Assistano

Assistano is the third person plural present subjunctive form of the Italian verb assistere. It is used in subordinate clauses that require the subjunctive mood, typically after verbs, adjectives, or expressions that convey possibility, doubt, necessity, or desirability. The verb assistere has two common senses in Italian: to attend (such as attending a meeting or event) and to help or support someone. The form assistano appears regardless of these senses, with the meaning determined by the surrounding context.

Morphology and usage notes: assistano follows the standard present subjunctive endings for -ere verbs, with the stem assist- plus the ending -ano for loro. It is most commonly seen after expressions like è importante che, è necessario che, è possibile che, spero che, e dubito che. In formal or careful writing, its use helps distinguish a hypothetical or non-factual statement from a straightforward indicative one.

Examples:

- È importante che essi assistano al congresso. (It is important that they attend the congress.)

- Non è certo che i medici assistano efficacemente i pazienti. (It is not certain that the doctors assist the patients effectively.)

In modern speech, some speakers may use the indicative or other moods in informal contexts, but assistano remains the normative form in standard Italian for subjunctive clauses with loro. See also congiuntivo presente, assistere.