4.02: Il condizionale presente
- Page ID
- 142718
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)The present conditional
We use the conditional to say what we woulddo or what wouldhappen. It expresses possibility:
Io verrei alla tua festa, ma ho troppo lavoro da fare. [I would come to your party, but I have too much work to do.]
We also use the conditional to request things politely:
Mi aiuteresti, per favore? [Would you help me, please?]
To conjugate the verb according to the subject that performs the action:
-
- drop the final -e of the infinitive;
- for -ARE verbs, change the-a of the infinitive to -e (practically speaking, –are and –ere verbs share the same conjugation);
- add the following endings:
| diventare | prendere | aprire | sentirsi | |
| [io] | diventerei | prenderei | aprirei | mi sentirei |
| [tu] | diventeresti | prenderesti | apriresti | ti sentiresti |
| [lui, lei] | diventerebbe | prenderebbe | aprirebbe | si sentirebbe |
| [noi] | diventeremmo | prenderemmo | apriremmo | ci sentiremmo |
| [voi] | diventereste | prendereste | aprireste | vi sentireste |
| [loro] | diventerebbero | prenderebbero | aprirebbero | si sentirebbero |
Exceptions and particular cases
-
-
- Verbs in -care and -gare add an h so as to keep the same sound, as in cercare: io cerchereiun lavoro lontano da casa.
- Verbs in-ciare and -giare drop the i of the infinitive, as in cominciare: iocomincerei a lavorare il 3 aprile.
- These short verbs in -are do not change the -a to-e: dare → darei; fare → farei; stare → starei.
- There are many irregular verbs:
-
| andare | andrei, andresti… |
| avere | avrei, avresti… |
| bere | berrei, berresti… |
| cadere | cadrei, cadresti… |
| dire | direi, diresti… |
| dovere | dovrei, dovresti… |
| essere | sarei, saresti… |
| * piacere | mi, ti ecc. piacerebbe (piacerebbero) |
| potere | potrei, potresti… |
| rimanere | rimarrei, rimarresti… |
| sapere | saprei, sapresti… |
| tenere | terrei, terresti… |
| vedere | vedrei, vedresti… |
| venire | verrei, verresti… |
| vivere | vivrei, vivresti… |
| volere | vorrei, vorresti… |
We also use the conditional to express advice. Notice that the conditional of dovere → dovrei, dovresti, etc. translates into the English should.
Secondo me, dovresti aggiornare il tuo curriculum. [I think you should update your resume.]
Another way to express advice and points of view is the following, which translates into the English If I were you (or if you were me, etc.)
| al posto mio [in my place] | Al posto mio, lui non lascerebbe questo lavoro. |
| al posto tuo [in your place] | Al posto tuo, io non lascerei questo lavoro. |
| al posto suo [in his/her place] | Al posto suo, non lascerei questo lavoro. |
| al posto nostro [in our place] | Al posto nostro, loro non lascerebbero questo lavoro. |
| al posto vostro [in your place] | Al posto vostro, noi non lasceremmo questo lavoro. |
| al posto loro [in their place] | Al posto loro, io non lascerei questo lavoro. |
Also: al posto di Maria, al posto di mio padre, etc.
Good news: the future tense, which you will soon study, uses the same root forms as the conditional tense, just different endings!