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Italian volere Conjugation
“to want” · 想要 · all seven simple tenses plus the past participle
Present tenseio voglio · tu vuoi · lui / lei vuole · noi vogliamo · voi volete · loro vogliono
Volere ("to want") is the verb you ask with, and its conditional vorrei is the politest form in Italian everyday conversation: vorrei un caffè, vorrei prenotare una camera. The present is irregular in the singular: voglio, vuoi, vuole, vogliamo, volete, vogliono.
Below are the complete volere tables for all seven simple tenses, the imperfect used to soften requests, and the separate construction volerci.
Present indicativeIndicativo presente
States what is true or happening now, plus habits and general facts.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | voglio |
| tu | vuoi |
| lui / lei | vuole |
| noi | vogliamo |
| voi | volete |
| loro | vogliono |
Example:Studio italiano ogni giorno.
I study Italian every day.
ImperfectIndicativo imperfetto
Describes past background, ongoing states, and repeated behaviour.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | volevo |
| tu | volevi |
| lui / lei | voleva |
| noi | volevamo |
| voi | volevate |
| loro | volevano |
Example:Da piccolo giocavo qui.
I used to play here as a child.
Historic pastIndicativo passato remoto
Narrates a past event seen as complete, mainly in writing; spoken usage varies by region.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | volli |
| tu | volesti |
| lui / lei | volle |
| noi | volemmo |
| voi | voleste |
| loro | vollero |
Example:Dante nacque nel 1265.
Dante was born in 1265.
FutureIndicativo futuro semplice
Refers to the future, and can also express a guess about the present.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | vorrò |
| tu | vorrai |
| lui / lei | vorrà |
| noi | vorremo |
| voi | vorrete |
| loro | vorranno |
Example:Domani partirò presto.
Tomorrow I will leave early.
ConditionalCondizionale presente
Used for polite requests and wishes, and for what would happen under a condition.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | vorrei |
| tu | vorresti |
| lui / lei | vorrebbe |
| noi | vorremmo |
| voi | vorreste |
| loro | vorrebbero |
Example:Vorrei un caffè.
I would like a coffee.
Present subjunctiveCongiuntivo presente
Common in clauses after certain verbs and conjunctions to express wishes, judgements and doubts; use depends on the construction.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | voglia |
| tu | voglia |
| lui / lei | voglia |
| noi | vogliamo |
| voi | vogliate |
| loro | vogliano |
Example:Spero che tu stia bene.
I hope you are well.
Imperfect subjunctiveCongiuntivo imperfetto
Follows some past main clauses, and appears in hypothetical conditions.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | volessi |
| tu | volessi |
| lui / lei | volesse |
| noi | volessimo |
| voi | voleste |
| loro | volessero |
Example:Se avessi tempo, leggerei di più.
If I had time, I would read more.
Past participle Participio passato
- masculine singular
- voluto
- feminine singular
- voluta
- masculine plural
- voluti
- feminine plural
- volute
Auxiliary: As a modal, volere builds its compound tenses with the auxiliary of the verb that follows: ho voluto restare.
How it is used
Vorrei and volevo: two ways to be polite
Vorrei plus a noun or an infinitive is I would like and is always safe. Italians also soften with the imperfect: volevo chiederti una cosa (I wanted to ask you something), even though the wanting is happening now. The bare Voglio is blunt, and the flat intonation of vorrei is what makes Italian service talk sound courteous.
Volerci: what it takes
Add ci and volere becomes a different construction: ci vuole pazienza (it takes patience), ci vogliono due ore (it takes two hours), quanto ci vuole? (how long does it take?). The verb agrees with the thing needed: ci vuole singular, ci vogliono plural.
Where learners slip
It is voglio, never *volio. The future contracts to vor- (vorrò, vorrai, vorrà) and the conditional to vorreb- (vorrei, vorrebbe), the historic past is volli, volle, vollero, and the subjunctive returns to voglia: che io voglia. Voler bene is a separate construction of affection: ti voglio bene.
Questions learners ask
What does vorrei mean?
I would like — the conditional of volere, and the standard polite request form in shops and cafés: vorrei il conto, vorrei un biglietto.
How do I say "I want to go"?
Voglio andare. Volere takes the following infinitive with no preposition, and the compound past follows that verb's auxiliary: ho voluto venire.
Ti voglio bene or ti amo?
Ti voglio bene goes to family, children and friends. Ti amo is romantic. Because the first is constant in Italian households, learners often over-read it as a declaration.
Is volere irregular?
In the present (voglio, vuoi, vuole, vogliono), in the subjunctive (voglia) and in the historic past (volli, vollero). The imperfect is regular: volevo, volevi, voleva.
中文说明
volere：想要 · 作为情态动词时，助动词常取决于后面的动词，不能只按 volere 判断。
- 直陈式现在时 · Indicativo presente
- 直陈式未完成过去时 · Indicativo imperfetto
- 直陈式远过去时 · Indicativo passato remoto
- 直陈式简单将来时 · Indicativo futuro semplice
- 条件式现在时 · Condizionale presente
- 虚拟式现在时 · Congiuntivo presente
- 虚拟式未完成过去时 · Congiuntivo imperfetto
Practise volere
Present indicative · io
Practise in the order io, tu, lui / lei, noi, voi, loro, then move on to the next tense.
Put the forms back into sentences
Meet the same verb in real contexts with the grammar notes and the graded reading material.
Italian grammarMore Italian study material