preghi

Preghi is the present subjunctive form of the Italian verb pregare, meaning to pray or to beg. It is used in subordinate clauses after verbs or expressions that express doubt, desire, necessity, emotion, or possibility, and it appears in formal or literary contexts as part of the subjunctive mood.

In terms of conjugation, the present subjunctive forms of pregare include: che io preghi, che tu preghi, che lui/lei preghi, che noi preghiamo, che voi preghiate, che loro preghino. The form preghi specifically corresponds to the second person singular (tu) and the third person singular (lui/lei) in this mood. In everyday speech the subjunctive is often replaced by the indicative, but it remains standard in careful writing and in expressions that require a non-factual or hypothetical nuance.

Etymology and relation to related words: pregare derives from Latin precāre, meaning to entreat or beg. The noun preghiera means prayer, and both terms share a common root related to asking earnestly or making a request.

Usage notes: The verb can convey religious prayer or a secular sense of begging or earnest pleading, depending on context. Examples of the present subjunctive include: È importante che tu preghi per la salute di tutti. Speravo che lui preghi di più in futuro. In formal Italian, preghi and other subjunctive forms help express doubt, conjecture, desire, or obligation.

See also: pregare; preghiera.