Italian grammar · Intermediate
Italian Past Conditional
The Italian past conditional (il condizionale passato) says what would have happened: avrei comprato, I would have bought. You form it with the conditional of avere or essere and the past participle. Italian also uses it for a future seen from the past, where English uses a simple would: ha detto che sarebbe venuto, he said he would come.
Avrei comprato quella giacca, ma costava troppo.
I would have bought that jacket, but it cost too much.
What it is
English builds the past conditional with would have + participle. Italian uses one auxiliary in the conditional (avrei or sarei) and the participle: avrei mangiato, sarei partito. It describes something that did not happen, regrets with should have and could have, and, unlike English, any future action reported from a point in the past.
mangiare → avrei mangiato. partire → sarei partito / partita.
How to spot it
Look for avrei, avresti, avrebbe or sarei, saresti, sarebbe followed by a past participle.
- Avresti dovuto dirmelo. (You should have told me.)
- Sarebbe stato bello vederti. (It would have been nice to see you.)
- Se me l'avessi chiesto, ti avrei aiutato. (If you had asked me, I would have helped you.)
- Ha detto che sarebbe arrivato alle otto. (He said he would arrive at eight.)
Avremmo and saremmo have a double m. Avremo and saremo, with one m, are the future tense.
Past Conditional Quick Reference
The past conditional with avere and with essere
| Subject | parlare (avere) | vendere (avere) | partire (essere) |
|---|---|---|---|
| io | avrei parlato | avrei venduto | sarei partito / partita |
| tu | avresti parlato | avresti venduto | saresti partito / partita |
| lui / lei / Lei | avrebbe parlato | avrebbe venduto | sarebbe partito / partita |
| noi | avremmo parlato | avremmo venduto | saremmo partiti / partite |
| voi | avreste parlato | avreste venduto | sareste partiti / partite |
| loro | avrebbero parlato | avrebbero venduto | sarebbero partiti / partite |
Common Past Conditional Examples in Italian
The Italian past conditional in real sentences:
Would Have
- Avrei comprato quella giacca, ma costava troppo.
- I would have bought that jacket, but it cost too much.
- Sarebbe stato bello vederti.
- It would have been nice to see you.
The action did not happen. The past conditional describes what was possible.
Should Have, Could Have, Would Have Liked
- Avresti dovuto dirmelo.
- You should have told me.
- Avremmo potuto prendere il treno.
- We could have taken the train.
- Avrei voluto saperlo prima.
- I would have liked to know earlier.
Dovere, potere, and volere in the past conditional express regret, missed chances, and unfulfilled wishes.
Past If Clauses
- Se fossi partito prima, non avrei perso l'aereo.
- If I had left earlier, I wouldn't have missed the plane.
- Se me l'avessi chiesto, ti avrei aiutato.
- If you had asked me, I would have helped you.
The se clause takes the trapassato congiuntivo (avessi chiesto, fossi partito). The result clause takes the past conditional.
The Future in the Past
- Ha detto che sarebbe arrivato alle otto.
- He said he would arrive at eight.
- Ero sicura che avresti capito.
- I was sure you would understand.
English uses a simple would here. Italian requires the past conditional.
How the Italian Past Conditional Is Formed and Used
One auxiliary in the conditional, one participle, and three uses that English handles differently.
Conditional of Avere or Essere + Past Participle
Put avere or essere in the present conditional and add the past participle. Choose the auxiliary as you would in the passato prossimo.
Avrei chiamato, ma non avevo il tuo numero.
I would have called, but I didn't have your number.
ho chiamato → avrei chiamato; sono andato → sarei andato.
Agreement With Essere
With essere, the participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. With avere, it does not change, unless a direct object pronoun comes before it.
Le mie amiche sarebbero venute volentieri.
My friends would gladly have come.
sarebbero venute: feminine plural.
The Future in the Past
When you report from the past an action that was still in the future, Italian uses the past conditional. English uses would + verb. The present conditional (verrebbe) is not correct here.
Mi avevi promesso che saresti venuto.
You had promised me you would come.
After a past verb of saying or thinking: would → past conditional.
Should Have and Could Have
Avrei dovuto means I should have, and avrei potuto means I could have. Careful Italian chooses the auxiliary of the infinitive that follows, so a verb that takes essere gives sarei dovuto. Avrei dovuto with these verbs is also widely accepted.
Sarei dovuta tornare prima.
I should have come back earlier.
tornare takes essere → sarei dovuto / dovuta tornare.
Reported or Unconfirmed Information
News reports use the past conditional for something that has been reported but not confirmed. English uses words such as reportedly or allegedly for the same purpose.
Secondo la polizia, il ladro sarebbe fuggito in moto.
According to the police, the thief reportedly escaped on a motorbike.
sarebbe fuggito = reportedly escaped.
Common Mistakes with Past Conditional
Incorrect: Ha detto che verrebbe. (He said he would come.)
Correct: Ha detto che sarebbe venuto. (He said he would come.)
English would looks like the present conditional, but after a past verb of saying, Italian needs the past conditional for the future in the past.
Incorrect: Se avrei saputo, sarei venuto. (If I had known, I would have come.)
Correct: Se avessi saputo, sarei venuto. (If I had known, I would have come.)
The conditional never goes after se meaning if. The se clause takes the trapassato congiuntivo (avessi saputo).
Incorrect: Avrei andato al concerto. (I would have gone to the concert.)
Correct: Sarei andato al concerto. (I would have gone to the concert.)
Andare takes essere in every compound tense, so the past conditional is sarei andato.
Incorrect: Ieri dovrei studiare. (I should have studied yesterday.)
Correct: Ieri avrei dovuto studiare. (I should have studied yesterday.)
Dovrei means I should, about now or the future. For a past obligation that you did not fulfil, use the past conditional: avrei dovuto.
Modal Verbs and the Present vs Past Conditional
The past conditional of dovere, potere, and volere is among the most useful forms in Italian. The second table shows how one verb moves from the present conditional to the past conditional.
Should Have, Could Have, Would Have Liked
Follow these forms with an infinitive: avrei dovuto studiare, avrei potuto aiutarti, avrei voluto saperlo.
| Pronoun | dovere (should have) | potere (could have) | volere (would have liked) |
|---|---|---|---|
| io | avrei dovuto | avrei potuto | avrei voluto |
| tu | avresti dovuto | avresti potuto | avresti voluto |
| lui / lei / Lei | avrebbe dovuto | avrebbe potuto | avrebbe voluto |
| noi | avremmo dovuto | avremmo potuto | avremmo voluto |
| voi | avreste dovuto | avreste potuto | avreste voluto |
| loro | avrebbero dovuto | avrebbero potuto | avrebbero voluto |
With an infinitive that takes essere, careful Italian uses sarei dovuto, sarei potuto, sarei voluto: sarei potuto partire.
Andare: Present vs Past Conditional
Andrei means I would go. Sarei andato means I would have gone.
| Pronoun | present conditional | past conditional |
|---|---|---|
| io | andrei | sarei andato / andata |
| tu | andresti | saresti andato / andata |
| lui / lei / Lei | andrebbe | sarebbe andato / andata |
| noi | andremmo | saremmo andati / andate |
| voi | andreste | sareste andati / andate |
| loro | andrebbero | sarebbero andati / andate |
Andare takes essere, so the past conditional uses sarei and the participle agrees with the subject.
The Future in the Past
This is the use of the past conditional that English speakers most often get wrong, because English uses the simple conditional.
After verbs of saying, promising, and thinking in the past
When the main verb is in a past tense and the action in the second clause comes later, use the past conditional, even if that action did happen.
- Ha promesso che mi avrebbe chiamato.
- He promised he would call me.
- Sapevo che avresti vinto.
- I knew you would win.
- Pensavamo che sarebbe piovuto.
- We thought it would rain.
Ha detto che verrebbe is a common learner error. The standard form is ha detto che sarebbe venuto.
Compare with a present main verb
When the main verb is in the present, the second clause uses the future, as in English.
- Dice che verrà domani.
- He says he will come tomorrow.
- Ha detto che sarebbe venuto domani.
- He said he would come tomorrow.
Present main verb → future. Past main verb → past conditional.
Quick Check: Past Conditional
Give the past conditional of the verb in brackets.
1. (venire) Marco ha promesso che ___ alla festa.
Answer: sarebbe venuto
Future in the past after a past verb of saying.
2. (dovere) Tu ___ dirmelo prima.
Answer: avresti dovuto
Avresti dovuto means you should have.
3. (comprare) Se avessi avuto i soldi, ___ la casa.
Answer: avrei comprato
The result clause of a past if sentence.
4. (andare) Noi ___ al mare, ma pioveva.
Answer: saremmo andati
Andare takes essere.
5. (piacere) Mi ___ vederti.
Answer: sarebbe piaciuto
Piacere takes essere: mi sarebbe piaciuto, I would have liked.
Past Conditional FAQs
- How do you form the past conditional in Italian?
- Use the present conditional of avere (avrei, avresti, avrebbe, avremmo, avreste, avrebbero) or essere (sarei, saresti, sarebbe, saremmo, sareste, sarebbero) and the past participle: avrei parlato, sarei partito. Choose the auxiliary as in the passato prossimo.
- How do you say should have and could have in Italian?
- Use the past conditional of dovere and potere with an infinitive: avrei dovuto studiare (I should have studied), avrei potuto aiutarti (I could have helped you). With an infinitive that takes essere, careful Italian uses sarei: sarei dovuto partire.
- Why does Italian use the past conditional for he said he would come?
- Italian treats a future action seen from the past as something that was only expected at that point. That calls for the past conditional: ha detto che sarebbe venuto. English uses the simple would, which is why learners often say verrebbe by mistake.
- What tense goes with the past conditional in if sentences?
- The trapassato congiuntivo: se avessi saputo, sarei venuto (if I had known, I would have come). It is avessi or fossi plus the past participle. Never use the conditional after se.
- What is the difference between the present and past conditional in Italian?
- The present conditional (andrei, I would go) is about now or the future. The past conditional (sarei andato, I would have gone) is about the past, and it also expresses the future in the past after verbs such as dire, promettere, and pensare.