Italian Present Conditional (Condizionale Presente)

How to Use the Italian Present Conditional

The present conditional (condizionale presente) is used in Italian to talk about something that would happen — if only circumstances allowed it. It’s the equivalent of the English structure “would + verb” when expressing a wish, a possibility, or a polite request.

When to Use the Present Conditional

You’ll often hear the conditional used in situations where the speaker wants to:

• Express what they would do if something were different
• Ask for something politely
• Soften a request or suggestion
• Offer advice in a gentler, more indirect way

In many cases, the Italian conditional works very similarly to the English one.

Examples:

• Viaggerei di più se avessi più tempo libero.
  I would travel more if I had more free time.
• Al posto tuo, cambierei lavoro.
  If I were you, I would change jobs.
• Dovresti studiare di più.
  You should study more.

Italian vs. English: one word vs. two

In English, the conditional is formed with two parts: the auxiliary “would” + the verb.

In Italian, it’s expressed with a single word: the verb itself is conjugated in the conditional mood.

Examples:

• I would do → Farei
• We would travel → Viaggeremmo
• They would go → Andrebbero
• I would be → Sarei

Conjugation of the Present Conditional in Italian

To form the present conditional in Italian, follow these steps:

1. Start from the infinitive (the basic form of the verb).
2. Remove the final “-e” from the infinitive.
3. If it’s an -are verb, change the “a” in the stem to “e”.
4. Add the conditional endings, which are the same for all verb types (-are, -ere, -ire).

Common Mistake with -ARE Verbs

Learners often make a small but common mistake when conjugating first-group (-are) verbs in the conditional mood: they tend to say “lavorarei” instead of the correct form “lavorerei”.

This error happens because it’s tempting to just keep the -are stem and add the ending. But in the conditional mood, -are verbs change the “a” to “e” before adding the endings.

So:

❌ lavorarei
✅ lavorerei

Also, keep in mind that all regular verbs — whether -are, -ere, or -ire — use the same endings in the conditional mood:

-ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero

Once you remember to adjust the stem for -are verbs, everything else follows a regular, predictable pattern.

Irregular Forms of the Present Conditional in Italian

Some verbs in Italian have irregular stems in the present conditional. The endings stay the same, but the root of the verb changes.

Verbs that lose the “-E-” in the stem:

There aren’t many of these verbs, but they are used very frequently, so it’s worth learning them early.

Verbs that form the future and conditional with “-RR-“:

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These verbs have irregular stems that modify the regular endings in the present conditional mood.

Common mistakes 

One of the most frequent errors I observe in my classes is that students automatically translate the simple form “would” using the verb vorrei. However, the translation of vorrei is “I would like,” not “would.” Vorrei is the only conditional form of the verb “volere.”

• Vorrei → I would like
• Vorrei viaggiare → I would like to travel
• Viaggerei → I would travel

Vorrei, Potrei, Dovrei: Modal Verbs in the Present Conditional

Some of the most frequently used verbs in the conditional mood are the modal verbs volere (to want), potere (to be able to), and dovere (to have to / should).

These verbs are often followed by an infinitive, because they are part of a group called modal verbs — verbs that “modify” or accompany another verb.

Conjugation of volere, potere and dovere in the present conditional

Examples with volere

• Vorresti venire a cena domani?
  Would you like to come to dinner tomorrow?
• Vorreste fare un viaggio in Africa con noi?
  Would you like to travel to Africa with us?

Examples with potere

The conditional of potere is especially common in polite requests or when softening a question.

• Potreste ripetere?
  Could you repeat?
• Potresti mandarmi un’email?
  Could you send me an email?

Examples with dovere

The conditional of dovere corresponds to the English “I should,” “you should,” etc., and is used especially when giving advice in a softer or more polite way.

• Dovresti dormire di più.
  You should sleep more.
• Non dovresti mangiare così tanti dolci.
  You shouldn’t eat so many sweets.

The Present Conditional in If Clauses (Periodo Ipotetico)

The present conditional is also commonly used in if-clauses, especially when paired with the imperfect subjunctive.

In these structures, the conditional expresses what would happen, while the subjunctive expresses the condition.

Examples:

• Se avessi più tempo, studierei di più.
  If I had more time, I would study more.
• Se vivessi al mare, ci andrei tutti i giorni.
  If I lived by the sea, I would go there every day.

Dive deeper:

• Italian Past Conditional (Condizionale passato o composto)
• Italian “If Clauses” (Periodo Ipotetico)