How can I construct the 'periodo ipotetico'?
The periodo ipotetico is a construct in Italian that is useful to express hypothetical actions, following the "if...then..." structure. There are three different periodi ipotetici: della realtà, describing real situations that do happen, della possibilità, descirbing possible situations that might happen e dell'irrealtà, describing situations, that can only be imagined and cannot actually happen (often things that happened in the past and cannot be changed).
They are made of two parts: the "if" part, called protasi, and the "then" part, called apodosi.
Depending on which kind of situation is described, different tenses have to be used:
1) della realtà: SE + indicativo; (then) indicativo/imperativo
"Se piove, prendo l'ombrello"
"Se piove, copriti!"
2) della possibilità: SE + congiuntivo imperfetto, (then) condizionale presente
"Se avessi un fidanzato, sarei felice"
3) dell'irrealtà: SE + congiuntivo trapassato, (then) condizionale passato
"Se Marta fosse stata attenta, non sarebbe caduta"
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