The conjunction [che] represents the link between the governing clause and the declarative dependent clause in the subjunctive. Sometimes “che” is not a conjunction, but is a relative pronoun, in this case, “che” will be followed by the indicative, the subjunctive, or the conditional, depending on the value it takes on from time to time.
[Che] has the subjunctive in the following cases:
1. Relative “che”, with final value, equivalent to [affinché, perché, etc.]:
- Chiama il cameriere che (affinché) ti porti il menù.
- Call the waiter to bring you the menu.
- Prega la mamma che venga di sopra!
- Beg your mother to come upstairs!
2. Relative “che”, with consecutive value, equivalent to [così che (cosicché), tale che, fatto in modo tale che, etc]:
- L’ideale per la signora era una baby-sitter che (tale che) si occupasse dei bambini durante la sua assenza.
- The ideal for the lady was a babysitter who (such that) looked after the children during her absence.
- È vantaggioso per la ditta assumere nuovi collaboratori che offrano serie garanzie nel lavoro.
- It is advantageous for the company to hire new collaborators who offer serious guarantees in their work.
3. Relative “che”, with conditional value, equivalent to [se, qualora, etc.]:
- Una grammatica che (se) contenesse anche dei buoni esercizi, sarebbe utilissima per gli studenti.
- A grammar that (if) also contained good exercises would be very useful for students.
- Studenti che (qualora) seguissero con reale interesse le lezioni sarebbero la gioia di molti insegnanti.
- Students who (if) followed the lessons with real interest would be the joy of many teachers.