Italian Conditional Tense

In Italian grammar, we use the conditional tense when it refers to an action that is possible or likely, but dependent upon a condition.

Example: I would go on holiday, but I haven't enough time.

Vorrei andare in vacanza ma non ho abbastanza tempo

It can be used in two tenses, the present, by conjugation of the appropriate noun, or the past, using the auxiliary conjugated in the conditional, with the past participle of the appropriate noun:

Ex: Mangerei un sacco se avessi molta fame = I would eat a lot if I was hungry.

Sarei andata a Roma se avessi saputo che andava Paola.= I would have gone to Rome, if I had known that Paola was going.

The Italian Conditional Tense represent the English verb tense that uses WOULD + VERB.

Ex: I would have married Charles, if I had met him earlier.

The conditional tense  for most verbs is formed according to whether their infinitive ends in -are, -ere or -ire, and the pattern is the same for all regular verbs.

The conditional can also be used in Italian to express "could", with the conjugated forms of potere ("to be able to"), or "should", with the conjugated forms of dovere ("to have to"):

Lei potrebbe fare un dolce =  She  could cook a cake.

Loro dovrebbero andare a Roma= They should go to Rome.

Tu dovresti studiare di più= You should study harder.

So hypothetycal sentences express something which might happen or might have happened.

Sometimes in spoken Italian , people use the imperfect instead of subjunctive or conditional but it's incorrect.

Ex: se lo sapevo andavo in montagna. = If I had known it, I would have gone to the mountain.

In English unlikely there are different types of Conditional Tense:

Zero Conditional : if + Present Tense

Ex: When you heat ice, it turns into water = Quando riscaldi il ghiaccio  esso si trasforma in acqua.

First Conditional: if + Present Tense + Future Tense

Ex: If it rains tomorrow, I will take an umbrella with me. = Se domain piove, mi porterò un ombrello.

Second Conditional: if + subjunctive + Cond. Tense

Ex: If I were invited to your party, I would to speak with your friends = se io fossi invitato al tuo party, vorrei parlare con I tuoi amici.

Third Conditional: if + Past Perfect Tense + Perfect Conditional Tense

Ex: If I had studied more I would not have repeated the year.

Exercise: Choose the correct word:

1)      .......... con me al cinema?

° verrei

° verrò

° verresti

2)      Le...........una casa come questa?

° piaceresti

° piacesse

° piacerebbe

3)      .........a sciare con me la settimana prossima?

° verrei

° venuto

° verresti

4)      Mi........un favore, per piacere?

° fatto

° fare

° faresti

5)      A me ed a Franco...........andare a vivere in America.

° piaceva

° piacerà

° piacerebbe

6)      Cosa..........mangiare a pranzo?

° volevi

° vorrò

° vorresti

7)      Se fossi in te.........quel vestito rosso.

° sceglierò

° sceglieva

° sceglierei

8)      .........bisogno di più tempo per pensare.

° avrò

° avrei

° avevo

9)      Se potessi me ne.........da questa città.

° andrebbe

° andrei

° andrò

10)  ...........quella moto se mio padre me lo permettesse.

° comprerò

° comprava

° comprerei

Answers:

1)      Verresti

2)      Piacerebbe

3)      Verresti

4)      Faresti

5)      Piacerebbe

6)      Vorresti

7)      Sceglierei

8)      Avrei

9)      Andrei

10)  Comprerei

By  Elisa  Bressan