{"id":17797,"date":"2016-11-02T01:23:57","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T16:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=17797"},"modified":"2026-04-21T21:45:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:45:16","slug":"italian-subordinating-conjunctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-subordinating-conjunctions\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Subordinating Conjunctions: All 10 Types With Examples and Mood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>In short: Italian subordinating conjunctions are the glue words that link a dependent clause to a main clause. There are ten functional families (causal, final, concessive, temporal, conditional, and more), and each family tells you which mood to use. Get the mood right and the rest of the sentence falls into place. This guide maps all italian subordinating conjunctions to the mood they trigger.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p17797-toc-wrap\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-p17797-toc-title gb-headline-text\">What you will find here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#what\">What subordinating conjunctions do and why mood matters<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#causali\">Causali: perch\u00e9, siccome, dato che, visto che<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#finali\">Finali: affinch\u00e9, perch\u00e9, in modo che<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#concessive\">Concessive: sebbene, bench\u00e9, anche se<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#limitative\">Limitative: a meno che, tranne, salvo che<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#interrogative\">Interrogative indirette: se, come, quando, perch\u00e9<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#temporali\">Temporali: quando, mentre, appena, prima che, finch\u00e9<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#consecutive\">Consecutive: cos\u00ec che, talmente che, a tal punto che<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#comparative\">Comparative and modali: come se, pi\u00f9 di quanto<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#condizionali\">Condizionali: se, purch\u00e9, qualora, a patto che<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#dialog\">A short dialog: planning a sabbatical<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#cheatsheet\">Mood cheat sheet and common traps<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#challenge\">Mini challenge: pick the right conjunction<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what\">What subordinating conjunctions do and why mood matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Coordinating conjunctions (<em>e, ma, o<\/em>) link two equal clauses. Subordinating conjunctions are different: they introduce a clause that depends on a main clause and cannot stand alone. Compare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Coordinating:<\/strong> Non mangio e non bevo. (I am not eating and I am not drinking.)<\/li><li><strong>Subordinating:<\/strong> Non mangio <strong>perch\u00e9<\/strong> non ho fame. (I am not eating because I am not hungry.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the part English speakers miss about italian subordinating conjunctions: in Italian, the conjunction dictates the mood of the verb that follows. Some conjunctions take the indicative, some take the subjunctive, a few take the conditional. If you learn conjunctions in functional families, the mood pattern becomes predictable rather than random.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"causali\">Causali: perch\u00e9, siccome, dato che, visto che<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first family of italian subordinating conjunctions is the causali. They state a reason and all take the <strong>indicative<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Non sono andato in ufficio <strong>perch\u00e9<\/strong> ho la febbre. (I did not go to the office because I have a fever.)<\/li><li><strong>Siccome<\/strong> ti sei comportato male, niente Play Station. (Since you misbehaved, no Play Station.)<\/li><li><strong>Dato che<\/strong> sono vegetariano, non compro la carne. (Given that I am a vegetarian, I do not buy meat.)<\/li><li><strong>Visto che<\/strong> la macchina funziona, non ne compriamo una nuova. (Seeing as the car works, we are not buying a new one.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Trap to watch:<\/strong> the word <em>perch\u00e9<\/em> can also be a final conjunction (see below). When it states a cause, the verb stays in the indicative. When it states a goal, the verb jumps to the subjunctive. Same word, different mood, different meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"finali\">Finali: affinch\u00e9, perch\u00e9, in modo che<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The finali are the italian subordinating conjunctions that introduce a purpose or objective. They take the <strong>subjunctive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Giorgio lavora giorno e notte <strong>affinch\u00e9<\/strong> sua figlia <strong>possa<\/strong> studiare. (Giorgio works day and night so that his daughter can study.)<\/li><li>Abbiamo fatto una riunione <strong>perch\u00e9<\/strong> tutti <strong>riescano<\/strong> a capire. (We had a meeting so that everyone understands.)<\/li><li>Ho comprato due biglietti <strong>in modo che<\/strong> <strong>possiamo<\/strong> andare insieme. (I bought two tickets so that we can go together.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you see <em>perch\u00e9<\/em> followed by a subjunctive (<em>possa, riesca, sia<\/em>), it is final, not causal. The mood is your signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"concessive\">Concessive: sebbene, bench\u00e9, anche se<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Concessive clauses are the italian subordinating conjunctions that describe an obstacle or counterpoint that does not block the main action. Most take the subjunctive; <em>anche se<\/em> takes the indicative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Vado al lavoro a piedi <strong>nonostante<\/strong> <strong>faccia<\/strong> freddo. (I walk to work even though it is cold.)<\/li><li>Voglio andare in Giappone <strong>sebbene<\/strong> il viaggio <strong>sia<\/strong> lungo. (I want to go to Japan even though the trip is long.)<\/li><li>Mi sveglier\u00f2 presto <strong>anche se<\/strong> non <strong>voglio<\/strong>. (I will get up early even if I do not want to.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the concessive family has its own quirks (and an important mood split), we wrote a dedicated guide. See <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-concessive-clauses-sebbene-benche-anche-se\/\">Italian Concessive Clauses: Sebbene, Bench\u00e9, Nonostante and Anche Se Explained<\/a> for the full picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"limitative\">Limitative: a meno che, tranne, salvo che<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Limitative italian subordinating conjunctions introduce an exception or limitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Amo fare sport, <strong>tranne<\/strong> giocare a calcio. (I love sports, except playing football.)<\/li><li>Non andr\u00f2 al supermercato <strong>salvo che<\/strong> mia madre me lo <strong>chieda<\/strong>. (I will not go to the supermarket unless my mother asks me to.)<\/li><li>Mi piacerebbe vedere un film <strong>a meno che<\/strong> tu non <strong>preferisca<\/strong> il teatro. (I would like to see a film unless you prefer the theatre.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice the <em>non<\/em> after <em>a meno che<\/em>: it is pleonastic. It does not negate. Italian keeps it in formal writing and drops it often in speech. If you want the full tour of this &#8220;fake negation&#8221;, read <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-pleonastic-non\/\">Italian Pleonastic Non: Finch\u00e9, A Meno Che, Non Appena Explained<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"interrogative\">Interrogative indirette: se, come, quando, perch\u00e9<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These italian subordinating conjunctions let you embed a question inside another sentence. No question mark, and the verb stays in the indicative in most everyday contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Dimmi <strong>se<\/strong> hai bisogno di aiuto. (Tell me if you need help.)<\/li><li>Vogliamo sapere <strong>come<\/strong> ti guadagni da vivere. (We want to know how you make a living.)<\/li><li>Ti chiedo <strong>quando<\/strong> mi restituirai il prestito. (I am asking when you will pay me back.)<\/li><li>A volte mi chiedo <strong>perch\u00e9<\/strong> sono cos\u00ec ingenuo. (Sometimes I wonder why I am so naive.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In formal or literary Italian, an indirect question after a verb of asking can take the subjunctive: <em>Mi chiese se fosse vero<\/em>. In spoken Italian, the indicative is the default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"temporali\">Temporali: quando, mentre, appena, prima che, finch\u00e9<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Temporal italian subordinating conjunctions tell you when the subordinate action happens relative to the main one. Mood choice depends on the specific conjunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Quando<\/strong> ho incontrato Luigi, aveva i capelli lunghi. (When I met Luigi, he had long hair.) <\/li><li>Non mi disturbare <strong>mentre<\/strong> studio. (Do not bother me while I study.) <\/li><li>Mi hai chiamato <strong>appena<\/strong> sono uscito dalla doccia. (You called me as soon as I got out of the shower.) <\/li><li><strong>Prima che<\/strong> <strong>sia<\/strong> troppo tardi, cambia idea. (Before it is too late, change your mind.) <\/li><li><strong>Finch\u00e9<\/strong> vivi in questa casa, fai quello che dico io. (As long as you live in this house, you do what I say.) <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The temporal family also contains <em>finch\u00e9 non<\/em>, <em>non appena<\/em> and <em>per poco non<\/em>. Their &#8220;non&#8221; looks like a negation but is not. Again, see the <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-pleonastic-non\/\">pleonastic non guide<\/a> for the reasoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"consecutive\">Consecutive: cos\u00ec che, talmente che, a tal punto che<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Consecutive italian subordinating conjunctions introduce a consequence. They take the indicative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Ero <strong>cos\u00ec<\/strong> stanco <strong>che<\/strong> mi sono addormentato subito. (I was so tired that I fell asleep at once.)<\/li><li>Faceva caldo <strong>a tal punto che<\/strong> una donna \u00e8 svenuta. (It was so hot that a woman fainted.)<\/li><li>Ama <strong>talmente<\/strong> sua moglie <strong>che<\/strong> le regala dei fiori ogni giorno. (He loves his wife so much that he gives her flowers every day.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"comparative\">Comparative and modali: come se, pi\u00f9 di quanto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Comparative and modal italian subordinating conjunctions are a small but important family. They tend to take the subjunctive because they describe something hypothetical or uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Gridava <strong>come se<\/strong> <strong>fosse<\/strong> impazzito. (He was shouting as if he had gone mad.)<\/li><li>\u00c8 pi\u00f9 difficile <strong>di quanto<\/strong> <strong>sembri<\/strong>. (It is harder than it looks.)<\/li><li>Siamo usciti <strong>senza che<\/strong> nessuno <strong>se ne accorgesse<\/strong>. (We left without anyone noticing.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"condizionali\">Condizionali: se, purch\u00e9, qualora, a patto che<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Conditional italian subordinating conjunctions set a condition on the main clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Ti dir\u00f2 tutto <strong>se<\/strong> mi prometti di non raccontarlo. (I will tell you everything if you promise not to tell.) <\/li><li>Prenoter\u00f2 quella stanza <strong>purch\u00e9<\/strong> <strong>abbia<\/strong> la vasca. (I will book that room provided that it has a bathtub.) <\/li><li><strong>Qualora<\/strong> <strong>abbiate<\/strong> bisogno, fatemi sapere. (In case you need anything, let me know.) <\/li><li>Ti vender\u00f2 la macchina <strong>a patto che<\/strong> tu la <strong>paghi<\/strong> subito. (I will sell you the car on condition that you pay now.) <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Se<\/em> is special: it takes the indicative in a real condition (<em>se piove, resto a casa<\/em>) but shifts to the imperfect subjunctive + conditional in a hypothetical (<em>se piovesse, resterei a casa<\/em>). That is the Italian <em>periodo ipotetico<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p17797-dialog-wrap\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dialog\">A short dialog: planning a sabbatical<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Giulia and Marco, two colleagues, sit at a Milan caf\u00e9. Giulia is considering a six-month sabbatical.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Sto pensando di prendermi sei mesi <strong>dato che<\/strong> il lavoro mi sta esaurendo.<br><em>I am thinking of taking six months off, given that work is burning me out.<\/em> <\/li><li>\ud83d\udc68 <strong>Marco:<\/strong> E dove andresti? <strong>Purch\u00e9<\/strong> il piano <strong>sia<\/strong> chiaro, il capo ti dir\u00e0 di s\u00ec.<br><em>And where would you go? As long as the plan is clear, the boss will say yes.<\/em> <\/li><li>\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Viaggerei in Sud America <strong>affinch\u00e9<\/strong> i miei figli <strong>imparino<\/strong> lo spagnolo.<br><em>I would travel to South America so that my kids learn Spanish.<\/em> <\/li><li>\ud83d\udc68 <strong>Marco:<\/strong> <strong>Sebbene<\/strong> <strong>sia<\/strong> un bel progetto, lo stipendio ti mancher\u00e0.<br><em>Although it is a nice plan, you will miss the salary.<\/em> <\/li><li>\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Lo so. <strong>A meno che<\/strong> non <strong>trovi<\/strong> qualcosa da remoto.<br><em>I know. Unless I find something remote.<\/em> <\/li><li>\ud83d\udc68 <strong>Marco:<\/strong> Beh, fammi sapere <strong>appena<\/strong> decidi. Ti d\u00f2 una mano.<br><em>Well, let me know as soon as you decide. I will help.<\/em> <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Six italian subordinating conjunctions, six different families, in a natural coffee-break conversation. That is how Italians actually use them: mixed, layered, with the mood doing the heavy lifting.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p17797-cheat-wrap\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheatsheet\">\ud83d\udccc Mood cheat sheet and common traps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Always indicative:<\/strong> perch\u00e9 (causal), siccome, dato che, visto che, quando, mentre, appena, dopo che, anche se, cos\u00ec che, talmente che<\/li><li><strong>Always subjunctive:<\/strong> affinch\u00e9, perch\u00e9 (final), bench\u00e9, sebbene, nonostante, malgrado, prima che, senza che, purch\u00e9, qualora, a patto che, a meno che<\/li><li><strong>Either:<\/strong> se (indicative in real condition, subjunctive in hypothetical), dopo che (rare subjunctive in literary register)<\/li><li><strong>Biggest trap:<\/strong> perch\u00e9 is causal with the indicative, final with the subjunctive. Check the verb to tell them apart.<\/li><li><strong>Second biggest trap:<\/strong> anche se takes the indicative even though sebbene and bench\u00e9 (same meaning) take the subjunctive.<\/li><li><strong>Third trap:<\/strong> the &#8220;non&#8221; after a meno che, finch\u00e9, non appena and prima che is pleonastic. It does not negate.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"challenge\">&#x1F3AF; Mini challenge: pick the right conjunction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #dddddd;border-radius:20px;padding:25px;\">\n<p>Fill in the blank with the right subordinating conjunction. Answers below.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Studio italiano _____ voglio lavorare a Roma. (causal)<\/li>\n<li>Ti aspetto _____ (tu) non arrivi. (as long as you have not arrived)<\/li>\n<li>_____ piovesse, resteremmo a casa. (hypothetical)<\/li>\n<li>Parla piano _____ tutti capiscano. (so that)<\/li>\n<li>Non esco _____ faccia freddo. (even though)<\/li>\n<li>Fammelo sapere _____ decidi. (as soon as)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details><summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<ol>\n<li>perch\u00e9 (causal, indicative)<\/li>\n<li>finch\u00e9 (temporal, with pleonastic non)<\/li>\n<li>Se (hypothetical)<\/li>\n<li>affinch\u00e9 \/ perch\u00e9 (final, subjunctive)<\/li>\n<li>anche se \/ sebbene \/ nonostante (concessive)<\/li>\n<li>appena \/ non appena (temporal)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p17797-qc-wrap\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<div class=\"gb-grid-wrapper gb-grid-wrapper-p17797-qc-grid\">\n<div class=\"gb-grid-column gb-grid-column-p17797-qc-left\"><div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p17797-qc-left\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-p17797-qc-title gb-headline-text\">Quattro<br>Chiacchiere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-medium-font-size\" style=\"color:#597e4d\"><strong>Conversazione italiana su Zoom<\/strong><br>Livello B2 &#8211; C1<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/4-chiacchiere-donne.webp\" alt=\"Quattro Chiacchiere Italian course on Zoom\" class=\"wp-image-50464\" style=\"width:200px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/4-chiacchiere-donne.webp 300w, https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/4-chiacchiere-donne-150x150.webp 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-grid-column gb-grid-column-p17797-qc-right\"><div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p17797-qc-right\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Vuoi finalmente <em>parlare<\/em> italiano?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Quattro Chiacchiere &egrave; il nostro corso di conversazione in piccolo gruppo su Zoom. Lezioni tematiche, insegnante madrelingua, tanto spazio per parlare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Lezioni live su Zoom, insegnante madrelingua<\/li><li>Classi piccole, massimo 4 studenti<\/li><li>Temi di attualit&agrave;, cultura, film, libri<\/li><li>Conversazione, non grammatica<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p17797-qc-btn-wrap\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-p17797-qc-btn gb-button-text\" href=\"\/eng\/quattro-chiacchiere-intro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scopri di pi&ugrave;<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For deeper dives, see our dedicated guides on <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-concessive-clauses-sebbene-benche-anche-se\/\">concessive clauses<\/a> and the <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-pleonastic-non\/\">pleonastic non<\/a> that shows up in <em>a meno che<\/em>, <em>finch\u00e9<\/em> and <em>non appena<\/em>. For an authoritative reference on the classification of Italian conjunctions, see the entry on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/congiunzioni_%28Enciclopedia-dell%27Italiano%29\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Treccani<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-sub-q1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does perch\u00e9 always take the indicative?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No. Perch\u00e9 takes the indicative when it states a cause (Non mangio perch\u00e9 non ho fame, I am not eating because I am not hungry) and the subjunctive when it states a purpose (Parlo piano perch\u00e9 tu capisca, I speak slowly so that you understand). The mood of the verb is your signal.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-sub-q2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the difference between anche se and sebbene?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>They translate the same way (even though, although) but they select different moods. Anche se takes the indicative (anche se piove, even if it rains). Sebbene, bench\u00e9, nonostante and malgrado take the subjunctive (sebbene piova). Meaning identical, grammar different.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-sub-q3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">When does se trigger the subjunctive?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Se takes the indicative in a real or likely condition (se piove, resto a casa). It shifts to the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive in a hypothetical or counterfactual condition (se piovesse, resterei a casa, if it were raining I would stay home). That is the periodo ipotetico of the second or third type.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-sub-q4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Are subordinating conjunctions the same as relative pronouns?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No. A relative pronoun (che, cui, il quale) refers back to a noun and introduces a relative clause (il libro che leggo, the book I am reading). A subordinating conjunction links a dependent clause to a main clause without referring to a specific noun (Leggo perch\u00e9 mi piace, I read because I like it). Different roles.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-sub-q5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Do subordinating conjunctions ever drop in speech?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Some compound conjunctions simplify in speech. Dato che becomes dato, visto che becomes visto, and the pleonastic non after a meno che or prima che is often dropped in casual conversation. Formal writing keeps the full form.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-sub-q6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I pick between quando and mentre?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Quando marks a point in time (quando \u00e8 arrivato, when he arrived). Mentre marks a duration or simultaneous action (mentre studio, while I am studying). If two actions overlap in time, use mentre. If one action happens at a specific moment, use quando.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-sub-q7\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why does dopo che often pair a trapassato prossimo with a passato prossimo?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Because Italian marks the order of past actions with tense, not with word order alone. After dopo che, the earlier action uses the trapassato prossimo (era partito, had left), and the later main action uses the passato prossimo (ho chiuso, I closed). English collapses both into a simple past (after he left, I closed), but Italian keeps the two layers visible. Dopo che itself stays in the indicative.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In short: Italian subordinating conjunctions are the glue words that link a dependent clause to a main clause. There are ten functional families (causal, final, concessive, temporal, conditional, and more), and each family tells you which mood to use. Get the mood right and the rest of the sentence falls into place. This guide maps &#8230; <a title=\"Italian Subordinating Conjunctions: All 10 Types With Examples and Mood\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-subordinating-conjunctions\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Italian Subordinating Conjunctions: All 10 Types With Examples and Mood\">Read more \u226b<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1194,1147,1144,1141,1201,1192,1190,1206,1204,931,1205,1142,1200,1196,1145,1197,1198,1140,1202,1193,1139,1195,1203,1191],"class_list":["post-17797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lingua","tag-a-meno-che","tag-anche-se","tag-ancorche","tag-benche","tag-come-se","tag-eccetto-che","tag-fuorche","tag-laddove","tag-malgrado-che","tag-mentre","tag-nel-modo-che","tag-nonostante-che","tag-ome","tag-per-quanta","tag-per-quanto","tag-per-quello-che","tag-quando","tag-quantunque","tag-quasi","tag-salvo-che","tag-sebbene","tag-senza-che","tag-seppure","tag-tranne-che","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17797"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59426,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17797\/revisions\/59426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}