Italian grammar · Intermediate
Italian Conditional
The Italian conditional (condizionale presente) expresses what would happen: parlerei, I would speak. It is the polite form for requests and wishes (vorrei, I would like), the normal way to give advice (dovresti, you should), and the result half of an if sentence. It uses the same stem as the future, with its own endings.
Vorrei un caffè, per favore.
I'd like a coffee, please.
What it is
English makes the conditional with the word would. Italian puts it into the ending, the same way it does with the future. Take the future stem (parler-, vender-, dormir-) and add -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero. If you know the future of a verb, you already know its conditional stem.
parlare → parlerei, parleresti, parlerebbe, parleremmo, parlereste, parlerebbero.
How to spot it
Look for -ei, -esti, -ebbe, or -ebbero after an r: comprerei, vorresti, potrebbe, sarebbero. The double m in -emmo separates the noi form from the future: parleremmo (we would speak) against parleremo (we will speak).
- Comprerei quella giacca. (I'd buy that jacket.)
- Potresti aiutarmi? (Could you help me?)
- Sarebbe bello. (It would be nice.)
- Verremmo volentieri. (We'd be glad to come.)
English could and should are also conditional in Italian: potrei (I could), dovrei (I should).
Conditional Quick Reference
Conditional endings: future stem + -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero
| Subject | parlare (-ARE) | vendere (-ERE) | dormire (-IRE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| io | parlerei | venderei | dormirei |
| tu | parleresti | venderesti | dormiresti |
| lui / lei / Lei | parlerebbe | venderebbe | dormirebbe |
| noi | parleremmo | venderemmo | dormiremmo |
| voi | parlereste | vendereste | dormireste |
| loro | parlerebbero | venderebbero | dormirebbero |
Common Conditional Examples in Italian
The Italian conditional in real sentences:
Polite Requests
- Vorrei un bicchiere d'acqua, per favore.
- I'd like a glass of water, please.
- Potrebbe ripetere, per favore?
- Could you repeat that, please? (formal)
Voglio (I want) is too direct in a shop or a restaurant. Vorrei is the polite form.
Wishes
- Mi piacerebbe vivere al mare.
- I'd love to live by the sea.
- Andrei volentieri in Giappone.
- I'd happily go to Japan.
Mi piacerebbe follows the same pattern as mi piace: the thing you would like is the subject.
Advice
- Dovresti parlare con lui.
- You should talk to him.
- Al tuo posto, accetterei.
- If I were you, I'd accept.
Dovresti (you should) is the normal way to give advice. Al tuo posto means in your place.
If Sentences
- Se avessi più tempo, leggerei di più.
- If I had more time, I'd read more.
- Se fossi in te, non lo farei.
- If I were you, I wouldn't do it.
- Con più soldi, comprerei una casa a Firenze.
- With more money, I'd buy a house in Florence.
The conditional goes in the result clause. The se clause takes the imperfect subjunctive, never the conditional.
How the Italian Conditional Is Built
The same stem as the future, one set of endings, and the same spelling rules.
Future Stem + Conditional Endings
Remove the final -e of the infinitive and add -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero. As in the future, -ARE verbs change the a to e: parlare gives parlerei.
Comprerei quella giacca, ma costa troppo.
I'd buy that jacket, but it costs too much.
comprare → comprer- → comprerei.
Same Spelling Rules as the Future
Verbs in -care and -gare add an h (cercherei, pagherei). Verbs in -ciare and -giare drop the i (comincerei, mangerei).
Mangerei volentieri qualcosa di dolce.
I'd happily eat something sweet.
mangiare → mangerei, not mangierei.
Double m in the noi Form
The noi ending is -emmo, with two m. The future has one: -emo. In speech, the double m is held slightly longer, and it changes the meaning.
Verremmo volentieri alla festa.
We'd be glad to come to the party.
verremo = we will come; verremmo = we would come.
Irregular Stems Come From the Future
Every verb with an irregular future stem uses the same stem in the conditional: sarei, avrei, andrei, farei, potrei, dovrei, vorrei, verrei.
Sarebbe meglio partire presto.
It would be better to leave early.
sarò → sarei; vorrò → vorrei.
In If Sentences, the Conditional Is the Result
For an unreal or unlikely condition, Italian uses se with the imperfect subjunctive, then the conditional for the result. English uses if with a past form, then would.
Se potessi, ti aiuterei.
If I could, I'd help you.
se + congiuntivo imperfetto, then conditional.
Common Mistakes with Conditional
Incorrect: Se avrei tempo, verrei. (If I had time, I would come.)
Correct: Se avessi tempo, verrei. (If I had time, I would come.)
The se clause takes the imperfect subjunctive (avessi), never the conditional. The conditional goes only in the result clause.
Incorrect: Da bambino giocherei sempre in giardino. (As a child, I would always play in the garden.)
Correct: Da bambino giocavo sempre in giardino. (As a child, I would always play in the garden.)
Here would describes a past habit, which is the imperfetto in Italian. The conditional would mean I would play now, under some condition.
Incorrect: Ha detto che verrebbe. (He said he would come.)
Correct: Ha detto che sarebbe venuto. (He said he would come.)
A future seen from the past takes the past conditional in Italian, even when the action has not happened yet.
Incorrect: Se avessimo tempo, parleremo con lui. (If we had time, we would talk to him.)
Correct: Se avessimo tempo, parleremmo con lui. (If we had time, we would talk to him.)
Parleremo, with one m, is the future (we will talk). The conditional noi form has two: parleremmo.
Irregular Conditional Stems
These eight verbs cover most conditional sentences you will hear: requests, wishes, advice, and possibilities.
Essere, Avere, Volere, Potere
Vorrei and potrei are the two most common conditional forms in Italian.
| Pronoun | essere (sar-) | avere (avr-) | volere (vorr-) | potere (potr-) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| io | sarei | avrei | vorrei | potrei |
| tu | saresti | avresti | vorresti | potresti |
| lui / lei / Lei | sarebbe | avrebbe | vorrebbe | potrebbe |
| noi | saremmo | avremmo | vorremmo | potremmo |
| voi | sareste | avreste | vorreste | potreste |
| loro | sarebbero | avrebbero | vorrebbero | potrebbero |
Potrebbe is also the polite formal you: potrebbe aiutarmi? (Could you help me?)
Dovere, Andare, Fare, Venire
Dovere and andare drop a vowel; fare keeps its a; venire doubles the r.
| Pronoun | dovere (dovr-) | andare (andr-) | fare (far-) | venire (verr-) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| io | dovrei | andrei | farei | verrei |
| tu | dovresti | andresti | faresti | verresti |
| lui / lei / Lei | dovrebbe | andrebbe | farebbe | verrebbe |
| noi | dovremmo | andremmo | faremmo | verremmo |
| voi | dovreste | andreste | fareste | verreste |
| loro | dovrebbero | andrebbero | farebbero | verrebbero |
Dovresti means you should; dovrebbe can also mean it should or it is supposed to: dovrebbe arrivare alle sei.
Where Would Is Not the Conditional
English would has three jobs. Only one of them is the Italian condizionale presente.
Future in the past uses the past conditional
In reported speech, English says he said he would come. Italian uses the past conditional (avere or essere in the conditional plus a participle), not the present conditional.
- Ha detto che sarebbe venuto.
- He said he would come.
- Mi ha promesso che mi avrebbe chiamato.
- She promised she would call me.
- Sapevo che avresti capito.
- I knew you would understand.
This is one of the clearest differences between Italian and English. See the past conditional page for the full forms.
Past habits use the imperfetto
English also uses would for repeated actions in the past: every summer we would go to the beach. Italian uses the imperfetto here.
- Ogni estate andavamo al mare.
- Every summer we would go to the seaside.
- Il nonno ci raccontava sempre delle storie.
- Grandpa would always tell us stories.
If would means used to, use the imperfetto.
Unconfirmed news
Newspapers and news reports use the conditional to show that information is not confirmed. English uses reportedly or is said to.
- Secondo alcune fonti, il ministro sarebbe pronto a dimettersi.
- According to some sources, the minister is reportedly ready to resign.
- Il cantante avrebbe una nuova fidanzata.
- The singer reportedly has a new girlfriend.
You will read this use more often than you will say it.
Quick Check: Conditional
Put the verb in brackets into the conditional.
1. (Io / volere) ___ una camera per due notti.
Answer: Vorrei
polite request
2. (Tu / dovere) ___ dormire di più.
Answer: Dovresti
advice
3. Mi (piacere) ___ imparare a cucinare.
Answer: piacerebbe
wish, third person with mi
4. Se fossimo ricchi, (noi / viaggiare) ___ di più.
Answer: viaggeremmo
-giare drops the i; double m
5. (Lei / potere) ___ chiudere la porta, per favore?
Answer: Potrebbe
formal request
Conditional FAQs
- How do you form the conditional in Italian?
- Use the future stem and add -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero. Parlare gives parlerei, vendere gives venderei, dormire gives dormirei. Verbs with an irregular future have the same irregular stem in the conditional: sarò and sarei, vorrò and vorrei.
- How do you say I would like in Italian?
- Say vorrei, the conditional of volere. Vorrei un caffè means I would like a coffee, and vorrei andare means I would like to go. Mi piacerebbe also means I would like, with a sense of a wish: mi piacerebbe vedere Roma.
- How do you make an if sentence with the conditional?
- For a hypothetical situation, use se with the imperfect subjunctive, and the conditional in the main clause: se avessi tempo, verrei (if I had time, I would come). For a real possibility, use the indicative in both clauses: se ho tempo, vengo (if I have time, I'll come).
- Is English would always the conditional in Italian?
- No. Would for a past habit is the imperfetto: da piccolo giocavo a calcio. Would for a future seen from the past is the past conditional: ha detto che sarebbe venuto. Only would for a hypothetical or polite meaning is the present conditional.
- How do I tell the conditional from the future?
- Look at the ending. The future has -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno; the conditional has -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero. The noi forms are the closest: parleremo is the future, parleremmo, with a double m, is the conditional.