A Comprehensive Guide to Conjugating the Italian Verb "Volere" with Example Sentences
May 22nd, 2023 - Vera
The Italian verb “volere,” meaning “to want,” is a powerful and versatile verb that expresses desires, preferences, and intentions. Mastering the conjugation of “volere” is essential for expressing your wishes, making requests, and stating intentions in the Italian language. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the conjugation of “volere” in detail, accompanied by example sentences to illustrate its usage in context.
Present Tense Conjugation
In the present tense, “volere” follows a regular conjugation pattern. Let’s examine the conjugation for each person:
| Person |
Conjugation |
| Io (I) |
voglio |
| Tu (you) |
vuoi |
| Egli/Ella (he/she) |
vuole |
| Noi (we) |
vogliamo |
| Voi (you all) |
volete |
| Essi/Esse (they) |
vogliono |
Example sentences:
- Io voglio mangiare una pizza per cena. (I want to eat pizza for dinner.)
- Tu vuoi andare al cinema stasera? (Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?)
- Lei vuole imparare a suonare il pianoforte. (She wants to learn to play the piano.)
- Noi vogliamo fare una passeggiata in montagna. (We want to go for a walk in the mountains.)
- Voi volete prenotare un tavolo al ristorante. (You all want to book a table at the restaurant.)
- Loro vogliono viaggiare in giro per il mondo. (They want to travel around the world.)
Imperfect Tense Conjugation
In the imperfect tense, used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, “volere” follows a regular conjugation pattern:
| Person |
Conjugation |
| Io (I) |
volevo |
| Tu (you) |
volevi |
| Egli/Ella (he/she) |
voleva |
| Noi (we) |
volevamo |
| Voi (you all) |
volevate |
| Essi/Esse (they) |
volevano |
Example sentences:
- Quando ero bambino, volevo diventare un astronauta. (When I was a child, I wanted to become an astronaut.)
- Tu volevi sempre il gelato come dessert. (You always wanted ice cream for dessert.)
- Lei voleva visitare tutti i musei della città. (She wanted to visit all the museums in the city.)
- Noi volevamo giocare a calcio ogni pomeriggio. (We wanted to play soccer every afternoon.)
- Voi volevate leggere tutti i libri della biblioteca. (You all wanted to read all the books in the library.)
- Loro volevano festeggiare il compleanno al parco. (They wanted to celebrate the birthday at the park.)
Future Tense Conjugation
In the future tense, used to express actions that will happen in the future, “volere” follows a regular conjugation pattern:
| Person |
Conjugation |
| Io (I) |
vorrò |
| Tu (you) |
vorrai |
| Egli/Ella (he/she) |
vorrà |
| Noi (we) |
vorremo |
| Voi (you all) |
vorrete |
| Essi/Esse (they) |
vorranno |
Example sentences:
- Domani vorrò fare una passeggiata in riva al mare. (Tomorrow I will want to take a walk by the seaside.)
- Tu vorrai imparare una nuova lingua. (You will want to learn a new language.)
- Lei vorrà viaggiare per tutto il mondo. (She will want to travel all around the world.)
- Noi vorremo festeggiare il compleanno al ristorante. (We will want to celebrate the birthday at the restaurant.)
- Voi vorrete comprare una casa nuova. (You all will want to buy a new house.)
- Loro vorranno partecipare al concorso di danza. (They will want to participate in the dance competition.)
Conditional Tense Conjugation
In the conditional tense, used to express actions that would occur under certain conditions, “volere” follows a regular conjugation pattern:
| Person |
Conjugation |
| Io (I) |
vorrei |
| Tu (you) |
vorresti |
| Egli/Ella (he/she) |
vorrebbe |
| Noi (we) |
vorremmo |
| Voi (you all) |
vorreste |
| Essi/Esse (they) |
vorrebbero |
Example sentences:
- Se avessi tempo, vorrei imparare a suonare la chitarra. (If I had time, I would want to learn to play the guitar.)
- Tu vorresti fare una vacanza al mare. (You would want to have a beach vacation.)
- Se lei avesse più soldi, vorrebbe comprare una macchina nuova. (If she had more money, she would want to buy a new car.)
- Noi vorremmo viaggiare in tutto il mondo se avessimo la possibilità. (We would want to travel all around the world if we had the opportunity.)
- Voi vorreste provare un nuovo ristorante per cena. (You all would want to try a new restaurant for dinner.)
- Loro vorrebbero avere più tempo libero per dedicarsi ai propri hobby. (They would want to have more free time to dedicate to their hobbies.)
Subjunctive Mood Conjugation
In the subjunctive mood, used to express doubts, wishes, or hypothetical situations, “volere” follows a regular conjugation pattern:
| Person |
Conjugation |
| Io (I) |
voglia |
| Tu (you) |
voglia |
| Egli/Ella (he/she) |
voglia |
| Noi (we) |
vogliamo |
| Voi (you all) |
vogliate |
| Essi/Esse (they) |
vogliano |
Example sentences:
- È importante che io voglia imparare sempre qualcosa di nuovo. (It is important that I want to always learn something new.)
- Vorrei che tu voglia realizzare i tuoi sogni. (I wish that you want to fulfill your dreams.)
- Se fosse possibile, lei vorrebbe che lui voglia accompagnarla. (If it were possible, she would want him to want to accompany her.)
- È necessario che noi vogliamo fare del nostro meglio. (It is necessary that we want to do our best.)
- È meglio che voi vogliate ascoltare i consigli degli esperti. (It is better that you all want to listen to the experts’ advice.)
- Non penso che loro vogliano accettare l’offerta. (I don’t think they want to accept the offer.)
Conclusion
Mastering the conjugation of the verb “volere” is essential for expressing desires, preferences, and intentions in Italian. By familiarizing yourself with the conjugation forms and studying example sentences, you will develop a strong foundation for effective communication. Remember to practice regularly to internalize these conjugations and enhance your fluency in Italian. Buon lavoro! (Good work!)
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