{"id":70572,"date":"2022-08-11T16:40:33","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T20:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/italian-moods\/"},"modified":"2024-10-18T06:29:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T10:29:41","slug":"italian-moods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/italian\/italian-moods\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Moods: The Complete Lesson"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Italian, a mood is the form of a verb<\/a> that shows how it is expressed<\/b>, not just when the action happened.<\/p>\n

In English, for example, there are four moods: indicative, imperative, subjunctive, and infinitive<\/b>. In Italian, there are seven<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Although this abundance of moods is sometimes considered to be one of the trickier parts of learning Italian grammar<\/a>, this guide will give you a good feel for when to use each one.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

What Are Italian Moods?<\/h2>\n

Italian moods work together<\/b> with verb tenses<\/strong> to add a shade of meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They tell you the manner in which the verb is being used or how<\/b> the verb is meant to be understood, not just its place in time.<\/p>\n

For this reason, moods and tenses are often combined.<\/p>\n

How Are Italian Moods Different From Verb Tenses?<\/b><\/h2>\n

On the surface, Italian moods seem very similar to verb tenses. In fact, many Italian language professors teach moods as just an extension of tenses.<\/p>\n

Some native Italians (like my husband) didn\u2019t even know there was a distinct word for them in English!<\/p>\n

Here are the biggest differences between moods and tenses:<\/p>\n

When vs. How<\/h3>\n

Verb tenses tell you when<\/b> in time an action occurred. \u201cLui <\/i>\u00e8<\/i><\/b> al cinema<\/i>,\u201d for example, means he is at the cinema right now. This is the presente<\/i> (present) tense. <\/p>\n

Moods, on the other hand, tell you how the speaker feels about what he or she is saying, or how certain they are about it. <\/p>\n

For example, the congiuntivo<\/i> (subjunctive) mood’s \u201cCredo che lui <\/i>sia<\/i><\/b> al cinema<\/i>\u201d means \u201cI believe he is at the cinema,\u201d but implies that the speaker is not totally sure.<\/p>\n

Moods let you talk about an action’s position in reality<\/h3>\n

That sounds kind of trippy, but to put it simply, moods tell you whether something is really happening or not. <\/p>\n

\u201cSpero che domani vada<\/strong><\/i>\u00a0meglio”<\/i> means \u201cI hope tomorrow is better,\u201d but it isn\u2019t a guarantee. It is a hope, dream, possibility, opinion, or wish expressed with the congiuntivo<\/i>. <\/p>\n

But, if I say \u201cDomani <\/i>andr\u00e0<\/i><\/b> meglio<\/i>\u201d in the indicativo<\/i> (indicative) mood, I am certain that \u201cTomorrow will be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moods have an element of feeling to them
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

As the word \u201cmood\u201d implies, moods can also reflect the feelings of a speaker. <\/p>\n

With the imperativo<\/i> (imperative) mood, for instance, you are giving an order in an authoritative or sometimes angry way. E.g. \u201cDammi<\/i><\/b> quella matita\u201d<\/i> (“Give me that pencil”).<\/p>\n

As opposed to the less intense condizionale<\/i> (conditional) version: \u201cPotresti darmi<\/i><\/b> quella matita, per favore?<\/i>\u201d (“Could you give me that pencil, please?”).<\/p>\n

Moods allow you to speak in the hypothetical
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

The condizionale<\/i> can also help you to express something entirely hypothetical. <\/p>\n

It is usually an instance of cause and effect, where the speaker means \u201cif this condition were met, this other thing would happen.\u201d <\/p>\n

For instance: \u201cSe tu <\/i>fossi<\/i><\/b> stato qui, mi avresti aiutato<\/strong><\/i>\u201d (“If you had been here, you would have helped me”).<\/p>\n

The 7 Italian Moods And How to Tell Them Apart<\/h2>\n

There are seven Italian moods in total, and they are broken down into two groups: finite and indefinite.<\/p>\n

Modi finiti<\/i><\/strong> (finite moods)<\/strong> are moods in which the verb form tells you who is doing the action. They are conjugated based on the person and the number of people the speaker is talking about. There are four of them, and each one branches off to include one or more verb tenses.<\/p>\n

Modi indefiniti<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 (indefinite moods)<\/strong>, on the other hand, don\u2019t have a defined subject so they don’t tell you who is doing the action.<\/p>\n

Let’s take a deeper look at both types so you can see what I mean.<\/p>\n

The Finite Moods<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. indicativo<\/i> (indicative)<\/h4>\n

The indicativo<\/i> is the most commonly used mood.<\/p>\n

It is used to describe things that happen in reality, and can be used with almost all present, past, and future tenses.<\/p>\n

Here are some example conjugations for three regular present tense verbs, one for each of the main verb groups (-are<\/i>, -ere<\/i>, and -ire<\/i>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
<\/td>parlare<\/em> - to speak<\/strong><\/th>leggere<\/em> - to read<\/strong><\/th>dormire<\/em> - to sleep<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
io<\/em><\/td>parlo<\/strong><\/em><\/td>leggo<\/strong><\/em><\/td>dormo<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tu<\/em><\/td>parli<\/strong><\/em><\/td>leggi<\/strong><\/em><\/td>dormi<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lui\/lei\/Lei<\/em><\/td>parla<\/strong><\/em><\/td>legge<\/em><\/td>dorme<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
noi<\/em><\/td>parliamo<\/strong><\/em><\/td>leggiamo<\/strong><\/em><\/td>dormiamo<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
voi<\/em><\/td>parlate<\/strong><\/em><\/td>leggete<\/strong><\/em><\/td>dormite<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
loro<\/em><\/td>parlano<\/strong><\/em><\/td>leggono<\/strong><\/em><\/td>dormono<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parlano <\/i><\/b>italiano a casa<\/i>. \u2014 They speak Italian at home.<\/p>\n

Leggo<\/i><\/b> un libro ogni mese<\/i>.<\/i> \u2014 I read a book every month.<\/p>\n

La domenica, <\/i>dormiamo<\/i><\/b> fino a tardi.<\/i> \u2014 On Sundays, we sleep late.<\/p>\n

You can also use the indicativo<\/i> mood in the following tenses:<\/p>\n