Italian: Expressing Present Wishes with the Congiuntivo Imperfetto
Learn to express present unreal wishes in Italian using 'vorrei' + che + congiuntivo imperfetto, and distinguish them from regrets.
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In Italian, to express a present wish that is unreal or unlikely, you use the construction 'vorrei che' followed by the congiuntivo imperfetto (imperfect subjunctive). This is different from expressing regret about the past, which uses the congiuntivo trapassato (past perfect subjunctive). For example, 'Vorrei che avessi più tempo' means 'I wish I had more time' (but I don't). This lesson will teach you how to form and use this construction to talk about present wishes.
By the end, you can…
- form the congiuntivo imperfetto of regular and common irregular verbs.
- use 'vorrei che' + congiuntivo imperfetto to express present unreal wishes.
- distinguish between present wishes and past regrets in Italian.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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Vorrei che avessi più tempo.
I wish I had more time.
vohr-RAY keh ah-VES-see pyoo TEH-moh
Expresses a present wish that is not true. 'Avessi' is the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'avere'.
Vorrei che fossi più alto.
I wish I were taller.
vohr-RAY keh FOS-see pyoo AHL-toh
Uses 'fossi', the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'essere'. Common for wishes about personal characteristics.
Vorrei che potessi venire alla festa.
I wish I could come to the party.
vohr-RAY keh poh-TES-see veh-NEE-reh ahl-lah FES-tah
Expresses a wish about ability or possibility. 'Potessi' is the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'potere'.
Vorrei che sapessi la verità.
I wish I knew the truth.
vohr-RAY keh sah-PES-see lah veh-ree-TAH
Expresses a wish about knowledge. 'Sapessi' is the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'sapere'.
Vorrei che non dovessi lavorare oggi.
I wish I didn't have to work today.
vohr-RAY keh nohn doh-VES-see lah-voh-RAH-reh OHD-jee
Expresses a wish about obligation. 'Dovessi' is the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'dovere'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern for present unreal wishes is: 'Vorrei che' + subject + congiuntivo imperfetto. The subject after 'che' can be the same as the speaker (io) or different. For example: 'Vorrei che tu fossi qui' (I wish you were here), 'Vorrei che avessimo più soldi' (I wish we had more money). The congiuntivo imperfetto is formed by taking the infinitive, dropping -re, and adding the endings: -ssi, -ssi, -sse, -ssimo, -ste, -ssero. For example, 'avere' becomes 'avessi, avessi, avesse, avessimo, aveste, avessero'. Common irregulars include 'essere' (fossi, fossi, fosse, fossimo, foste, fossero), 'fare' (facessi, facessi, facesse, facessimo, faceste, facessero), 'dare' (dessi, dessi, desse, dessimo, deste, dessero), 'stare' (stessi, stessi, stesse, stessimo, steste, stessero).
When to use it
Use this construction when you want to express a wish about the present that is contrary to reality or unlikely to happen. For example, 'Vorrei che avessi una macchina nuova' means 'I wish I had a new car' (but I don't). It is different from expressing regret about the past, which uses the congiuntivo trapassato: 'Vorrei che avessi avuto più tempo' means 'I wish I had had more time' (but I didn't). Also, note that 'vorrei' is a polite way to say 'I would like'; if you want to be more emphatic, you can use 'desidererei che' or 'mi piacerebbe che', but 'vorrei che' is the most common.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ciao, come stai? Sembri pensieroso.
Hi, how are you? You seem pensive.CHAH-oh, KOH-meh STAH-ee? SEM-bree pen-see-eh-ROH-zohSì, vorrei che avessi più tempo libero per viaggiare.
Yes, I wish I had more free time to travel.see, vohr-RAY keh ah-VES-see pyoo TEHM-poh LEE-beh-roh pehr vyah-JAH-rehCapisco. Anch'io vorrei che potessimo prendere una pausa dal lavoro.
I understand. I also wish we could take a break from work.kah-PEES-koh. ahn-KEE-oh vohr-RAY keh poh-TES-see-moh PREHN-deh-reh OO-nah POW-zah dahl lah-VOH-rohMagari! Ma purtroppo dobbiamo finire questo progetto.
If only! But unfortunately we have to finish this project.mah-GAH-ree! mah poor-TROHP-poh dohb-BYAH-moh fee-NEE-reh KWEHS-toh proh-JEHT-tohA little context goes a long way
In Italian, the congiuntivo imperfetto is also used in hypothetical clauses with 'se' (if), such as 'Se avessi più tempo, viaggerei' (If I had more time, I would travel). This is similar to the English second conditional. However, note that in casual speech, some Italians might use the indicativo imperfetto instead of the congiuntivo, but this is considered less correct in formal contexts. Standard Italian requires the congiuntivo.
One thing to watch for
Using the presente indicativo after 'vorrei che', e.g., 'Vorrei che ho più tempo'.
Try this instead: The correct form requires the congiuntivo imperfetto: 'Vorrei che avessi più tempo'. The subjunctive is mandatory after 'vorrei che' when expressing a wish contrary to reality.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'I wish I could speak Italian fluently' using 'vorrei che'?
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Vorrei che parlassi italiano fluentemente.
This uses the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'parlare' (parlassi) to express a present wish about ability. Alternatively, you could say 'Vorrei poter parlare italiano fluentemente', but the subjunctive construction is more common.
2What is the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'essere' for the 'noi' form?
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Fossimo
The congiuntivo imperfetto of 'essere' is: fossi, fossi, fosse, fossimo, foste, fossero. 'Fossimo' is the first-person plural form.
3Translate: 'I wish you were here with me.'
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Vorrei che tu fossi qui con me.
This uses 'fossi', the congiuntivo imperfetto of 'essere', to express a present unreal wish. The subject after 'che' is 'tu', which is different from the speaker.
To express present unreal wishes in Italian, use 'vorrei che' + congiuntivo imperfetto. Remember that the congiuntivo imperfetto is formed with -ssi endings, and common irregulars include 'essere' (fossi) and 'avere' (avessi). Distinguish this from past regrets, which use the congiuntivo trapassato.
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