Volere (To Want) in Italian

Overview

The verb volere (to want) is one of the three essential modal verbs in Italian, alongside potere (to be able to) and dovere (to have to). Modal verbs are special because they typically appear before another verb in the infinitive, modifying its meaning. Volere expresses desire, intention, or wish.

You will hear and use volere constantly in Italian — ordering food, expressing preferences, making plans, and stating what you need. It is an irregular verb, so its present tense forms must be memorized rather than derived from a pattern.

Because volere is a modal verb, it works differently from regular verbs. It can be followed by an infinitive ("Voglio mangiare" — I want to eat) or directly by a noun ("Voglio un caffè" — I want a coffee). This flexibility makes it one of the most practical verbs to learn early on.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugation

Person	Italian	English
io	voglio	I want
tu	vuoi	you want
lui / lei / Lei	vuole	he / she wants, you want (formal)
noi	vogliamo	we want
voi	volete	you all want
loro	vogliono	they want

Notice the stem changes: vogl- for io, noi, and loro, and vuo- for tu, lui/lei. These irregular forms are very common in spoken Italian, so they will become natural with practice.

Usage with Infinitive

When volere is followed by another verb, that verb stays in the infinitive form. Volere carries the conjugation.

• Voglio parlare. — I want to speak.
• Vuoi venire con noi? — Do you want to come with us?
• Vogliono imparare l'italiano. — They want to learn Italian.

Usage with Nouns

Volere can also take a direct noun object, without needing another verb.

• Voglio un gelato. — I want an ice cream.
• Vuole il conto, per favore. — He/She wants the bill, please.

Polite Forms

In everyday Italian, vorrei (I would like) is used instead of voglio (I want) to sound more polite, especially in shops, restaurants, and formal situations.

• Vorrei un bicchiere d'acqua. — I would like a glass of water.
• Vorrei prenotare un tavolo. — I would like to book a table.

Using voglio in these contexts is not wrong, but it can sound blunt or childlike. Learning vorrei early will help you sound more natural.

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Voglio studiare medicina.	I want to study medicine.	With infinitive
Vuoi un caffè?	Do you want a coffee?	With noun
Lui vuole andare al cinema.	He wants to go to the cinema.	With infinitive
Non vogliamo aspettare.	We don't want to wait.	Negation + infinitive
Volete mangiare qui o a casa?	Do you all want to eat here or at home?	Question + infinitive
Vogliono comprare una macchina.	They want to buy a car.	With infinitive
Voglio una pizza margherita.	I want a margherita pizza.	With noun
Non vuoi venire alla festa?	Don't you want to come to the party?	Negative question
Vorrei un'informazione.	I would like some information.	Polite form
Cosa vuoi fare domani?	What do you want to do tomorrow?	Question word + infinitive
Vogliamo visitare Roma.	We want to visit Rome.	With infinitive
Vuole provare questo?	Does he/she want to try this?	Formal / third person
Non vogliono uscire stasera.	They don't want to go out tonight.	Negation + infinitive
Vorrei parlare con il direttore.	I would like to speak with the director.	Polite + infinitive

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the stem change

• Wrong: Io volo mangiare.
• Right: Io voglio mangiare.
• Why: Volere is irregular. The first person singular is voglio, not volo (which means "I fly," from the verb volare).

Conjugating the second verb

• Wrong: Voglio mangio una pizza.
• Right: Voglio mangiare una pizza.
• Why: When two verbs appear together, only the first (volere) is conjugated. The second stays in the infinitive.

Using "voglio" in polite requests

• Blunt: Voglio un caffè. (I want a coffee.)
• Polite: Vorrei un caffè. (I would like a coffee.)
• Why: While grammatically correct, voglio sounds demanding in service situations. Italians use the conditional form vorrei to soften requests.

Confusing "vuoi" and "vuole"

• Wrong: Lei vuoi un tavolo? (You [formal] want a table?)
• Right: Lei vuole un tavolo?
• Why: Vuoi is the informal "tu" form. The formal "Lei" takes the third person singular form vuole.

Adding a preposition before the infinitive

• Wrong: Voglio di mangiare. / Voglio a mangiare.
• Right: Voglio mangiare.
• Why: Unlike some other verbs, volere connects directly to the infinitive with no preposition.

Practice Tips

1. Restaurant role-play: Practice ordering food using both voglio and vorrei. Go through a menu and say each item: "Vorrei la pasta al pesto," "Voglio un'acqua minerale." This builds fluency with both the direct and polite forms in a real-world context.

2. Daily want list: Each evening, write five things you want to do tomorrow using volere + infinitive: "Voglio leggere un libro," "Voglio cucinare la cena," "Voglio chiamare un amico." This drills the modal verb + infinitive structure.

3. Conjugation chain: Practice all six forms in sequence with the same infinitive: "Voglio dormire, vuoi dormire, vuole dormire, vogliamo dormire, volete dormire, vogliono dormire." Repeat with different infinitives until the forms feel automatic.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular -ARE Verbs — understanding regular conjugation patterns before tackling irregular modal verbs
• Next steps: Potere (Can / To Be Able To) — another modal verb expressing ability or permission
• Next steps: Dovere (Must / To Have To) — the modal verb of obligation and necessity