🔍 In short. Italian subordinating conjunctions (congiunzioni subordinative) are the words that hang one clause under another: perché, benché, affinché, quando, se, a meno che and the rest. They fall into ten families by meaning (causal, final, temporal, concessive, conditional, consecutive, comparative, modal, exceptive, declarative). The single thing that decides whether the verb goes in the indicative or the subjunctive is usually the conjunction itself: poiché wants the indicative, benché and affinché want the subjunctive, anche se stays indicative. Learn the families and their mood, and complex Italian sentences stop being a guessing game.
Get the italian subordinating conjunctions right and B2 writing opens up: you can build cause, purpose, concession and time without the verb falling apart. By the end you will recognise the ten types, choose the mood from the conjunction, and tell the explicit clause from the implicit one.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- What a subordinating conjunction is
- The ten types at a glance
- The mood question: indicative or subjunctive
- Causal: perché, poiché, siccome
- Final: affinché, perché di scopo
- Concessive: benché, sebbene vs anche se
- Temporal: quando, prima che, dopo che
- Conditional, consecutive, exceptive and the rest
- Explicit vs implicit clauses
- Result or purpose: the così che split
- Cheat sheet: italian subordinating conjunctions
- Common mistakes English speakers make
- Dialog: at the editorial office
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What an italian subordinating conjunction is
A coordinating conjunction (e, ma, o) links two clauses of equal weight. An italian subordinating conjunction does the opposite: it takes one clause and makes it depend on another, marking it as the reason, the purpose, the time, the condition. Pietro è rimasto a casa is a full sentence; perché era stanco cannot stand alone, it hangs under the first clause.
The main clause carries the core fact; the subordinate clause, introduced by one of the italian subordinating conjunctions, adds the relation. Two questions matter for every type: which meaning does the conjunction express, and which mood does it force on its verb. The rest of this guide answers both, family by family.
The ten types of italian subordinating conjunctions at a glance
Grammar books group the italian subordinating conjunctions into ten families by the relation they express. You do not need to label them in conversation, but seeing the map makes the mood rules predictable.
| Type | Conjunctions | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| Causal | perché, poiché, siccome, giacché, dato che | indicative |
| Final (purpose) | affinché, acciocché, perché (= so that) | subjunctive |
| Temporal | quando, mentre, prima che, dopo che, finché, appena | both |
| Concessive | benché, sebbene, nonostante, anche se | subj. (anche se: indic.) |
| Conditional | se, qualora, purché, a condizione che | both |
| Consecutive | così che, tanto che, al punto che | indicative |
| Comparative | come, come se, più di quanto | both |
| Modal | come, nel modo in cui, senza che | both |
| Exceptive | a meno che, tranne che, salvo che, fuorché | subjunctive |
| Declarative | che (= the fact that) | both |
Notice the pattern already: the families that express something hypothetical, willed or not-yet-real (final, concessive, exceptive) lean subjunctive; the ones that state a fact (causal, consecutive) stay indicative. That single intuition resolves most of the italian subordinating conjunctions.
The mood question: indicative or subjunctive
With the italian subordinating conjunctions the mood is usually decided by the conjunction, not by the main verb. This is the opposite of what English speakers expect, and it is the single most useful thing to internalise.
- Always subjunctive: affinché, benché, sebbene, nonostante, a meno che, prima che, senza che, qualora, purché.
- Always indicative: poiché, siccome, giacché, dato che, anche se, dopo che, mentre, così che (result).
- It depends on meaning: perché (cause = indicative, purpose = subjunctive), quando, se, che.
🔍 The reality test. If the clause states a fact that happened or is true, the italian subordinating conjunctions take the indicative. If it states a goal, a concession, a hypothesis or something not (yet) real, they take the subjunctive. Poiché è tardi (it is late, a fact) versus benché sia tardi (granted it is late, a concession). Same idea, different mood, decided by the conjunction.
Causal: perché, poiché, siccome
The causal italian subordinating conjunctions state the reason and take the indicative, because the cause is presented as a fact. Perché is the everyday one and goes after the main clause; poiché, siccome, giacché, dato che are more formal and often open the sentence.
- Pietro ha perso la coincidenza perché il treno era in ritardo.
Pietro missed the connection because the train was late. - Poiché insisteva, Caterina gli disse tutta la verità.
Since he kept insisting, Caterina told him the whole truth. - Siccome la qualità peggiorava, quel locale ha perso clienti.
As the quality was getting worse, that place lost customers.
Among the italian subordinating conjunctions, the causal family is the safe one: indicative, no exceptions, just a register difference between perché and the others.
Final: affinché and perché of purpose
Final clauses express the purpose, the goal someone wants to bring about, so they take the subjunctive. The marked conjunctions are affinché and acciocché; and perché itself also joins this family when it means “in order that”, and then it switches from indicative to subjunctive.
- Caterina ha aperto le finestre affinché l’aria circolasse meglio.
Caterina opened the windows so that the air would circulate better. - Te lo spiego di nuovo perché tu lo capisca bene.
I will explain it again so that you understand it well. (purpose, subjunctive) - Parla lentamente in modo che tutti possano seguire.
Speak slowly so that everyone can follow.
Watch the perché split, the classic trap of the italian subordinating conjunctions: ho aperto la finestra perché faceva caldo (because it was hot, cause, indicative) versus ho aperto la finestra perché entrasse aria (so that air would come in, purpose, subjunctive). The verb mood is what tells the reader which perché you mean.
Concessive: benché, sebbene versus anche se
The concessive italian subordinating conjunctions mean “although, despite the fact that”. The concessive conjunctions benché, sebbene, nonostante (che), per quanto, quantunque, malgrado all take the subjunctive. The one big exception is anche se (“even though”), which keeps the indicative.
- Benché fosse stanca, Elena ha finito il restauro entro sera.
Although she was tired, Elena finished the restoration by evening. - Lo farò, sebbene non ne abbia molta voglia.
I will do it, even though I do not much feel like it. - Anche se piove, andiamo lo stesso al mercato di Lucca.
Even though it is raining, we are going to the Lucca market anyway. (indicative)
This benché-subjunctive versus anche se-indicative split is the most tested contrast among the concessive italian subordinating conjunctions. A useful side note: benché followed by an indicative reads as “but, yet”, a different, looser connector.
Temporal: quando, prima che, dopo che
The temporal italian subordinating conjunctions place the subordinate event in time. Mood depends on the conjunction and the time relation. Prima che always takes the subjunctive (the event has not happened yet); dopo che, quando, mentre, appena take the indicative; finché takes the indicative, often with a pleonastic non.
- Prima che faccia buio, sistemiamo gli attrezzi in officina.
Before it gets dark, let us put the tools away in the workshop. (subjunctive) - Dopo che ebbe firmato il contratto, ritirò le chiavi.
After he had signed the contract, he picked up the keys. (indicative) - Aspetta in biblioteca finché non torno.
Wait in the library until I come back. (indicative, pleonastic non)
The reliable rule inside the temporal italian subordinating conjunctions: only prima che and senza che are systematically subjunctive; the others stay indicative.
Conditional, consecutive, exceptive and the rest
Four more families round out the italian subordinating conjunctions, each with a clear mood signature, and together they complete the map of the italian subordinating conjunctions.
- Conditional. Se follows the if-clause rules; qualora, purché, a condizione che, a patto che take the subjunctive. Verremo, purché non piova.
We will come, provided it does not rain. - Consecutive. così… che, tanto… che, al punto che state a real result, so indicative. Ha studiato così tanto che ha superato l’esame.
He studied so much that he passed the exam. - Exceptive. a meno che, tranne che, salvo che, fuorché take the subjunctive, usually with pleonastic non. Non parto a meno che Caterina non venga.
I will not leave unless Caterina comes. - Comparative and modal. come, come se (subjunctive), più di quanto, nel modo in cui. Si comporta come se fosse il capo.
He behaves as if he were the boss.
The declarative che (“the fact that”) closes the list of italian subordinating conjunctions: its mood follows the governing verb, exactly like the che after credo, penso, è probabile.
Explicit vs implicit clauses
Many of the italian subordinating conjunctions have an implicit twin built with an infinitive instead of a conjugated verb, used when the two clauses share the same subject. This is a structural feature of the italian subordinating conjunctions, not an optional flourish. It is shorter and very common.
- Final, explicit: Ti scrivo affinché tu sappia la verità. Implicit: Ti scrivo per farti sapere la verità.
- Temporal, explicit: Prima che io parta. Implicit: Prima di partire.
- Causal, explicit: Poiché aveva finito. Implicit: Avendo finito (gerund).
Rule of thumb: same subject in both clauses, prefer the implicit infinitive (prima di partire); different subjects, you must use the explicit conjunction plus a finite verb (prima che tu parta). This is where many learners overuse the explicit form and sound heavy.
Result or purpose: the così che split
One more place where the mood, not the conjunction, carries the meaning. The phrases in modo che, in maniera che, così che sit on the border between two families of italian subordinating conjunctions: with the subjunctive they express an intended purpose, with the indicative they express a plain result that simply happened.
- Accese un fuoco così che li vedessero subito.
He lit a fire so that they would see them at once. (purpose, subjunctive: he wanted it) - Accese un fuoco così che li videro subito.
He lit a fire, so that they saw them at once. (result, indicative: it just happened) - Parla piano in modo che tutti capiscano.
Speak softly so that everyone understands. (intended, subjunctive)
This is the consecutive-versus-final overlap in a nutshell: same connector among the italian subordinating conjunctions, subjunctive for “in order that”, indicative for “with the result that”. The causative pair fare che and fare sì che are the exception: they always take the subjunctive, whether the outcome was wanted or accidental, as in il sole ha fatto sì che gli alberi morissero.
Cheat sheet: italian subordinating conjunctions
The whole system on one card. Keep it open while you build complex sentences.
| Family | Key conjunctions | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| Causal | perché, poiché, siccome | indicative |
| Final | affinché, perché (purpose) | subjunctive |
| Concessive | benché, sebbene / anche se | subj. / indic. |
| Temporal | quando, dopo che / prima che | indic. / subj. |
| Conditional | se, purché, qualora | both / subj. |
| Consecutive | così che, tanto che | indicative |
| Exceptive | a meno che, salvo che | subjunctive |
| Comparative | come se, più di quanto | subjunctive |
| Implicit twin | per, prima di, avendo | infinitive / gerund |
Common mistakes English speakers make with italian subordinating conjunctions
- Indicative after benché. ❌ Benché è tardi. ✅ Benché sia tardi. Concessives take the subjunctive.
- Subjunctive after anche se. ❌ Anche se sia tardi. ✅ Anche se è tardi. Anche se is the indicative exception.
- Same mood for both perché. ❌ Te lo dico perché lo sai for purpose. ✅ Te lo dico perché tu lo sappia (so that you know).
- Indicative after prima che. ❌ Prima che parti. ✅ Prima che tu parta.
- Explicit clause with same subject. ❌ Esco prima che io mangi. ✅ Esco prima di mangiare.
For the families that take it, see our guide on the Italian present subjunctive. For the -ché group in detail, Italian -ché conjunctions. For concession specifically, Italian concessive clauses. The institutional reference is the Accademia della Crusca note on the uso del congiuntivo.
🎯 Mini-challenge. Choose the mood the conjunction forces. Read each sentence aloud once.
- Poiché _____ (essere) tardi, Pietro è tornato a casa.
- Te lo ripeto affinché tu lo _____ (capire) bene.
- Benché _____ (piovere), siamo andati a Padova lo stesso.
- Anche se _____ (essere) stanca, Caterina ha finito il lavoro.
- Prima che _____ (fare) buio, rientriamo.
- Non parto a meno che tu non _____ (venire) con me.
Show answers
1. era (causale, indicativo) · 2. capisca (finale, congiuntivo) · 3. piovesse (concessiva, congiuntivo) · 4. era (anche se, indicativo) · 5. faccia (prima che, congiuntivo) · 6. venga (eccettuativa, congiuntivo)
Dialog: at the editorial office
Elena and Pietro close a manuscript at a small publishing office in Lucca. The dialog runs the italian subordinating conjunctions across cause, purpose, concession, time and condition.
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Siccome il refuso è a pagina due, lo correggo subito prima che vada in stampa.
Since the typo is on page two, I will fix it right away before it goes to print.
👨🏽🦱 Pietro: Bene. Rileggi anche la nota, affinché il senso sia chiaro al lettore.
Good. Reread the footnote too, so that the meaning is clear to the reader.
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Benché sia lunga, la lascio: spiega bene il contesto.
Although it is long, I am keeping it: it explains the context well.
👨🏽🦱 Pietro: D’accordo. Anche se il tempo è poco, controlliamo le citazioni una per una.
All right. Even though time is short, let us check the citations one by one.
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Le mando in tipografia dopo che avrò finito la revisione.
I will send them to the printer after I have finished the proofreading.
👨🏽🦱 Pietro: Perfetto, purché il file sia pronto entro venerdì.
Perfect, provided the file is ready by Friday.
👩🏽🦱 Elena: Lo sarà, a meno che non saltino di nuovo le prove di stampa.
It will be, unless the print proofs fall through again.
Count the moods: siccome and dopo che indicative; prima che, affinché, benché, purché, a meno che subjunctive; anche se indicative. One short exchange exercises the whole table of italian subordinating conjunctions.
Test your understanding
A quiz on the italian subordinating conjunctions, the ten types and the mood each one forces, is on its way. For now, redo the mini-challenge from memory and rebuild the cheat-sheet table by hand.
(Quiz coming soon)
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Frequently asked questions
Seven questions about the italian subordinating conjunctions come up in every B2 cohort. The answers draw on classroom usage and on the Accademia della Crusca note on the uso del congiuntivo.
What is a subordinating conjunction in Italian?
It is a word that makes one clause depend on another, marking it as the cause, purpose, time, condition or concession. Perche, poiché, benché, affinché, quando, se, a meno che are all subordinating conjunctions. The clause they introduce cannot stand alone: perché era stanco needs a main clause to lean on.
Which subordinating conjunctions take the subjunctive?
The ones that express purpose, concession, hypothesis or something not yet real: affinché, benché, sebbene, nonostante, a meno che, prima che, senza che, qualora, purché, come se. The ones that state a fact take the indicative: poiché, siccome, dato che, anche se, dopo che, mentre, così che (result).
Why does perché sometimes take the subjunctive?
Because perché has two jobs. As a causal conjunction (because) it takes the indicative: ho aperto la finestra perché faceva caldo. As a final conjunction (so that, in order that) it takes the subjunctive: ho aperto la finestra perché entrasse aria. The verb mood is what tells the reader which perché you mean.
What is the difference between benché and anche se?
Both mean although, but the mood differs. Benche, sebbene, nonostante, quantunque take the subjunctive: benché sia tardi. Anche se takes the indicative: anche se e tardi. This benché-subjunctive versus anche se-indicative split is the most tested concessive contrast.
How many types of subordinating conjunctions are there?
Grammars list ten by meaning: causal, final, temporal, concessive, conditional, consecutive, comparative, modal, exceptive and declarative. You do not label them in speech, but the family predicts the mood: factual families stay indicative, hypothetical or willed families take the subjunctive.
What is the difference between an explicit and an implicit subordinate clause?
An explicit clause uses a conjunction plus a finite verb: prima che tu parta. An implicit clause uses a preposition plus an infinitive or a gerund, when both clauses share the same subject: prima di partire, per farti sapere, avendo finito. Same subject favours the implicit form; different subjects force the explicit one.
Does prima che always take the subjunctive?
Yes. Prima che describes an event that has not happened yet, so it always takes the subjunctive: prima che faccia buio, prima che tu parta. With the same subject, switch to the implicit prima di plus infinitive: prima di partire. The same subjunctive rule covers senza che.
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Related guides
Three guides that pair with the italian subordinating conjunctions, plus an institutional reference.
- Italian Present Subjunctive: the mood half the families force.
- Italian -ché Conjunctions: affinché, purché, benché, poiché in detail.
- Italian Concessive Clauses: benché, sebbene, anche se in depth.
- Accademia della Crusca: uso del congiuntivo: institutional note.
