funzionino

Funzionino is the present-subjunctive third-person plural form of the Italian verb funzionare, meaning “that they function.” It is used in subordinate clauses after verbs and expressions that express desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, possibility, or unreality, particularly when the clause depends on a conjunction such as che. In everyday speech the present-subjunctive is sometimes avoided, but in formal writing and careful speech it remains a standard feature of Italian grammar.

Morphology and usage

The verb funzionare belongs to the first conjugation. In the present-subjunctive, the forms are: io funzioni, tu funzioni, lui/lei funzioni, noi funzioniamo, voi funzioniate, loro functionino. Note that the noi form funzioniamo is identical to the indicative form for this subject, while the voi form differs (subjunctive: funzioniate; indicative: funzionate). The word funzionino appears in phrases such as “Spero che funzionino” (I hope that they function) or “È necessario che funzionino” (It is necessary that they function). The mood is used after verbs of hoping, fearing, believing, doubting, or after impersonal expressions that require the subjunctive.

Semantic nuances

Funzionino signals a non-assertive, hypothetical, or contingent situation rather than a stated fact. It helps distinguish level of certainty and obligation in clauses. In informal speech, speakers may replace the subjunctive with the indicative, but in formal Italian the correct subjunctive form fonzionino is preferred.

See also

Italian grammar; Subjunctive mood; Verbs of funzionare; Conjugation patterns in Italian.