Imperfect subjunctive

No more fear of Che parlassi…

Learning Italian is a beautiful ride, until the subjunctive shows up. If the word congiuntivo still gives you flashbacks to confusing grammar charts, don’t worry. Today, we're going to crack open one of its most mysterious forms: the Imperfect Subjunctive, or in Italian, il congiuntivo imperfetto.

And I promise, it’s not as scary as it sounds.

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🎯 What is the imperfect subjunctive?

The congiuntivo imperfetto is used to express doubts, emotions, hopes, or hypotheticals in the past. If the main clause is in a past tense, and it triggers the subjunctive (like I hoped that..., They thought that..., It seemed that...), then the dependent clause often needs the imperfect subjunctive.

Let’s look at some quick examples:

• Volevo che tu venissi. → I wanted you to come.

• Pensavano che noi parlassimo bene. → They thought we spoke well.

• Sembrava che fossimo stanchi. → It seemed we were tired.

You get the idea: the action in the second part isn’t certain, it's emotional, hypothetical, or subjective, and it happened in the past.

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💡 Why this matters

Italian speakers use this structure all the time, especially in storytelling or conversation. If you’ve ever wondered how to say things like “I hoped you were there,” or “She didn’t think I had it,” this is where the imperfect subjunctive shines.

It’s essential if you want to:

• Sound natural in conversation

• Understand native Italian content

• Write correctly in formal contexts

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🔧 How it works (without the grammar overload)

Let’s keep this simple.

Most verbs in Italian follow a predictable pattern in the imperfect subjunctive. You’ll recognize the same endings across -are, -ere, and -ire verbs.

You just need to listen for that -ssi, -sse, or -ssimo sound. That’s your clue.

Take the verb parlare (to speak):

• Che io parlassi → that I spoke

• Che tu parlassi → that you spoke

• Che lui/lei parlasse → that he/she spoke

• and so on.

You’ll hear the same flow in credessi (from credere) or dormissi (from dormire). Once you know how it sounds, you’ll start picking it up more naturally.

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😬 Wait, what about irregular verbs?

Good question. Some key verbs don’t play by the rules. But luckily, you use them so often, they’re worth memorizing:

• Essere → fossi, fosse, fossimo...

• Avere → avessi, avesse, avessimo...

Example:

• Non credevo che fosse vero. → I didn’t think it was true.

• Temevano che avessimo dimenticato. → They feared we had forgotten.

Again, even these oddballs follow a similar rhythm. It’s all about getting used to the sound and context.

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🧠 One more thing: hypotheticals

This tense also plays a starring role in hypothetical phrases, often combined with the conditional. For example:

• Se venissi, sarei felice. → If you came, I would be happy.

• Se avessimo studiato, avremmo passato l’esame. → If we had studied, we would have passed the exam.

This structure is golden for expressing regrets, dreams, and imaginary situations.

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✅ Time to practice: take the quiz

Reading the rules is one thing, putting them into practice is how you really learn.

To help you master the Italian Imperfect Subjunctive, I’ve created a quiz with 100 multiple-choice questions. The answers are included at the end so you can check your progress or use it as a self-paced study tool.

📝 Download the full quiz PDF here