Italian All-in-One For Dummies (163 page)

Here's an example, using a
-unque
word, that illustrates that the clause position doesn't matter:

Dovunque tu vada, ti amerò.
(
Wherever you go, I shall love you.
)

Ti amerò, dovunque tu vada.
(
I shall love you, wherever you go.
)

Vi telefoneremo, a condizione che [voi] ce lo ricordiate.
(
We will call you, provided that you remind us
.)

A condizione che [voi] ce lo ricordiate, vi telefoneremo.
(
Provided that you remind us, we will call you
.)

Prima che si noti il disastro, voglio pulire tutto.
(
Before the disaster is evident, I want to clean everything.
)

Voglio pulire tutto prima che si noti il disastro.
(
I want to clean everything, before the disaster is evident.
)

Table 6-4 Common Conjunctions

Table 6-5 Common -unque Words

Checking out a few other uses of the present subjunctive

You should acknowledge a few less common but still important uses of the subjunctive, such as the following:

In a relative clause (a clause introduced by a relative pronoun):

il/la/i/le più
+ adjective +
che
+ subjunctive:

Mary
è
la donna più gentile che io
conosca
.
(
Mary is the nicest woman that I know.
)

il/la/i/le meno
+ adjective +
che
+ subjunctive:

Questo
sarà
l'esercizio meno difficile che
facciate
.
(
This is going to be the least difficult exercise that you do.
)

With the adjectives
unico/a/i che
(
only
),
solo/a/i/e
(
only
),
ultimo/a/i/e
(
last
),
and
primo/a/i/e
(
first
):

Laura
è
l'unica donna che
capisca
Francesco.
(
Laura is the only woman who understands Francesco.
)

With a negative expression, such as
niente
(
nothing
) or
nessuno
(
no one
):

Non
c'è
niente che io
ti
possa
fare
.
(
There's nothing that I can do for you.
)

Non
c'è
nessuno che
parli
cinese in questo aereo?
(
Isn't there anyone who speaks Chinese on this plane?
)

In exclamations and blessings:

Che Dio
ti
benedica
!
(
May God bless you!
)

Dio
ci
guardi
!
(
Lord help us!
)

Che
ti
possa
venire
un colpo!
(
May you be struck by lightning!
)

Understanding the Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is a construction that tries to hide in subordinate or dependent clauses. It lets all the terms that require the subjunctive make the introductions (
I was hoping that
you
/
he
/
she
/
we
/
they
. . . ;
we were wishing that
. . . ;
I would like that you
. . . — the imperfect subjunctive would follow the ellipsis in each case). The main caveat of the imperfect subjunctive? The verb in the main clause has to be in the conditional or imperfect (in most cases).

The following sections help you get a feel for the imperfect subjunctive by comparing it to the present subjunctive. Here, you find out when to use the imperfect subjunctive, how to conjugate it and form sentences around it, and how to incorporate irregular verbs into the mix.

It's a very good idea to get comfortable with the present indicative, the present subjunctive and the terms that require it, the conditional tense, and the imperfect tense before you go any further in this chapter. Respectively, see
Chapter 1
in Book IV, the preceding sections in this chapter,
Chapter 5
in Book IV, and
Chapter 1
in Book V.

Conjugating the imperfect subjunctive

Before you can jump into forming sentences with the imperfect subjunctive, you first have to find out how to conjugate it. The first, second, and third person singular and plural conjugations for
-are, -ere,
and
-ire
verbs look very similar:

-are
endings:
-assi, -assi, -asse, -assimo, -aste, -assero

-ere
endings:
-essi, -essi, -esse, -essimo, -este, -essero