How often do you hear someone say “se verrei” or “se avevo”? It is one of the most common mistakes in spoken Italian—and it is not only foreigners who make it: many Italians fall into the same trap. Do you always need to use the subjunctive after “se” in Italian? I have a little trick that can help you clear things up once and for all.
A Trick to Never Get the Subjunctive Wrong
The Problem: Where Does the Subjunctive Go?
Look at these three sentences and try to identify which one is correct:
- A) «Se avrei più soldi, viaggerei di più.» [If I would have more money, I would travel more.]
- B) «Se avessi più soldi, viaggerei di più.» [If I had more money, I would travel more.]
- C) «Se avessi più soldi, viaggiassi di più.» [If I had more money, I travelled more.]
The correct answer is B. But why are the other two incorrect?
A is incorrect because after «se» the conditional is never used — under any circumstances, even if it might seem logical. It is one of the most common errors, but in correct Italian it must be avoided absolutely.
C is incorrect because it uses the subjunctive in both parts of the sentence: the second verb does not follow «se», so it must not be in the subjunctive.
The underlying problem is always the same: not knowing where to put what. And that is exactly what this article clarifies.
The Second Hypothetical Sentence
The sentence «Se avessi più soldi, viaggerei di più» is an example of the second hypothetical sentence [secondo periodo ipotetico]: it describes a situation that is hypothetical and unlikely, but not impossible. You do not have much money at the moment, but the situation could change in the future.
This type of sentence follows a fixed rule, with no exceptions:
- imperfect subjunctive + present conditional
The problem is that many people know this rule by heart, but when it comes to applying it the doubt arises: “Which of the two goes after ‘se’? And which goes in the other part?” And this is exactly where the trick comes in.
The Trick: «SE Vuole SS» [SE Wants SS]
The trick is this: «SE vuole SS». The word «se» always wants the verb with the double S close to it — that is, the imperfect subjunctive. The S of «se» evokes the two S’s of the subjunctive. It is almost a play on words, but it always works.
Every time you construct a hypothetical sentence, just follow three steps:
- Identify the «se».
- Place the verb with the double S (imperfect subjunctive) right after it.
- In the other part of the sentence, place the present conditional.
The Conjugations You Need to Know
The Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive always has the double S — with one exception, as will be seen below.
| Person [Persona] | AMARE [to love] | LEGGERE [to read] | CAPIRE [to understand] |
|---|---|---|---|
| io [I] | amassi [loved] | leggessi [read] | capissi [understood] |
| tu [you] | amassi [loved] | leggessi [read] | capissi [understood] |
| lui/lei [he/she] | amasse [loved] | leggesse [read] | capisse [understood] |
| noi [we] | amassimo [loved] | leggessimo [read] | capissimo [understood] |
| voi [you pl.] | amaste [loved] | leggeste [read] | capiste [understood] |
| loro [they] | amassero [loved] | leggessero [read] | capissero [understood] |
Note on the «voi» form [you pl.]: amaste, leggeste, capiste — it does not have the double S. This is the only exception to the rule. When you come across a sentence with «se» followed by a second-person plural verb without a double S, it is still the imperfect subjunctive.
The most important irregular verbs to remember are the following:
- ESSERE [to be] → fossi [were], fosse [were], fossimo [were], fossero [were]
- AVERE [to have] → avessi [had], avesse [had], avessimo [had], avessero [had]
- FARE [to do/make] → facessi [did/made], facesse [did/made], facessimo [did/made], facessero [did/made]
- STARE [to stay/be] → stessi [stayed/were], stesse [stayed/were], stessimo [stayed/were], stessero [stayed/were]
- VOLERE [to want] → volessi [wanted], volesse [wanted], volessimo [wanted], volessero [wanted]
It is worth noting that all irregular verbs in the indicative imperfect keep the same irregular stem in the imperfect subjunctive as well: already knowing the imperfect means you are already halfway there.
The Present Conditional
| Person [Persona] | PARLARE [to speak] | PRENDERE [to take] | SENTIRE [to feel/hear] |
|---|---|---|---|
| io [I] | parlerei [would speak] | prenderei [would take] | sentirei [would feel/hear] |
| tu [you] | parleresti [would speak] | prenderesti [would take] | sentiresti [would feel/hear] |
| lui/lei [he/she] | parlerebbe [would speak] | prenderebbe [would take] | sentirebbe [would feel/hear] |
| noi [we] | parleremmo [would speak] | prenderemmo [would take] | sentiremmo [would feel/hear] |
| voi [you pl.] | parlereste [would speak] | prendereste [would take] | sentireste [would feel/hear] |
| loro [they] | parlerebbero [would speak] | prenderebbero [would take] | sentirebbero [would feel/hear] |
Note on the «noi» form [we]: the present conditional has the double M — parleremmo. The future, on the other hand, has a single M: parleremo. They sound almost identical in fast speech, but in writing that extra M completely changes the meaning.
One place to learn Italian
Join the LearnAmo AcademyThe Trick in Action: Practical Examples
In each of the following examples, «se» is always accompanied by the verb with the double S — the imperfect subjunctive — while the other part of the sentence has the present conditional.
- «Se cambiassi città, troverei nuove opportunità di lavoro.» [If I moved to a different city, I would find new job opportunities.]
- «Se non fossero così timidi, farebbero nuove amicizie facilmente.» [If they were not so shy, they would make new friends easily.]
- «Se dessimo più attenzione ai dettagli, commetteremmo meno errori.» [If we paid more attention to details, we would make fewer mistakes.]
- «Se tu traducessi questo testo, aiuteresti molte persone.» [If you translated this text, you would help many people.]
- «Se non facesse così tardi, uscireste ancora un po’?» [If it were not so late, would you go out a little longer?]
The trick also works when the sentence is inverted — that is, when the conditional appears first. The subjunctive always remains close to «se», regardless of the order:
- «Mangereste meglio se sceglieste ingredienti più freschi.» [You would eat better if you chose fresher ingredients.]
- «Capirei tutto se il professore parlasse più lentamente.» [I would understand everything if the teacher spoke more slowly.]
- «Sarebbe tutto più semplice se le persone ascoltassero di più.» [Everything would be simpler if people listened more.]
The Most Common Errors to Avoid
Error 1: The Conditional After «Se»
- «Se avrei più tempo, studierei di più.» [If I would have more time, I would study more.]
- «Se avessi più tempo, studierei di più.» [If I had more time, I would study more.]
After «se» the conditional is never used — even if it seems logical, even if you hear it in informal spoken Italian. In correct Italian it is always an error. The trick «SE vuole SS» is precisely the most effective way not to forget this.
Error 2: The Subjunctive in Both Parts of the Sentence
- «Se parlassi meglio l’italiano, trovassi più facilmente lavoro.» [If I spoke Italian better, I found work more easily.]
- «Se parlassi meglio l’italiano, troveresti più facilmente lavoro.» [If you spoke Italian better, you would find work more easily.]
The subjunctive belongs exclusively to the part of the sentence introduced by «se». In the other part the present conditional always goes.
Error 3: Confusing the Second and Third Hypothetical Sentence
This is a more subtle but important error. Look at these two sentences:
- «Se studiassi di più, prenderesti voti migliori.» [If you studied more, you would get better grades.] → second hypothetical sentence: the situation is unlikely but still possible.
- «Se avessi studiato di più, avresti preso voti migliori.» [If you had studied more, you would have got better grades.] → third hypothetical sentence [terzo periodo ipotetico]: the situation belongs to the past and can no longer change.
The difference is fundamental: in the second hypothetical sentence the situation can still change; in the third you are talking about something definitively past. The verb tenses change accordingly:
- Second [Secondo]: imperfect subjunctive + present conditional
- Third [Terzo]: pluperfect subjunctive + past conditional
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Remember Which Tense Goes Where?
With the trick «SE vuole SS»: the word «se» always wants the verb with the double S close to it, that is the imperfect subjunctive. In the other part of the sentence goes the present conditional. The order of the two parts can vary, but this distribution always remains unchanged.
What Happens if the Sentence Is Inverted?
The trick works just the same. Even when the conditional appears in the first part of the sentence, the subjunctive always remains close to «se». For example: «Capirei tutto se il professore parlasse più lentamente.» [I would understand everything if the teacher spoke more slowly.]
What Is the Difference Between the Second and Third Hypothetical Sentence?
The second hypothetical sentence describes an unlikely but still possible situation in the present or future, and uses imperfect subjunctive + present conditional. The third hypothetical sentence refers instead to a past and irreversible situation, and uses pluperfect subjunctive + past conditional.
Do you want to take Italian lessons with our qualified native teachers? Purchase your Italiano Intensivo package!
The trick helped, but do you want to truly understand when to use it? The article dedicated to when to use and when not to use the subjunctive is just what you need.
Want the lesson PDF with exercises and solutions?
Join the LearnAmo AcademyLoading quiz…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:37 — 16.6MB)
Iscriviti: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podcast Index | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | Altri...
