Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide, Third Edition (2013)

Part B. Functions

IV. Putting in context

38. Expressing a condition or hypothesis

38.1 Introduction

In English you express a condition by using the word ‘if’. Normally, the second half of the sentence expresses what will or would happen if the condition is met, or what would have happened if it had been met. Look at these three examples:

•‘If you are good, I will buy you an ice-cream’ (a genuine possibility)

•‘If we win the Lottery, we will buy a house in Tuscany’ (possible but unlikely)

•‘If you had drunk less wine, you wouldn't have crashed the car’ (event has already occurred, so this is no longer a possibility)

Similarly, in Italian, se ‘if’ can introduce a hypothesis or condition (the periodo ipotetico). Conditional sentences can be split into three categories: real or probable, possible and impossible.

38.2 A condition which is likely to be met (probable or highly possible)

Here the condition is either likely to be met or may even be a reality already. The verb in the se clause is in the indicative (see 2.2.2), using the present, future or past tense, or a combination of tenses, to express certainty or reality. The imperative (see 2.2.21) may also be used. Most of the time, the se clause comes first in the sentence, but it can also come after the ‘result’ clause.

The choice of verbs used depends on the degree of probability, in other words, on how likely it is that the condition will be met. If you are expressing a near-certainty, rather than a condition (in the last example you may already know that your friends are going to Italy in October), you use a verb in the indicative for the se clause, and another indicative, in the appropriate tense, for the ‘result’ clause.

Present + present:

Se c'è qualche problema, mi puoi chiamare sul cellulare.

If there's a problem, you can call me on the mobile phone.

Se piove, entra l'acqua.

If it rains, water gets in.

Present + imperative:

Se decidi di andare via, lasciami la chiave.

If you decide to go away, leave me the key.

Chiudi la porta, se esci.

Shut the door if you go out.

Present + future:

Se c'è un problema, mi potrai chiamare con il cellulare.

If there's a problem, you'll be able to call me on the mobile phone.

Se tu sei intelligente, non avrai difficoltà a imparare l'italiano.

If you're clever, you won't have any trouble learning Italian.

Past + future:

Se l'aereo non ha fatto un ritardo, lui sarà già all'aeroporto.

If the plane hasn't arrived late, he will be at the airport already.

Future + future:

Se voi sarete in Italia ad ottobre, potrete partecipare alla vendemmia.

If you are in Italy in October, you can take part in the grape-picking.

38.3 A condition which is unlikely to be met (improbable)

Where there is little chance of the conditions coming true (for example in the case of the Lottery), the present conditional (see 2.2.12) is used to express what would happen if the condition were met, while the imperfect subjunctive(see 2.2.18) is used in the conditional or se clause, to express the hypothetical nature of the situation or the impossibility of the condition coming true:

Se noi vincessimo la lotteria, compreremmo una seconda casa, magari al mare.

If we were to win the Lottery, we would buy a second home, maybe at the seaside.

Note the use of magari ‘perhaps’ in the example above.

Se io fossi in te, non accetterei quell'incarico.

If I were you, I wouldn't accept that job.

Se avessimo più tempo, potremmo andare a vedere anche il Duomo.

If we had more time, we could go and see the Duomo as well.

The example using two present tenses in 38.2 above can also be expressed with this same combination of imperfect subjunctive and present conditional to imply that there are unlikely to be any problems:

Se ci fosse qualche problema, mi potresti chiamare sul cellulare.

If there were any problem, you could call me on my mobile phone.

38.4 A condition which can no longer be met (impossible)

This type of conditional sentence uses the past conditional (see 2.2.13) to express what could or would have happened if the condition had been met, while the conditional or se clause uses the pluperfect subjunctive (see 2.2.19) to express the condition. Obviously, in the examples below, the moment of opportunity has passed and the condition can no longer be met.

Se il direttore fosse stato più gentile, non avrebbe licenziato il nostro collega in questo modo.

If the manager had been kinder, he wouldn't have sacked our colleague in this way.

Se tu me l'avessi detto, avrei potuto aiutarti.

If you had told me, I could have helped you.

It is also possible to have a combination of present conditional (see 2.2.12) and pluperfect subjunctive (see 2.2.19) to express a condition which can no longer be met:

Se io avessi sposato un inglese, sarei più felice oggi.

If I had married an Englishman, I would be happier today.

In spoken language — rarely in written — the pluperfect subjunctive in the se clause is often replaced by the imperfect indicative (see 2.2.4). Compare the example below with the same sentence expressed more formally above:

Se tu me lo dicevi, avrei potuto aiutarti.

If you had told me, I could have helped you.

The past conditional in the result clause can also be replaced by the imperfect indicative:

Se tu me lo dicevi, ti potevo aiutare.

If you had told me, I could have helped you.

The choice of moods and tenses (pluperfect subjunctive and past conditional, imperfect and past conditional, imperfect and imperfect) depends very much on the register (spoken or written, formal or conversational). The same statement can be expressed in three different ways, depending on the register, all with the same meaning:

Se ti fossi comportata meglio, ti avrebbero invitata alla festa.

Se ti comportavi meglio, ti avrebbero invitato alla festa.

Se ti comportavi meglio, ti invitavano alla festa.

If you had behaved better, they would have invited you to the party.

There is a general tendency for Italian to become less formal and more colloquial, and the imperfect indicative is an easier verb form to use, even for Italians. In forma writing, it is usually preferable to use the first verb combination shown above.

38.5 Expressing conditions with other conjunctions

Apart from se, there are several other conjunctions or phrases that can introduce a condition, such as:

Generally speaking, these phrases are used in the first and second types of conditional sentences (probable, possible), with the subjunctive:

Nel caso che vi perdiate, chiedete informazioni ad un vigile.

If you get lost, ask a traffic warden for information.

Similar in meaning, but followed by a noun rather than a verb, is the prepositional phrase in caso di ‘in case of’:

In caso di incendio, rompete il vetro.

In case of fire, break the glass.

The conjunction qualora is used in a hypothetical clause; its nearest translation in English is ‘if ever’:

Qualora dovesse presentarsi l'occasione, Francesco e Chiara si trasferirebbero a Trieste.

If ever the occasion were to arise, Francesco and Chiara would move to Trieste.

Both a patto che and a condizione che express the more specific meaning ‘on condition that’ and are always used with the subjunctive:

Gli stiro le camicie a patto che lui lavi i piatti.

I iron his shirts on condition that (if) he washes the dishes.

La Madison firmerà il contratto solo a condizione che la commissione venga aumentata del 10%.

Madison will sign the contract only on condition that the commission is increased by 10%.

Purché expresses ‘provided that’:

Mi piace tutti i tipi di musica purché siano originali.

I like all kinds of music provided that they are original.

The phrase anche se ‘even if …’ acts like se; it can express either a possible condition (using the indicative) or an improbable condition (using the subjunctive):

Anche se lui mi dice che va bene, aspetterò la conferma del direttore.

Even if he tells me that it is OK, I will wait for confirmation from the manager.

Anche se mi pagassero diecimila euro al mese, non accetterei il posto.

Even if they paid me ten thousand euros a month, I wouldn't take the position.

38.6 Expressing conditions with gerund, infinitive or participle

Instead of using a conditional or se clause, you can also express a condition by using one of the following verb forms: gerund, infinitive, participle. This is slightly less common than using a se clause. In each case, the subject of the main verb either has to be the subject of the other verb form as well or else has to be explicitly mentioned.

38.6.1 Gerund

With the gerund (present) expressing a condition, a range of tenses is possible in the main clause (see also 2.2.23). There is no need for se since the condition is implied in the gerund:

Andando in macchina, ci metto due ore.

Going by car, it takes me two hours.

(If I go by car it takes me two hours.)

Andando in treno, risparmieresti un'ora.

If you went by train, you would save an hour.

Even when referring to a past context, only the present gerund can be used:

Guidando con più prudenza, non avresti preso la multa.

If you had driven more carefully, you wouldn't have got a fine.

38.6.2 Past participle

The past participle (see 2.2.27) can be used with se to express a condition, as in the example below:

Se elaborato con attenzione, il questionario può essere uno strumento utile.

If designed carefully, the questionnaire can be a useful tool.

It can also be used without se, with the condition implicit in the past participle:

Fatto in modo incompleto, il sondaggio non sarebbe molto valido.

(If) done in an incomplete way, the survey wouldn't be very valid.

38.6.3 Infinitive

The infinitive (see also 2.2.1) used with a can be used to express a condition:

A guardarla bene, sembra più vecchia di lui.

If you look at her closely, she seems older than him.

A reagire in modo eccessivo, rischi di allontanare tuo figlio.

If you over-react, you risk alienating your son.

38.7 Unfinished conditional sentence

Sometimes in English we express a half-finished thought, for example a desire or regret, with the words ‘if … / if only …’ (‘If only I had listened to my teacher …’). A similar construction is possible in Italian, either with imperfect subjunctive or with pluperfect subjunctive. Only the se clause is expressed, while the ‘consequence’ or ‘result’ is left unspoken. In the examples below, we add suggestions for the possible consequence in brackets:

Se si potesse tornare indietro nel tempo … (si potrebbero evitare tanti disastri).

If only one could turn the clock back … (so many disasters could be avoided).

Se l'avessi saputo … (avrei fatto le cose in modo diverso).

If only I had known … (I would have done things differently).

Se mia madre avesse saputo … (mi avrebbe ammazzata).

If my mother had found out … (she would have killed me).

Sometimes se is replaced by magari:

Magari me lo avesse detto …

If he had only told me …

Compare this use of magari with its use in 38.3 above.

Sometimes the half-finished thought is a tentative idea, a suggestion:

Se prendessimo il treno invece di andare in macchina …?

What if we took the train instead of going by car …?

Se gli dicessimo la verità …?

What if we told him the truth …?

38.8 Other uses of se

38.8.1 Contrast

The examples below refer to an action or event that clearly did take place (a fact rather than a hypothesis). In this case the se is not really expressing a condition, but has the contrasting meaning of ‘while’, ‘whereas’:

Se lui parlava molto, sua moglie parlava due volte tanto.

If (‘while’) he spoke a lot, his wife spoke twice as much.

Se nell'Ottocento la gente usava ancora la carrozza, già agli inizi del Novecento si cominciava ad andare in treno.

If (‘while’, ‘whereas’) in the nineteenth century people were still using carriages, already at the beginning of the twentieth century, they were starting to go by train.

38.8.2 Indirect questions

In an indirect question, se does not express a condition but means ‘whether’:

Voleva sapere se noi avevamo visto sua moglie.

He wanted to know if we had seen his wife.

► See also 31.3.