THE SIMPLE CONDITIONAL in Italian

Here a clarification is needed: Italian verbs, in the conditional and in thefuture, if

form according to the same rules and the same exceptions! Yes, you understood correctly: it means that if
You know how to form the FUTURE you are also capable of forming the CONDITIONAL... and the reverse!!
Comfortable, right? Anyway, let's look at the rules for forming the present conditional.
For anyone who has doubts!
The only difference between future and conditional is obviously the endings. The endings
The simple conditional is the same for all verb groups! Nice, right?
In addition, these endings should not be added to the root of the verb, but to the whole verb,
excluding the last vowel-E.
We will now see an example for each group:

SPEAK TO READ TO SLEEP

I would speak I would read I would sleep

you would speak you would read you would sleep

he / she would speak he / she would read he / she would sleep

we would speak we would read we would sleep

would you speak you would read you would sleep

they would speak they would read they would sleep

Have you noticed the particularity of the -ARE verbs? The letter A in -ARE turns into E!

ATTENTION:
The verbs that end in -CARE and -GARE take an H after the C and the G in all the
people!
For example:

PROMISSORY NOTE COMMUNICATE

I would pay I would communicate

 you would pay you would communicate

he / she would pay he / she would communicate

we would pay we would communicate

you would pay you would communicate

they would pay they would communicate

In contrast, the verbs ending in -CIARE and -GIARE take the -I in all persons!

For example:

BEGIN TO EAT

I would begin I would eat

you would start you would eat

he / she would begin he / she would eat

we would start we would eat

you would start you would eat

they would start they would eat

Do you think we have finished? Unfortunately, no!

The verbs ESSERE and AVERE are obviously totally irregular! These are their
conjugations in the present conditional:

TO BE TO HAVE

i will love you I would have

 you would be you would have

he would let / she would let he / she would have

we would be we would not

you will be you would like

they would be they would have

Other irregularities that deserve to be noted are:

1) Some verbs in -ARE like DARE, FARE, and STARE do not change the -A to -E. These are the
complete conjugations:

DARE FARE Gaze

I would give I would do I would be

you would give you would do you would stay

he / she would give he / she would do he / she would stay

we would give we would do we would stay

you would give you would do you would be

they would give they would do they would be

2) some verbs in -ERE like DOVERE, SAPERE, VIVERE, POTERE, VEDERE,

FALL (N.B. among these, also !!!WALK!!!) behave like HAVE, that is
they also lose the first one, not to mention the second! These are the complete conjugations:
TO TRUST KNOWING TO LIVE

I should I would know I would live

you should you would know you would live

he / she should he / she would know he / she would live

we should we would know we would live

you should you would know you would live

they should they would know they would live

POWER TO SEE FALL

I could I would see I will fall

you could you would see you would fall

he / she could he / she would see he / she would fall

we could we would see we would fall

you could you would see you tighten

they could they would see they would fall

TO GO

I would go
 you would go

he / she would go

we would go

you will go

they would go

3) other verbs, on the other hand, lose not only the ending, but also part of the root, and they
they are characterized by a double r: 'rr'... This happens with VENIRE, RIMANERE, MANTENERE,
TENERE, VOLERE y BERE. Estas son las conjugaciones:

TO COME TO REMAIN MAINTAIN

I would come I would stay I would keep

you would see you would stay you would keep

he / she would come he / she would remain he / she would maintain

we would come we would remain we would maintain

you would like you would remain you will remain

they would come they would remain they would keep

HOLD WANT DRINK

I would have landed I would like I would open

you would educate would you like tuberresti

 he / would lead he / would like he / would like

we would not we would not want we would be

you will remain you would like vocal remains

They would steal it they would like they would steal it

When to USE the SIMPLE CONDITIONAL in Italian?

1. To express a desire
For example:
I would really love to visit New York!
o
How I wish it were already summer!

2. To express COURTESY
For example:
I would like a coffee please!
o
Could you kindly give me your phone number?
Kindly?

3. To express PERSONAL OPINIONS

For example:
Lucia wants to organize a surprise party for her brother. It would be a nice thing in my opinion.
opinion.
Luca wants to organize a surprise party for his brother. It would be something nice, I think.

4. To give advice
For example:
In my opinion, you should put more effort into your work.
in your work)

5. In the apodosis of
1
ahypothetical periodsecond-degree to express possibility,
together with the imperfect subjunctive in the protasis.

For example:
If I were rich, I would buy a villa in Cannes.
o
If he apologized, I would forgive him.

6. To express a DOUBT
For example:
How could I solve this problem right now?
problem now?)
o
And who would this man be?

With this usage, the conditional is mainly found in journalistic language,

to INFORM ABOUT UNSAFE NEWS, voices, rumors.
For example:
Among the victims of the plane crash there should be 5 Italians.
There are 5 Italians (that is: It seems, according to some reports, that there are 5 Italians among the victims)

Is everything clear so far? Now it's time to move on to...

The PAST CONDITIONAL (composed conditional) in Italian

The compound conditional is formed very easily, using the conditional present of
auxiliary BE or HAVE (according to what agrees with the verb) + the participle of the verb!

Review our class: with which verbs to use ESSERE and with which verbs to use
TO HAVE!
For example:

TO GO FINISH

I would have gone I would have finished

 you would have gone you would have finished

he/she would have gone he / she would have finished

we would have gone we would have finished

you would have gone you would have finished

they would have gone they would have finished

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When to USE the COMPOUND CONDITIONAL in Italian?

Basically, we find it in the same cases of the simple conditional, but in relation to
actions and past events. The only case in which we cannot use the conditional
The past is to express COURTESY!
1.DESIRE in the past:
When I was at the party, I would have liked to take more photos, but unfortunately I had my phone.
drainage.

(When I went to the party, I would have liked to take more photos, but unfortunately I had my phone.
downloaded
2. PERSONAL OPINION in the past:
What a shame that the party was canceled. I think it would have been fun.
The party didn't happen. I think it would have been fun.
2

3.ADVICE in the past:

You shouldn't have let him go!

4. In the hypothetical period of the third degree, on the other hand, the compound conditional is used in the
apodosis to express impossibility, with the past perfect subjunctive
past perfect) in the protasis :
If you had called Luca, he would have told you the truth.
told the truth
5.DOUBT in the past:
When she left, I cried a lot. But what else could I have done to stop her?
(When she left, I cried a lot, but what else could I have done to block her?)

6. To INFORM ABOUT misleading news in the past:

The criminal is said to have been spotted at the border with Switzerland.
border with Switzerland

7. ATTENTION! We use the compound conditional to also express the FUTURE IN

THE PAST!!! Pay close attention as this usage is typical ONLY of Italian!
For example:
He told me that he would be late!

For more information about the FUTURE IN THE PAST, we advise you to watch the
class about INDIRECT SPEECH!