Word
Speravo che tu contattassi l'alieno.
Meaning
I hoped that you would contact the alien.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Speravo che tu contattassi l'alieno.
tu
you (singular)
sperare
to hope
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
contattare
to contact
Questions & Answers about Speravo che tu contattassi l'alieno.
Why does the Italian sentence use contattassi when the English translation says 'would contact'?
In Italian, verbs expressing hopes, wishes, or emotions trigger the subjunctive mood. Because the main verb Speravo (I hoped) is in a past tense, it requires the imperfect subjunctive (contattassi) in the dependent clause. English uses 'would' here, but Italian relies on this past subjunctive form.
How do I form the tu form of the imperfect subjunctive for a regular -are verb like contattare?
You take the infinitive contattare, drop the final -re to get the stem contatta-, and then add the ending -ssi. So, it becomes contattassi.
Is the pronoun tu mandatory in this sentence?
It is highly recommended for clarity. In the imperfect subjunctive, both the io (I) and tu (you) forms share the exact same ending (-ssi). Including tu makes it perfectly clear that you were the one supposed to contact the alien, not the speaker.
Why is the main verb Speravo in the imperfect tense rather than the passato prossimo (Ho sperato)?
Sperare (to hope) describes a state of mind. When talking about ongoing feelings, mental states, or continuous hopes in the past, Italian usually uses the imperfect tense (Speravo).