Breakdown of Ho pensato che voi foste socievoli e avventurosi.
essere
to be
e
and
voi
you (plural)
avere
to have
pensare
to think
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
socievole
sociable
avventuroso
adventurous
Questions & Answers about Ho pensato che voi foste socievoli e avventurosi.
Why is foste in the imperfect subjunctive instead of the present subjunctive?
The main verb, Ho pensato (I thought), is in a past tense. When a verb that triggers the subjunctive (like expressing a thought, doubt, or emotion) is in the past, the following verb must be in the imperfect subjunctive to show both events were happening around the same time.
What is the infinitive of foste?
It comes from essere (to be). The imperfect subjunctive of essere is highly irregular and essential to memorize for this level: fossi, fossi, fosse, fossimo, foste, fossero.
Why does socievoli end in -i? Is it masculine like avventurosi?
Socievoli is plural, but its singular form is socievole. Adjectives that end in -e in the singular always end in -i in the plural for both masculine and feminine nouns. Avventuroso, on the other hand, is a standard -o adjective, making avventurosi specifically masculine (or a mixed-gender group).
Could I leave out the pronoun voi in this sentence?
Yes, you could just say Ho pensato che foste... because the verb ending makes it clear you are talking to voi (you all). However, native speakers often keep the subject pronoun in subjunctive clauses for better flow or slight emphasis, even when the verb form is not ambiguous.
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