{"id":3723,"date":"2020-07-27T20:17:38","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T20:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=3723"},"modified":"2020-07-27T20:17:40","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T20:17:40","slug":"italian-volere-conjugation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/italian-volere-conjugation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say What You Want in Italian: the \u201cVolere\u201d Conjugation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Volere<\/em> is one of those essential Italian verbs that you\u2019ll use on an everyday basis. It means \u201cto want\u201d and its use is similar to the English counterpart.<\/p>\n

The volere<\/em> conjugation does not follow the regular patterns of the Italian verbs ending in -ere,<\/em> and thus you need to study it separately. Learning how to properly conjugate this verb will be extremely useful in your daily conversations with native speakers.<\/p>\n

Volere<\/em> Conjugation in the Indicative Present Tense<\/h2>\n

In the indicative present tense, volere adds a \u201cg\u201d in the verb root for the first person (singular and plural) and for the third-person plural.<\/p>\n

It looks like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Presente<\/strong><\/td>\nPresent tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
io voglio<\/td>\nI want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tu vuoi<\/td>\nyou want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lui\/lei vuole<\/td>\nhe\/she wants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
noi vogliamo<\/td>\nwe want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
voi volete<\/td>\nyou want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
loro vogliono<\/td>\nthey want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
    \n
  • Non voglio<\/strong> andare a cena in quel ristorante.
    \nI don\u2019t want to have dinner in that restaurant.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • Vuoi<\/strong> dell\u2019acqua?
      \nDo you want some water?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Pay attention to the use of the indicative present of volere<\/strong> when you want to ask for something. In fact, Italian people consider it impolite to use this tense to ask for something, whether you are in a shop or you\u2019re invited for dinner at your friend\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

      It is best to replace it with the conditional tense instead, similarly to English. For instance:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Vuoi<\/strong> qualcosa da bere?
        \nDo you want something to drink?<\/em><\/em><\/li>\n
      • Voglio<\/strong> dell\u2019acqua. (Impolite)<\/span>
        \nI want water.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Vorrei<\/strong> dell\u2019acqua. (Polite)
        \n<\/span>I\u2019d like (want) some water.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Volere<\/em> Conjugation in the Indicative Past Tense<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

        The Italian indicative mood has 5 past tenses: two simple and three compounds. We will take a look the simple tenses first.<\/p>\n

        Let\u2019s start with the imperfect tense, a mood which is used to describe recurring habits or actions in the past, or simply actions that happened not too long ago:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
        Imperfetto<\/strong><\/td>\nImperfect<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        io volevo<\/td>\nI wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        tu volevi<\/td>\nyou wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        lui\/lei voleva<\/td>\nhe\/she wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        noi volevamo<\/td>\nwe wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        voi volevate<\/td>\nyou wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        loro volevano<\/td>\nthey wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
          \n
        • Non volevo<\/strong> venire, ma lei mi ha costretto.
          \nI didn\u2019t want to come, but she forced me.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Da piccolo, non volevo<\/strong> mai mangiare le verdure.
            \nWhen I was young, I never wanted to eat vegetables.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            The second tense is the Italian passato remoto<\/strong> (Remote Past tense), which is almost never used in daily conversation. It looks like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
            Passato remote<\/strong><\/td>\nRemote Past tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
            io volli<\/td>\nI wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
            tu volesti<\/td>\nyou wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
            lui\/lei volle<\/td>\nhe\/she wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
            noi volemmo<\/td>\nwe wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
            voi voleste<\/td>\nyou wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
            loro vollero<\/td>\nthey wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

            This tense is used almost exclusively in literature and you\u2019ll hardly hear it in daily life, with the exception of some regional uses. When talking about past actions in Italian, it\u2019s more common to use passato prossimo<\/strong> or imperfetto<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

              \n
            • I nonni non vollero<\/strong> mai trasferirsi in citt\u00e0.
              \nOur grandparents never wanted to move to the city.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Volere<\/em> Conjugation to Talk about the Future<\/h2>\n

              The indicative future simple is another irregular tense: here the root of the verb drops the \u201cl\u201d and takes a double \u201cr\u201d.<\/p>\n

              Then, you add the regular stems for the future. This is how it looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
              Futuro Semplice<\/strong><\/td>\nFuture Simple<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              io vorr\u00f2<\/td>\nI will want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              tu vorrai<\/td>\nyou will want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              lui\/lei vorr\u00e0<\/td>\nhe\/she will want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              noi vorremo<\/td>\nwe will want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              voi vorrete<\/td>\nyou will want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
              loro vorranno<\/td>\nthey will want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                \n
              • Se vorrai<\/strong> andare, verr\u00f2 con te.
                \nIf you (will) want to go, I\u2019ll come with you.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n
                • Non vorrai<\/strong> mica andarci sul serio?
                  \nDon\u2019t you really want to go there?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  Compound Tenses of Volere<\/em> Conjugation
                  \n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                  So far, we\u2019ve seen the present, past and future tenses of volere<\/strong> conjugation in the Indicative mood, the most common and used mood in Italian. In addition to simple tenses, the indicative mood also has compound ones.<\/p>\n

                  There are four of them: passato prossimo<\/strong> (present perfect tense), trapassato prossimo<\/strong> (past perfect tense), trapassato remoto<\/strong> (preterite perfect tense) and futuro anteriore <\/strong>(guture perfect tense).<\/p>\n

                  In the compound tense you must use an auxiliary verb. Unlike most Italian verbs, which take as an auxiliary either avere<\/strong> or essere<\/strong>, volere<\/strong> can take both. However, you can\u2019t randomly pick one.<\/p>\n

                  Volere<\/strong> is an Italian modal verb and can be followed directly by another verb. For instance: voglio mangiare<\/strong> (I want to eat<\/em>), voglio dormire<\/strong> (I want to sleep<\/em>), voglio camminare<\/strong> (I want to walk<\/em>). Therefore, the choice of the auxiliary depends on the verb that follows volere<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                  If volere<\/strong> is followed by a verb that has essere<\/strong> (\u201cto be\u201d) as an auxiliary, volere<\/strong> will take essere<\/strong> as an auxiliary. If it\u2019s followed by a verb that has avere<\/strong> (\u201cto have\u201d) as an auxiliary, it takes avere<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                  In case volere<\/strong> is not followed by another verb (e.g. when it precedes a direct object), the right auxiliary is avere<\/strong> (\u201cto have\u201d).<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • Ho voluto<\/strong> fortemente questo lavoro.
                    \nI strongly wanted this job.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                      \n
                    • Non ha voluto<\/strong> il mio aiuto.
                      \nShe didn\u2019t want my help.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                        \n
                      • Luca non \u00e8 voluto<\/strong> andare a scuola oggi.
                        \nLuca didn\u2019t want to go to school today.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        After conjugating the auxiliary, you need to add the past participle of volere<\/strong>, which is voluto<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                        Let\u2019s now take a look at how to form each compound tense and when to use them.<\/p>\n

                        Volere<\/em> Conjugation: Present Perfect Tense<\/h3>\n

                        The Italian passato prossimo<\/strong> is one of the most used tenses to talk about the past. It is formed with the simple present of the auxiliary + the past participle voluto<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                        Since volere<\/strong> can take both auxiliary verbs, we have put both in the conjugation chart; just remember the rule we discussed before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                        Passato prossimo<\/strong><\/td>\nPresent Perfect tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        io ho voluto<\/td>\nI have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        tu hai voluto<\/td>\nyou have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        lui\/lei ha voluto<\/td>\nhe\/she has wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        noi abbiamo voluto<\/td>\nwe have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        voi avete voluto<\/td>\nyou have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        loro hanno voluto<\/td>\nthey have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                        Passato prossimo<\/strong><\/td>\nPresent Perfect tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        io sono voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nI have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        tu sei voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nyou have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        lui\/lei \u00e8 voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nhe\/she has wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        noi siamo voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nwe have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        voi siete voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nyou have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                        loro sono voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nthey have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                        When volere<\/strong> takes essere<\/strong> as an auxiliary, remember to change the endings of the past participle according to the gender and number of the subject. You can replace the verb in the brackets with any other verb that has essere<\/strong> as an auxiliary.<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        • Non \u00e8 voluto<\/strong> venire.
                          \nHe didn\u2019t want to come.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                            \n
                          • Non hanno voluto<\/strong> fare come gli ho suggerito.
                            \nThey didn\u2019t want to do as I suggested.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            Volere<\/em> Conjugation: Past Perfect Tense<\/h3>\n

                            The passato prossimo<\/strong> and the imperfetto<\/strong> are the most used tenses to talk about the past. You will rarely hear other tenses such as the trapassato prossimo<\/strong> (pluperfect) and trapassato remoto<\/strong> (preterite perfect tense) whose names alone are quite intimidating. Since they\u2019re almost never used, you can look at them quickly and even skip them, it they\u2019re too overwhelming.<\/p>\n

                            Trapassato prossimo<\/strong> is formed with the imperfect of the auxiliary + the past participle of volere<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                            Trapassato prossimo<\/strong><\/td>\nPluperfect<\/strong><\/td>\nTrapassato prossimo (essere auxiliary)<\/strong><\/td>\nPluperfect<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                            io avevo voluto<\/td>\nI had wanted<\/td>\nio ero voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nI had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                            tu avevi voluto<\/td>\nyou had wanted<\/td>\ntu eri voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nyou had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                            lui\/lei aveva voluto<\/td>\nhe\/she had wanted<\/td>\nlui\/lei era voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nhe\/she had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                            noi avevamo voluto<\/td>\nwe had wanted<\/td>\nnoi eravamo voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nwe had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                            voi avevate voluto<\/td>\nyou had wanted<\/td>\nvoi eravate voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nyou had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                            loro avevano voluto<\/td>\nthey had wanted<\/td>\nloro erano voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nthey had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                              \n
                            • Ricordi quel ristorante in cui eravamo voluti andare l\u2019anno scorso?
                              \nDo you remember that restaurant where we had wanted to go last year?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              The trapassato remoto is formed with the remote past tense of the auxiliary + the usual past participle of volere<\/em>. It is used to express actions which happened a very long time ago (years, or decades).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                              Trapassato remoto<\/strong><\/td>\nPreterite Perfect tense<\/strong><\/td>\nTrapassato remote (essere auxiliary)<\/strong><\/td>\nPreterite Perfect tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                              io ebbi voluto<\/td>\nI had wanted<\/td>\nio fui voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nI had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                              tu avesti voluto<\/td>\nyou had wanted<\/td>\ntu fosti voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nyou had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                              lui\/lei ebbe voluto<\/td>\nhe\/she had wanted<\/td>\nlui\/lei fu voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nhe\/she had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                              noi avemmo voluto<\/td>\nwe had wanted<\/td>\nnoi fummo voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nwe had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                              voi aveste voluto<\/td>\nyou had wanted<\/td>\nvoi foste voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nyou had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                              loro ebbero voluto<\/td>\nthey had wanted<\/td>\nloro furono voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nthey had wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                                \n
                              • Ricordi quella festa a cui non fummo voluti<\/strong> andare?
                                \nDo you remember that party where we didn\u2019t want to go?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                Volere<\/em> Conjugation: Future Perfect Tense<\/h3>\n

                                This tense has no equivalent in English and is mostly used when talking about two future actions, where one necessarily occurs before the other (e.g. Dopo che <\/em>avrai fatto<\/em><\/strong> i compiti, potrai giocare \u2013 <\/em>after finishing your homework, you can play). The futuro anteriore<\/strong> is used in the subordinate clause.<\/p>\n

                                It is formed with the future simple of the auxiliary verb + voluto<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                Futuro anteriore<\/strong><\/td>\nFuture Perfect tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                io avr\u00f2 voluto<\/td>\nI will have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                tu avrai voluto<\/td>\nyou will have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                lui\/lei avr\u00e0 voluto<\/td>\nhe\/she will have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                noi avremo voluto<\/td>\nwe will have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                voi avrete voluto<\/td>\nyou will have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                loro avranno voluto<\/td>\nthey will have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                Futuro anteriore (essere auxiliary)<\/strong><\/td>\nFuture Perfect tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                io sar\u00f2 voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nI will have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                tu sarai voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nyou will have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                lui\/lei sar\u00e0 voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nhe\/she will have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                noi saremo voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nwe will have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                voi sarete voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nyou will have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                loro saranno voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nthey will have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                                The Italian futuro anteriore of volere<\/em> is often used for rhetorical sentences, or to express a doubt or uncertainty of the speaker.<\/p>\n

                                Chi avr\u00e0 voluto<\/strong> fargli del male?
                                \nWho would want to hurt him?<\/em><\/p>\n

                                Se avr\u00e0 voluto<\/strong> fare cos\u00ec, ci sar\u00e0 un motivo.
                                \nIf he wanted to act this way, there must be a reason.<\/em>
                                \n<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                Subjunctive Tense of <\/strong><\/strong>Volere<\/h2>\n

                                The Italian subjunctive mood is composed of four tenses and it\u2019s frequently used to connect the subordinate to the main clauses and to express a wish, an opinion, doubt or uncertainty. Let\u2019s see each tense, one by one.<\/p>\n

                                Present Subjunctive<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                The first three persons of the Italian congiuntivo<\/strong> look the same, and therefore, you may want to include the subject in your sentence to clarify who\u2019s doing the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                Congiuntivo presente<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                (che) io voglia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                (che) tu voglia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                (che) lui\/lei voglia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                (che) noi vogliamo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                (che) voi vogliate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                (che) loro vogliano<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                                  \n
                                • Verrai con me, che tu lo voglia<\/strong> o meno.
                                  \nYou\u2019ll come with me, whether you want it or not.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                    \n
                                  • Credo che non vogliano<\/strong> venire.
                                    \nI think they don\u2019t want to come.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                    As you can see from the examples, the subjunctive present is used to talk about indefinite situations (I don\u2019t know if you want to come, but you\u2019ll come anyways \/ I think they don\u2019t want to come, but I\u2019m not sur<\/em>e) and is often preceded by \u201cche<\/strong>\u201d (that).<\/p>\n

                                    Perfect Subjunctive<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                    The Perfect Subjunctive is often used to express a situation of uncertainty that happened in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                    Congiuntivo passato<\/strong><\/td>\nCongiuntivo passato (essere auxiliary)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                    (che) io abbia voluto<\/td>\n(che) io sia voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                    (che) tu abbia voluto<\/td>\n(che) tu sia voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                    (che) lui\/lei abbia voluto<\/td>\n(che) lui\/lei sia voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                    (che) noi abbiamo voluto<\/td>\n(che) noi siamo voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                    (che) voi abbiate voluto<\/td>\n(che) voi siate voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                    (che) loro abbiano voluto<\/td>\n(che) loro siano voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                                      \n
                                    • Non so dire perch\u00e9 non siano voluti<\/strong> venire.
                                      \nI can\u2019t tell why they didn\u2019t want to come.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                      The perfect subjunctive is also used to formulate hypothesis about a fact or a situation which is unclear to the speaker:<\/p>\n

                                        \n
                                      • Che abbiano voluto <\/strong>farmi uno scherzo?
                                        \n(Is it possible) that they wanted to play a trick on me?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                        Subjunctive Imperfect<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                        The subjunctive imperfect of volere<\/strong> is a simple tense which is used to express a hope, wish or desire. In English, the congiuntivo imperfetto<\/strong> is translated with the construction would<\/em> + verb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                        Congiuntivo imperfetto<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                        (che) io volessi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                        (che) tu volessi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                        (che) lui\/lei volesse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                        (che) noi volessimo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                        (che) voi voleste<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                        (che) loro volessero<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                                          \n
                                        • Se volessi <\/strong>venire con noi, ne sarei davvero felice.
                                          \nIf you wanted to come (would want to come) with us, I\u2019ll be really happy.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                            \n
                                          • Non c\u2019erano dubbi sul fatto che volessero<\/strong> partire domani.
                                            \nThere were no doubts as to the fact that they would want to leave tomorrow.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                            To form the imperfect subjunctive of volere<\/strong> to express a wish (or a belief), use the indicative imperfect + che<\/strong> (that) + the subjunctive imperfect.<\/p>\n

                                              \n
                                            • Speravo che volessi<\/strong> venire.
                                              \nI hoped that you would want to come.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                \n
                                              • Credevo che non voleste<\/strong> venire.
                                                \nI thought that you wouldn\u2019t want to come.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                Please note that this construction only works when referring to past situations, while to express a wish or belief for actions in the present, you need to use the indicative present simple + the subjunctive present.<\/p>\n

                                                Pluperfect Subjunctive<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                                The pluperfect subjunctive is formed with the subjunctive imperfect + the past participle of the main verb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                Congiuntivo trapassato<\/strong><\/td>\nPluperfect Subjunctive<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) io avessi voluto<\/td>\nI would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) tu avessi voluto<\/td>\nyou would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) lui\/lei avesse voluto<\/td>\nhe\/she would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) noi avessimo voluto<\/td>\nwe would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) voi aveste voluto<\/td>\nyou would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) loro avessero voluto<\/td>\nthey would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                Congiuntivo trapassato<\/strong><\/td>\nPluperfect Subjunctive (essere auxiliary)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) io fossi voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nI would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) tu fossi voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nyou would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) lui\/lei fosse voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nhe\/she would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) noi fossimo voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nwe would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) voi foste voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nyou would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                (che) loro fossero voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nthey would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                                                The pluperfect subjunctive is one of the most complex verbal forms. It is used in the subordinate clause to express a past action that happened before the other past action described in the main clause.<\/p>\n

                                                  \n
                                                • Se lui fosse voluto<\/strong> venire con noi invece che andare solo, non si sarebbe perso.
                                                  \nIf he had wanted to come with us instead of going alone, he would not have been lost.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                  The congiuntivo trapassato<\/strong> is also used in a third type conditional clauses, together with the conditional tense, following this structure: main clause with pluperfect subjunctive (often introduced by \u201cse<\/strong>\u201d \u2013 if) + main clause with conditional present tense.<\/p>\n

                                                  However, in this case the pluperfect subjunctive is not used to state than an action happened before another, but to underline that a fact or hypothesis was impossible and couldn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

                                                    \n
                                                  • Se avessi voluto<\/strong> il gelato, lo avrei comprato.
                                                    \nIf I wanted ice-cream, I would have bought it.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                      \n
                                                    • Se fossi voluto <\/strong>restare, avresti trovato un modo.
                                                      \nI you wanted to stay, you would have found a way.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                      Conditional Tense of <\/strong><\/strong>Volere<\/h2>\n

                                                      The conditional tense of volere<\/em><\/strong> is the tense used to express polite requests and corresponds to the English \u201cwould want\u201d. When you enter a coffee shop or you want to order anything in a polite way, you can use the conditional present of volere<\/em><\/strong> to ask for it \u2013 unlike in English, which uses the construction would like<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                      Condizionale presente<\/strong><\/td>\nConditional present<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                      io vorrei<\/td>\nI would want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                      tu vorresti<\/td>\nyou would want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                      lui\/lei vorrebbe<\/td>\nhe\/she would want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                      noi vorremmo<\/td>\nwe would want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                      voi vorreste<\/td>\nyou would want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                      loro vorrebbero<\/td>\nthey would want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                                                        \n
                                                      • Vorrei<\/strong> un caff\u00e8.
                                                        \nI\u2019d like a coffee.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                          \n
                                                        • Vorrei<\/strong> una pizza margherita e una birra.
                                                          \nI\u2019d like a margherita pizza and a beer.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                            \n
                                                          • John vorrebbe<\/strong> andare in vacanza in Italia.
                                                            \nJohn would like to go on holiday in Italy.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                            Other situations where the conditional tense is required is to express a desire, an advice, a gentle request or uncertain information. The past conditional is used for the same purpose, of course to talk about past actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                            Condizionale passato<\/strong><\/td>\nConditional past<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            io avrei voluto<\/td>\nI would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            tu avresti voluto<\/td>\nyou would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            lui\/lei avrebbe voluto<\/td>\nhe\/she would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            noi avremmo voluto<\/td>\nwe would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            voi avreste voluto<\/td>\nyou would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            loro avrebbero voluto<\/td>\nthey would have wanted<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                            Condizionale passato<\/strong><\/td>\nConditional past (essere auxiliary)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            io sarei voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nI would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            tu saresti voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nyou would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            lui\/lei sarebbe voluto\/a (andare)<\/td>\nhe\/she would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            noi saremmo voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nwe would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            voi sareste voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nyou would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                            loro sarebbero voluti\/e (andare)<\/td>\nthey would have wanted (to go)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                                                              \n
                                                            • Non credo che sarebbe voluto<\/strong> venire.
                                                              \nI don\u2019t think he would have wanted to come.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                \n
                                                              • Saremmo voluti<\/strong> partire con voi.
                                                                \nWe would have wanted to leave with you.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                Imperative Mood and Indefinite Moods of Volere<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n

                                                                We\u2019ve nearly come to the end of this long article, but before going, let\u2019s see the imperative and indefinite moods of volere<\/em><\/strong>. The imperative is normally used to express an order. You may feel that it\u2019s quite weird to order to someone to want something, and that\u2019s why the imperative mood of volere<\/em> is rarely used. However, this tense still exists, and it\u2019s conjugated this way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                                Imperative Present<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                tu vuoi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                lui\/lei voglia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                noi vogliamo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                voi volete<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                loro vogliano<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                                                                Lastly, the indefinite moods of volere<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                                Infinito – Infinitive<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                Present tense<\/strong><\/td>\nPast tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                Volere (to want)<\/td>\nAver voluto (to have wanted)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                                Participio – Participle<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                Present tense<\/strong><\/td>\nPast tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                volente<\/td>\nvoluto (wanted)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n
                                                                Gerundio – Gerundive<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                Present tense<\/strong><\/td>\nPast tense<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                                                                Volendo (wanting)<\/td>\nAvendo voluto (having wanted)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

                                                                Conclusions<\/h2>\n

                                                                Now that you know the volere<\/em> conjugation, you have everything you need to say what you want in Italian. Before going, remember to practice with our little test!<\/p>\n

                                                                Challenge yourself with Clozemaster<\/h2>\n

                                                                Learning how to conjugate volere<\/em> might seem daunting at first, but don\u2019t worry, it comes naturally with practice.<\/p>\n

                                                                Test your skills and see what you\u2019ve learned from this article by playing a selection of Italian sentences with conjugated forms of volere<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n