{"id":9216,"date":"2015-05-20T18:13:38","date_gmt":"2015-05-20T16:13:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=9216"},"modified":"2019-05-26T00:26:16","modified_gmt":"2019-05-25T22:26:16","slug":"back-to-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/back-to-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Back To The Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Expressing the future in the past is an aspect of Italian grammar that causes perennial consternation amongst students. But what exactly does \u2018the future in the past\u2019 mean?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Amber:<\/a>

Amber: “Pensavo che il cuscino di Geoff sarebbe stato molto comodo …. ma cos\u00ec sto veramente da Dio!”<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

The future in the past (il condizionale passato<\/strong>)<\/em> is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would happen in the future.
\nFor example, the phrase <\/span>\u201cYou said you would\u00a0bring<\/span> that book today\u201d translates into Italian as \u201cMi hai detto che oggi avresti portato<\/span> quel libro\u201d<\/strong>.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In this example we can see that the English present conditional ‘you would bring’ becomes the Italian past conditional \u2018avresti portato\u2019<\/strong> (you would have brought). <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few more examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey said that the restaurant would open<\/span> at seven thirty\u201d = \u201cHanno detto che il ristorante avrebbe aperto<\/span> alle sette e trenta\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cI thought it would be<\/span> hotter today\u201d = \u201cpensavo che sarebbe stato<\/span> pi\u00f9 caldo oggi\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cMarco told Luca that he\u2019d get <\/span>there later this evening\u201d = \u201cMarco ha detto a Luca che sarebbe arrivato<\/span> pi\u00f9 tardi stasera\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\""Ho<\/a>

“Ho detto che avrei aiutato Geoff con il blog … ma cos\u00ec si sta troppo comodi!”<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Now let\u2019s look at a slightly different example: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u00a0would have told\u00a0him<\/span>, but he didn’t give me a chance\u201d =\u00a0\u201cglielo avrei detto<\/span>, ma non mi ha dato l\u2019opportunit\u00e0\u201d<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here we can see that\u00a0the translation is more straightforward because it closely follows the original: \u2018I\u00a0would have told\u00a0him\u2019 = \u2018glielo avrei detto\u2019<\/strong> (literally: \u2018to him I would have told it\u2019)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few more examples that use the same construction:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe would have gone<\/span> to La Spezia but it was too late\u201d = \u201cSaremmo andati<\/span> a La Spezia, ma era troppo tardi\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cI thought you would have finished<\/span> by now\u201d = \u201cPensavo che ormai avresti finito<\/span>\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe journey\u00a0would have been<\/span> quicker but there was a lot of traffic\u201d = \u201cIl viaggio sarebbe stato<\/span> pi\u00f9 veloce ma c\u2019era tanto traffico\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

N.B. In colloquial Italian the imperfect tense (l’imperfetto) is often used to express the future in the past, e.g.: <\/em>
\n“I knew that you’d come” = “sapevo che venivi”<\/strong> instead of the more grammatically correct “sapevo che saresti venuto\/a”<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\""...<\/a>

“… per\u00f2, anche qui dentro la custodia del laptop non si sta male!”<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Now it\u2019s your turn. Try filling in the missing words in the Italian translations below.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maria told me that she would go<\/span> to Sarzana today
\nMaria mi ha detto che<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u> <\/span>a Sarzana oggi<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I asked Marco when he would come back<\/span> from Sicily
\nho chiesto a Marco quando\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u> <\/span>dalla Sicilia<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I thought this cold would only last<\/span> a few days
\npensavo che questo raffreddore \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u> <\/span>solo qualche giorno<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Lucia would have eaten<\/span> more, but didn\u2019t want to appear greedy
\nLucia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u> <\/span>di pi\u00f9, ma non voleva sembrare golosa<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Questions, confusion? Please leave a comment.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Expressing the future in the past is an aspect of Italian grammar that causes perennial consternation amongst students. But what exactly does \u2018the future in the past\u2019 mean? The future in the past (il condizionale passato) is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would happen in the future. For…<\/p>\n

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