sogniate

Sogniate is the second-person plural present subjunctive form of the Italian verb sognare, meaning “that you dream.” It is used in subordinate clauses that require the subjunctive mood, typically after verbs of desire, doubt, fear, emotion, or in certain connective structures introduced by che. The corresponding present indicative form is sognate, which means “you dream.”

Morphology and related forms: The verb sognare belongs to the regular -are conjugation. In the present indicative, the voi form is sognate (no i). The present subjunctive forms include che voi sogniate, che noi sogniamo, che loro sogniino, and so on. The use of the subjunctive can convey nuance such as uncertainty, possibility, or non-final outcomes.

Etymology: Sognare derives from Latin somniare, rooted in somnium meaning “dream.” The development of the Italian verb reflects typical Romance-era patterns for forming the verb stem and subjunctive endings.

Usage notes: In everyday speech, the subjunctive mood in Italian is becoming less frequent, and speakers sometimes substitute the indicative or other constructions. However, sogniate remains standard in formal writing and in contexts requiring the subjunctive after verbs of emotion, volition, or doubt, or in subordinate clauses with che.

Examples:

- Spero che voi sogniate un futuro migliore. (I hope that you dream of a better future.)

- Voi sognate spesso di partire, ma potete davvero farlo? (You dream often of leaving, but can you really go?)

See also: Sognare, Italian grammar, subjunctive mood.