soffrisse

Soffrisse is an Italian verb form, specifically the third-person singular imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto) of the verb soffrire, which means to suffer. It is used in dependent clauses that express doubt, possibility, emotion, or hypothetical situations.

In standard Italian, soffrisse appears in contexts introduced by conjunctions such as se (if) or in relative clauses that require the subjunctive mood. It denotes a non-real or hypothetical state in the past or in a general conditional sense. Because the imperfect subjunctive is more common in formal writing and literature, soffrisse is typically heard less in everyday speech, where other constructions may be preferred.

The imperfect subjunctive of soffrire has several forms across persons: io soffrissi, tu soffrissi, lui/lei soffrisse, noi soffrissimo, voi soffriste, loro soffrissero. Soffrisse corresponds to the third-person singular, while the other forms cover the remaining subject pronouns. The form is often encountered in classical or carefully composed prose and in historical or regional texts.

Usage notes: while soffrisse serves as a precise grammatical marker of mood and tense, modern Italian often favors alternative expressions to convey conditional meaning, especially in spoken language. Writers seeking a formal or traditional tone may employ the congiuntivo imperfetto, including soffrisse, to reflect nuance in hypothetical or emotionally charged statements.