Language/Italian/Grammar/Condizionale-Presente
The Condizionale Presente is a verb tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the present or future. It is often translated to English as the conditional tense, would + verb. In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use the Condizionale Presente tense in Italian.
Formation
To form the Condizionale Presente of regular verbs, you simply take the infinitive form of the verb and add the conditional tense endings. The endings for -are, -ere, and -ire verbs are the same. Here are the conditional endings for regular verbs:
Person | Ending |
---|---|
io | -ei |
tu | -esti |
egli/ella | -ebbe |
noi | -emmo |
voi | -este |
essi/esse | -ebbero |
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the Condizionale Presente:
- Parlare (to speak)
Italian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
io parler-ei | /parˈle.rei/ | I would speak |
tu parler-esti | /parˈle.resti/ | You would speak |
egli/ella parler-ebbe | /par.leˈrɛb.be/ | He/she would speak |
noi parler-emmo | /par.leˈrem.mo/ | We would speak |
voi parler-este | /par.leˈreste/ | You (plural) would speak |
essi/esse parler-ebbero | /par.leˈrɛrebbe.ro/ | They would speak |
- Scrivere (to write)
Italian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
io scriv-erei | /skriˈve.rei/ | I would write |
tu scriv-eresti | /skriˈve.resti/ | You would write |
egli/ella scriv-erebbe | /skriˈvɛreb.be/ | He/she would write |
noi scriv-eremmo | /skriˈve.rem.mo/ | We would write |
voi scriv-ereste | /skriˈve.reste/ | You (plural) would write |
essi/esse scriv-erebbero | /skriˈve.reb.be.ro/ | They would write |
To form the Condizionale Presente of irregular verbs, you must know the conditional stem. The conditional stem is the same as the future stem, which is the infinitive without the -e, -re, or -ire ending. Then, you add the same conditional tense endings as for regular verbs. Here are some examples of irregular verbs in the Condizionale Presente:
- Avere (to have)
Italian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
io avrei | /aˈvrei/ | I would have |
tu avresti | /aˈvresti/ | You would have |
egli/ella avrebbe | /aˈvrebbe/ | He/she would have |
noi avremmo | /aˈvremmo/ | We would have |
voi avreste | /aˈvreste/ | You (plural) would have |
essi/esse avrebbero | /aˈvrebbero/ | They would have |
- Essere (to be)
Italian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
io sarei | /saˈrei/ | I would be |
tu saresti | /saˈresti/ | You would be |
egli/ella sarebbe | /saˈrebbe/ | He/she would be |
noi saremmo | /saˈremmo/ | We would be |
voi sareste | /saˈreste/ | You (plural) would be |
essi/esse sarebbero | /saˈrebbero/ | They would be |
Usage
The Condizionale Presente is mainly used to express:
- A hypothetical action in the present or future, when the result depends on some condition:
* Se fosse ricco, comprerei una casa in Italia. (If I were rich, I would buy a house in Italy.) * Se avessi tempo, andrei al mare. (If I had time, I would go to the sea.)
- A polite request, invitation or suggestion:
* Potresti passarmi il sale, per favore? (Could you pass me the salt, please?) * Ti piacerebbe venire al cinema con me stasera? (Would you like to come to cinema with me tonight?) * Vorrei un caffè, per favore. (I would like a coffee, please.)
- A hypothetical action in the past, usually preceded by "avrei" (I would have):
* Se avessi saputo che era così difficile, non avrei accettato il lavoro. (If I had known it was so difficult, I would not have taken the job.)
Exercises
- Conjugate the following verbs in the Condizionale Presente:
* Suonare (to play) * Ballare (to dance) * Vedere (to see) * Fare (to do) * Dire (to say)
- Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in Condizionale Presente:
* Se (avere) più soldi, (comprare) una macchina nuova. * (Essere) così gentile da dirmi l'ora? * (Scrivere) una lettera formale, se possibile. * Se (vedere) mio fratello, (salutare) anche lui. * Vorrei (andare) in vacanza in Sardegna quest'anno.
Sources