auspicare che / scongiurare che + Subjunctive
Formal Verbs of Hope Requiring the Subjunctive (Auspicare Che)
Auspicare and scongiurare are sophisticated alternatives to 'sperare' (to hope) and 'evitare' (to avoid). Auspicare is common in formal and journalistic contexts, while scongiurare is used to prevent negative events or, in a more dramatic/literary sense, to beg someone intensely. Both typically require the congiuntivo.
How It Works
1. Auspicare che:
Used to express a formal wish or hope. It is a transitive verb. In the present subjunctive, it requires an 'h' to maintain the hard 'c' sound: che noi auspichiamo.
- Auspichiamo che l'accordo sia firmato. (We hope the agreement is signed.)
2. Scongiurare:
This verb has two distinct registers and constructions:
- Prevention (Formal/Journalistic): To prevent something bad from happening. It uses che + congiuntivo. Scongiurare che i prezzi aumentino. (To prevent prices from rising.)
- Supplication (Literary/Emphatic): To beg or implore. In modern Italian, this is standardly followed by di + infinito rather than the subjunctive. Ti scongiuro di restare. (I beg you to stay.)
3. Cultural Note:
The noun scongiuro refers to an act to ward off bad luck. The common idiom fare gli scongiuri is the Italian equivalent of 'touching wood' or 'crossing one's fingers' to prevent a jinx.
Examples (5)
- Il Governo auspica che la ripresa economica sia duratura.
The Government hopes that the economic recovery will be lasting.
Word by Word: The Government hopes that the recovery economic be lasting.
In this formal political context, 'auspica' triggers the subjunctive 'sia'.
- Le autorità sono intervenute per scongiurare che la protesta degenerasse.
The authorities intervened to prevent the protest from degenerating.
Word by Word: The authorities are intervened for to-prevent that the protest degenerated.
Here 'scongiurare' is used in its formal sense of preventing a negative outcome, triggering the imperfect subjunctive.
- Ti scongiuro di non lasciarmi solo in questo momento!
I beg you not to leave me alone at this moment!
Word by Word: Thee I-implore of not to-leave-me alone in this moment!
When 'scongiurare' means 'to beg', modern Italian prefers the 'di + infinitive' construction over the subjunctive.
- Auspichiamo che il nuovo progetto porti i risultati sperati.
We hope that the new project brings the hoped-for results.
Word by Word: We-hope that the new project brings the results hoped.
Note the 'h' in 'auspichiamo' to maintain the hard 'c' sound of the root verb 'auspicare'.
- Non si sa mai, meglio fare gli scongiuri!
You never know, better touch wood!
Word by Word: Not itself knows never, better to-do the warding-offs!
This uses the common idiomatic expression 'fare gli scongiuri' to ward off bad luck.
Common Mistakes
Using the reflexive 'mi auspico' instead of the transitive 'auspico'.
Mi auspico che tutto vada bene.Auspico che tutto vada bene.Many speakers use 'mi auspico' by analogy with 'mi auguro', but in formal Italian, 'auspicare' is strictly transitive and does not take a reflexive pronoun.
Using the indicative mood after these verbs.
Auspico che il tempo è bello.Auspico che il tempo sia bello.Because these verbs express a wish or hope, they must be followed by the subjunctive mood, not the indicative.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn this pattern, you must first be comfortable with the formation of the present subjunctive. You also need to understand the general rule that verbs expressing a wish or a strong desire (like 'auspicare' and 'scongiurare') require the subjunctive in the dependent clause. Finally, because these specific verbs are used in formal or literary contexts, familiarity with formal Italian registers is necessary.
- Verbs/Expressions Triggering the Subjunctive
Understanding that certain verbs of emotion, will, or hope trigger the subjunctive is fundamental to using 'auspicare' and 'scongiurare' correctly.
Level 3 - Lei / tuFormal vs. Informal Register (Lei vs. Tu)
Since 'auspicare' and 'scongiurare' are high-register, formal verbs, the learner needs to understand the context of formal Italian to use them appropriately.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- Present Subjunctive
The primary mood used after 'auspicare' and 'scongiurare' in present-tense contexts.
Level 3 - Bureaucratic Register (Overview)
The formal context in which these specific verbs are most frequently encountered.
Level 5 - Sequence of Tenses with the Subjunctive
The rules governing which subjunctive tense to use based on the main verb's tense.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice auspicare che / scongiurare che + Subjunctive in Bubblegum
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