger the subjunctive include pensare (to think), credere (to believe), and sperare (to hope).
Expressing Necessity and Uncertainty
You will also use the subjunctive after impersonal expressions that show necessity or doubt, such as bisogna che (it is necessary that) and sembra che (it seems that).
Expressing Desires
Verbs of wanting and desiring, like volere (to want), require the subjunctive when you want someone else to do something. Watch how the voi form takes the -iate ending to express a wish for a group of people.
