Subjunctive TenseIl Tempo Congiuntivo

Introduction

The Italian subjunctive mood is one of the most difficult concepts for English speakers to learn. While English has a subjunctive mood, its grammatical formulations aren't quite as different from the indicative tenses.

You use the subjunctive for various reasons:

    cases of desire
    Io desidero che vengano.
    I hope that they come.

    to express doubt
    Credo che lui vada.
    I believe that he will go.

    to make impersonal emotional statements
    È bene che sia supportato.
    How good that it is supported.

    to talk about impeding events
    Quando ti vada, mandami saluti.
    When you go, say "hi" for me.

Italian also has a past subjunctive that describes past events in the same way as above.

Additional Reading:
• Personal Subject Pronouns
• Verb Conjugations