Type 1 “real” conditionals: How to express a condition or hypothesis in Italian?

In Italian, a type 1 conditional (a.k.a. type 1 hypothetical) is a sentence that hypothesizes about the consequences of a situation we think is likely to have been met or is likely to be met in the future, as in “If I earn enough money, I will travel.”

In Italian to express a condition we use the word se(if) + a clauseNo definition set for clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. We call a sentence that uses a structure like this a periodo ipotetico(conditional or hypothetical sentence). Like in English, such sentences have two parts:

• an “if clause,” expressing the condition or hypothesis

• the main clause expressing the consequence

In this post, we’ll do a brief overview of the three types of hypothetical sentences in Italian and then we’ll get into how to form and use the first type: the ones that are real or likely to happen.

“Senza se né ma”(No ifs, ands, or buts). Let’s get started!

In Italian there are three types of hypothetical sentences. Here they are:

As you see in the examples, in Italian, depending on the condition (real, probable, or impossible), the consequence follows the “consecutio temporum” (sequence of tensesNo definition set for tensesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.) i.e. the harmonious sequencing of verbs (tenses and moodsNo definition set for moodsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.)! Just like in a puzzle, all the pieces (verbs) have to fall in the right place to create a beautiful image!

In this article, we’ll show you how to combine verbs to express a periodo ipotetico where the condition is either real (already true) or likely to be realized. Let’s go over how to construct our Type 1 periodo ipotetico!

To form Type 1 real/likely hypotheticals (also known as periodo ipotetico della realtà), you will follow one of the general patterns below:

The table above gives you the general pattern, but the exact combination of tenses you use will depend on exactly what you’re trying to use your conditional for. Though sometimes Italian follows a pattern that’s familiar from English.

How real do you want to keep it? Well, it depends on the condition! If the condition is real or very likely, then the consequence will express a “degree of probability” that it will occur. This degree is indicated by the combination of tenses and moods you use.

Sometimes, Italian follows the same structure as English, but not always, so we need to pay attention to some “combinations” to grasp the nuances.

Let’s see closely some of these “combinations” to express how likely a condition is to be met!

The Italian periodo ipotetico is made of two parts:

• the “if” clause (dependent) indicating the condition, and

• the “main” clause, indicating the consequence.

In Italian there are three types of periodo ipotetico depending if the condition is:

• Real 👈

• Possible/Unlikely

• Impossible

In this post, we looked at Type 1 (Real) Hypotheticals, which are is used to express a condition that is real, or very likely to happen, and follows these combinations:

Ready to practice? Let’s go!