The condizionale passato (past conditional, also called condizionale composto) is the Italian “would have”: what you would have done, could have done or should have done, but didn’t. It’s the tense of regrets, missed chances and “if only.”
In short
- Form: conditional of avere or essere + past participle: avrei fatto, sarei andato/a.
- With essere, the participle agrees with the subject: lei sarebbe andata.
- Use it for unreal past situations (Se avessi avuto tempo, sarei venuta), should have / could have (avrei dovuto, avrei potuto) and wishes (mi sarebbe piaciuto).
- It’s also the Italian future in the past: Ha detto che sarebbe venuto. (He said he would come.)
How to form the past conditional
- Choose the auxiliary: avere for most verbs (mangiare, leggere, fare), essere for verbs of motion and change, and reflexive verbs (andare, partire, arrivare, alzarsi). It’s the same auxiliary the verb takes in the passato prossimo.
- Put the auxiliary in the present conditional: avrei, avresti… or sarei, saresti….
- Add the past participle. With essere, make it agree in gender and number with the subject.
| With avere (mangiare) | With essere (andare) | |
|---|---|---|
| io | avrei mangiato | sarei andato/a |
| tu | avresti mangiato | saresti andato/a |
| lui / lei / Lei | avrebbe mangiato | sarebbe andato/a |
| noi | avremmo mangiato | saremmo andati/e |
| voi | avreste mangiato | sareste andati/e |
| loro | avrebbero mangiato | sarebbero andati/e |
Essere and avere themselves: sarei stato/a (I would have been), avrei avuto (I would have had).
Present vs past conditional
| Infinitive | Present conditional | Past conditional |
|---|---|---|
| mangiare | mangerei (I would eat) | avrei mangiato (I would have eaten) |
| fare | farei (I would do) | avrei fatto (I would have done) |
| andare | andrei (I would go) | sarei andato/a (I would have gone) |
| dovere | dovrei (I should) | avrei dovuto (I should have) |
| potere | potrei (I could) | avrei potuto (I could have) |
| volere | vorrei (I would like) | avrei voluto (I would have liked) |
When to use the past conditional
1. Unreal situations in the past
What would have happened if things had been different. It often comes with an if clause in the congiuntivo trapassato:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Se avessi avuto più tempo, sarei andata in palestra. | If I had had more time, I would have gone to the gym. |
| Se avessi avuto più soldi, mi sarei iscritta a un’università migliore. | If I had had more money, I would have enrolled in a better university. |
2. Should have, could have, would have liked
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Avrei dovuto studiare di più. | I should have studied more. |
| Avrei potuto chiamarlo. | I could have called him. |
| Avrei voluto viaggiare di più. | I would have liked to travel more. |
More on “should have” in how to say should and should have in Italian.
3. Wishes and regrets
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Mi sarebbe piaciuto studiare l’arabo. | I would have liked to study Arabic. |
| Mi sarebbe piaciuto uscire con te. | I would have loved to go out with you. |
4. The future in the past
This is where Italian and English differ most. To say what someone said, thought or hoped would happen, English uses “would” + verb, but Italian uses the past conditional:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Anna ha detto che mi avrebbe chiamato. | Anna said she would call me. |
| Mi ha scritto che non sarebbe venuta. | She texted me that she wouldn’t come. |
| Non pensavamo che sarebbe arrivato primo. | We didn’t think he would come in first. |
The mistake English speakers make
- ❌ Ha detto che mi chiamerebbe.
- ✅ Ha detto che mi avrebbe chiamato.
After a past verb like ha detto, pensavo, speravo, the future is expressed with the condizionale passato.
Practice
Bonus exercise: put the verb in the past conditional.
- Ieri ______ (io, venire) alla festa, ma ero malata.
- Al tuo posto, ______ (io, accettare) quel lavoro.
- Marco ha detto che ______ (lui, arrivare) alle otto.
- ______ (noi, dovere) prenotare prima!
- Mi ______ (piacere) vedere quel film.
Show the answers
- sarei venuta / sarei venuto
- avrei accettato
- sarebbe arrivato
- Avremmo dovuto
- sarebbe piaciuto
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the past conditional in Italian?
Use the present conditional of avere or essere + the past participle: avrei mangiato, sarei andato/a. With essere, the participle agrees with the subject.
When do you use the condizionale passato?
For what would have happened but didn’t (sarei venuta), for should have / could have (avrei dovuto, avrei potuto), for wishes (mi sarebbe piaciuto) and for the future in the past (ha detto che sarebbe venuto).
How do you say “he said he would come” in Italian?
Ha detto che sarebbe venuto. After a past verb, Italian uses the past conditional, not the present one.
What is the difference between vorrei and avrei voluto?
Vorrei means “I would like” (now). Avrei voluto means “I would have liked” (in the past, but it didn’t happen).
Practice with my stories
My intermediate stories are full of regrets, missed trains and “if only”: the perfect place to see the condizionale passato in context. Here are three to try:
Cioccolato, Amore e Torino
Level B1+
Marie’s journey continues in Turin, between love, creativity and chocolate.
7 Romance Short Stories in Italian
Level B1/B2
Seven stories about love and everyday life, full of natural conversations.
Read more: Italian present conditional · the Italian if clause (periodo ipotetico) · should and should have
