Italian hypotheticals come in three types based on how likely the condition is — real, possible, or impossible/unreal. Each type pairs a specific 'if' tense with a specific 'then' tense.
- Real: Se piove, resto a casa. (present + present)
- Possible: Se avessi tempo, viaggerei. (congiuntivo imperfetto + conditional)
- Unreal/past: Se avessi studiato, avrei passato l'esame. (congiuntivo trapassato + conditional past)
Se avessi più soldi, comprerei una casa in Italia.
This is the 'possible' type — plausible but not currently true. It's the most common one in everyday conversation.
Vocabulary in this lesson
se
if
Se posso, vengo.
vorrei
I would like
Vorrei visitare Napoli.
se avessi tempo
if I had time
Se avessi tempo, ti aiuterei.
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