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32 / Webster’s New World 575+ Italian Verbs

• Verbs expressing opinion, belief: avere l’impressione (to have the
impression), credere (to believe), immaginare/immaginarsi (to immagine),
pensare (to think), supporre (to suppose).
• Verbs expressing doubt, uncertainty: dubitare (to doubt), chiedersi/
domandarsi (to wonder), non essere sicuro (to not be sure), non sapere (to
not know), non capire (to not understand).
• Verbs expressing emotions: augurarsi (to hope), avere paura (to be afraid),
dispiacere (to be sorry), essere contento/felice (to be glad/happy), non vedere
l’ora (to look forward), piacere (to like), preferire (to prefer), preoccuparsi (to
be worried), sperare (to hope), temere (to fear).
• Verbs expressing will or desire: chiedere (to require), desiderare (to wish),
esigere (to require), impedire (to prevent), insistere (to insist), lasciare (to
let, to allow), ordinare (to order), pregare (to beg), pretendere (to demand),
proibire (to prohibit), proporre (to propose), suggerire (to suggest), vietare (to
forbid), volere (to want).
• Verbs indicating expectations: aspettare (to wait), aspettarsi (to expect),
attendere (to wait).

The subjunctive is used only when the main clause and the subordinate clause
have two different subjects. An infinitive is used if there is no change of subject.
The preposition di is often required before the infinitive (see the Appendix of Verbs
Used with Prepositions for a listing of the verbs that require a preposition before
the infinitive).
Spero di arrivare presto. I hope to arrive soon.
Spero che Luisa arrivi presto. I hope Luisa arrives soon.

Impersonal verbs and expressions

Impersonal expressions are expressions with no specific subject: for example, “It
is important that. . . .” In Italian the subjunctive is used after certain impersonal
expressions of necessity, possibility, probability, and opinion that indicates the
speaker’s attitude.
Here is a list of impersonal expressions requiring the subjunctive:
(è un) peccato che it is a pity that
bisogna che it is necessary that
è (im)possibile che it is (im)possible that
è bene che it is good that
è giusto che it is right that
è importante che it is important that
è necessario che it is necessary that
è probabile/improbabile che it is (im)probable that
è difficile che it is unlikely that
è facile che it is probable that
è incredibile che it is incredible that
è l’ora che it is time that
è meglio che it is better that
è strano che it is strange that