How do you form the imperfect subjunctive in Italian?

Remove -re from the infinitive and add -ssi, -ssi, -sse, -ssimo, -ste, -ssero. Parlare gives parlassi, credere gives credessi, and dormire gives dormissi. Irregular verbs include essere (fossi), dare (dessi), stare (stessi), fare (facessi), dire (dicessi), and bere (bevessi).

When do you use the imperfect subjunctive in Italian?

In three main cases: in hypothetical if clauses (se avessi tempo), after come se and magari, and in a clause that needs the subjunctive when the main verb is in a past tense or the conditional (pensavo che fosse, vorrei che venissi).

What is the difference between the present and imperfect subjunctive?

The choice usually depends on the main verb. After a present main verb, use the present subjunctive: penso che sia vero. After a past or conditional main verb, use the imperfect subjunctive: pensavo che fosse vero, vorrei che fosse vero.

Why is se avrei wrong in Italian?

Because Italian never uses the conditional after se meaning if. The se clause takes the imperfect subjunctive (se avessi), and the conditional belongs in the result clause (verrei). Learners make the mistake because they copy the conditional from the other clause.

Do Italians really use the imperfect subjunctive in conversation?

Yes. Se fossi in te, magari fosse vero, and vorrei che are everyday expressions. In very casual speech some people replace it with the indicative, but the subjunctive is the standard form and the safe choice for learners.

Italian grammar · Intermediate

Italian Imperfect Subjunctive

Written by Parrot Italian Team, Italian Curriculum Editors · Reviewed October 2026

The Italian imperfect subjunctive (il congiuntivo imperfetto) is the subjunctive you use for unreal situations and after a main verb in the past or the conditional. It is the form in se avessi tempo (if I had time) and vorrei che tu venissi (I'd like you to come). English often uses a simple past here, so learners easily miss that Italian needs a special form.

Se avessi più tempo, leggerei di più.

If I had more time, I would read more.

What it is

English says if I were rich or I wish you were here, with a past form that does not refer to the past. Italian does the same thing with the imperfect subjunctive: se fossi ricco, vorrei che tu fossi qui. You need it in hypothetical if clauses, after come se (as if), in wishes with magari, and in a subjunctive clause when the main verb is in a past tense or the conditional.

parlare → parlassi, parlassi, parlasse, parlassimo, parlaste, parlassero.

How to spot it

Look for -ss- before the ending: parlassi, credesse, dormissero. The voi form is the exception, with a single s: parlaste.

Se fossi in te, accetterei. (If I were you, I'd accept.)
Pensavo che fossi a casa. (I thought you were at home.)
Parla come se sapesse tutto. (He talks as if he knew everything.)
Magari fosse vero! (If only it were true.)

The io and tu forms are identical (parlassi), so Italian often keeps the subject pronoun to avoid confusion: che io parlassi, che tu parlassi.

Imperfect Subjunctive Quick Reference

Imperfect subjunctive endings for regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs

Subject	parlare	credere	dormire
io	parlassi	credessi	dormissi
tu	parlassi	credessi	dormissi
lui / lei / Lei	parlasse	credesse	dormisse
noi	parlassimo	credessimo	dormissimo
voi	parlaste	credeste	dormiste
loro	parlassero	credessero	dormissero

Common Imperfect Subjunctive Examples in Italian

The Italian imperfect subjunctive in real sentences:

Hypothetical If Clauses

Se avessi più tempo, leggerei di più.: If I had more time, I would read more.
Se fossi in te, accetterei.: If I were you, I'd accept.
Se vincessimo la lotteria, compreremmo una casa al mare.: If we won the lottery, we'd buy a house by the sea.

The se clause takes the imperfect subjunctive, and the result clause takes the conditional.

After a Past or Conditional Main Verb

Pensavo che fossi a casa.: I thought you were at home.
Volevano che restassimo a cena.: They wanted us to stay for dinner.
Vorrei che mi chiamassi più spesso.: I'd like you to call me more often.

When the main verb is in the past or the conditional, a present subjunctive becomes an imperfect subjunctive.

As If

Mi tratta come se fossi un bambino.: He treats me as if I were a child.
Parla come se sapesse tutto.: He talks as if he knew everything.

Come se always takes the subjunctive, whatever the tense of the main verb.

Wishes

Magari fosse vero!: If only it were true.
Se solo potessi aiutarti.: If only I could help you.

Magari and se solo with the imperfect subjunctive express a wish that is unlikely or impossible.

How the Italian Imperfect Subjunctive Is Formed and Used

One set of endings for all three verb groups, a short list of irregular verbs, and three main uses.

Infinitive Minus -re, Plus -ssi

Remove the final -re from the infinitive and add -ssi, -ssi, -sse, -ssimo, -ste, -ssero. The vowel of the infinitive (a, e, or i) stays, so the three groups follow one pattern. The -isc- verbs do not add -isc-: finire gives finissi.

Speravo che arrivasse presto.

I was hoping he would arrive early.

parla-re → parla-ssi, crede-re → crede-ssi, dormi-re → dormi-ssi.

Io and Tu Have the Same Form

Because parlassi can mean that I spoke or that you spoke, Italian keeps io or tu when the context does not make the person clear.

Era meglio che tu restassi a casa.

It was better for you to stay at home.

che io parlassi, che tu parlassi.

Sequence of Tenses

A verb that needs the subjunctive in the present (penso che sia) needs the imperfect subjunctive when it moves into the past (pensavo che fosse). The same is true after a conditional such as vorrei.

Non sapevo che Marta abitasse a Roma.

I didn't know Marta lived in Rome.

penso che sia → pensavo che fosse.

Se + Imperfect Subjunctive + Conditional

For a situation that is unreal or unlikely now, put the imperfect subjunctive after se and the conditional in the other clause. The order of the two clauses can change.

Se piovesse, resteremmo a casa.

If it rained, we would stay at home.

Never the conditional after se meaning if.

Essere Becomes Fossi

Essere has the most irregular imperfect subjunctive, and it is also the most frequent. Avere is regular: avessi, avesse, avessimo.

Se fosse più vicino, ci andrei a piedi.

If it were closer, I'd walk there.

fossi, fossi, fosse, fossimo, foste, fossero.

Common Mistakes with Imperfect Subjunctive

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 conditional goes in the result clause only. After se meaning if, use the imperfect subjunctive. This is the best-known mistake in Italian, and Italians notice it at once.

Incorrect: Pensavo che eri a casa. (I thought you were at home.)

Correct: Pensavo che fossi a casa. (I thought you were at home.)

Pensare che needs the subjunctive. Because the main verb is in the past, the subjunctive is imperfect. The indicative is heard in casual speech, but it is not standard.

Incorrect: Vorrei che tu vieni. (I'd like you to come.)

Correct: Vorrei che tu venissi. (I'd like you to come.)

Vorrei is a conditional, so the verb after che takes the imperfect subjunctive, not the present indicative.

Incorrect: Mi guarda come se sono pazzo. (He looks at me as if I were mad.)

Correct: Mi guarda come se fossi pazzo. (He looks at me as if I were mad.)

Come se always takes the subjunctive. The main verb is in the present, but the comparison is unreal, so the imperfect subjunctive is correct.

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Subjunctive

Only a few verbs are irregular in this tense. Most of them use the same stem as their imperfetto, so facevo gives facessi and dicevo gives dicessi.

Essere, Dare, Stare, and Fare

Dare and stare take an e in the stem (dessi, stessi), not the a of the infinitive.

Pronoun	essere	dare	stare	fare
io	fossi	dessi	stessi	facessi
tu	fossi	dessi	stessi	facessi
lui / lei / Lei	fosse	desse	stesse	facesse
noi	fossimo	dessimo	stessimo	facessimo
voi	foste	deste	steste	faceste
loro	fossero	dessero	stessero	facessero

Stassi and dassi are common mistakes, even among native speakers. The standard forms are stessi and dessi.

Dire, Bere, and Tradurre

These verbs use the longer stem they have in the imperfetto.

Pronoun	dire	bere	tradurre
io	dicessi	bevessi	traducessi
tu	dicessi	bevessi	traducessi
lui / lei / Lei	dicesse	bevesse	traducesse
noi	dicessimo	bevessimo	traducessimo
voi	diceste	beveste	traduceste
loro	dicessero	bevessero	traducessero

Verbs that are irregular in other tenses, such as andare, venire, and volere, are regular here: andassi, venissi, volessi.

Come Se, Magari, and Everyday Speech

Three situations where the imperfect subjunctive appears, or where speakers avoid it.

Come se: as if

Come se always takes the subjunctive. Use the imperfect subjunctive for an action at the same time as the main verb.

Fa freddo, come se fosse inverno.: It's cold, as if it were winter.
Ha continuato come se niente fosse.: He carried on as if nothing had happened.

Come se niente fosse is a fixed expression. It means as if nothing were wrong.

Magari: if only

Magari + imperfect subjunctive expresses a wish about the present that is unlikely to come true.

Magari potessi venire con voi!: If only I could come with you.
Magari avessi vent'anni!: If only I were twenty.

Alone, magari means maybe: magari vengo domani, maybe I'll come tomorrow.

Polite requests

After a conditional such as Le dispiacerebbe or vorrei, the subordinate verb goes into the imperfect subjunctive.

Le dispiacerebbe se aprissi la finestra?: Would you mind if I opened the window?
Vorrei che Lei firmasse qui.: I'd like you to sign here.

Vorrei che + imperfect subjunctive is a polite way to ask someone to do something.

Quick Check: Imperfect Subjunctive

Give the imperfect subjunctive of the verb in brackets.

1. (avere) Se ___ una macchina, andrei al lago.

Answer: avessi

Se + imperfect subjunctive, then the conditional.

2. (essere) Pensavamo che il museo ___ chiuso.

Answer: fosse

The main verb is in the past, so the subjunctive is imperfect.

3. (venire) Volevo che voi ___ alla festa.

Answer: veniste

The voi form has a single s.

4. (fare) Se ___ bel tempo, usciremmo.

Answer: facesse

Fare uses the stem fac-.

5. (sapere) Parla come se ___ tutto.

Answer: sapesse

Come se always takes the subjunctive.

Imperfect Subjunctive FAQs

How do you form the imperfect subjunctive in Italian?: Remove -re from the infinitive and add -ssi, -ssi, -sse, -ssimo, -ste, -ssero. Parlare gives parlassi, credere gives credessi, and dormire gives dormissi. Irregular verbs include essere (fossi), dare (dessi), stare (stessi), fare (facessi), dire (dicessi), and bere (bevessi).
When do you use the imperfect subjunctive in Italian?: In three main cases: in hypothetical if clauses (se avessi tempo), after come se and magari, and in a clause that needs the subjunctive when the main verb is in a past tense or the conditional (pensavo che fosse, vorrei che venissi).
What is the difference between the present and imperfect subjunctive?: The choice usually depends on the main verb. After a present main verb, use the present subjunctive: penso che sia vero. After a past or conditional main verb, use the imperfect subjunctive: pensavo che fosse vero, vorrei che fosse vero.
Why is se avrei wrong in Italian?: Because Italian never uses the conditional after se meaning if. The se clause takes the imperfect subjunctive (se avessi), and the conditional belongs in the result clause (verrei). Learners make the mistake because they copy the conditional from the other clause.
Do Italians really use the imperfect subjunctive in conversation?: Yes. Se fossi in te, magari fosse vero, and vorrei che are everyday expressions. In very casual speech some people replace it with the indicative, but the subjunctive is the standard form and the safe choice for learners.