volere
/voˈle.re/
To want in Italian is volere.
The verb volere means to want. When you want to express affection for friends, family or partners, you should use the phrase volere bene instead of amare, which is used for more intense, romantic love.
Which one should you use?
While voglio is the direct translation of 'I want', it can sound blunt, demanding or even rude in many social contexts compared to the conditional vorrei.
How does it change in a sentence?
The conditional form vorrei is used instead of the present indicative voglio to express a desire politely, similar to 'I would like' in English.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /voˈle.re/.
Did you know?
- While volere bene means 'to want well' and expresses affection, using volere alone to describe a person can imply sexual desire.
- The expression non volerne sapere literally means 'not to want to know of it' but is used to describe someone who is being stubborn or refusing to cooperate.
- The word volere is a direct descendant of the Latin verb 'velle', which is the ancestor of the English word 'volition'.
Examples in context
- Non sembri volere vincere.You don't seem to want to win.Tatoeba #11230732 by Guybrush88, translation #8832461 by CK
- Non sembrava volere aiutarla.He didn't seem to want to help her.Tatoeba #9010460 by Guybrush88, translation #8522508 by CH
- Non sembrava volere aiutarlo.She didn't seem to want to help him.Tatoeba #9010630 by Guybrush88, translation #8522510 by CH
- Vorrei una pizza margherita, per favore.I would like a margherita pizza, please.
- Desidero prenotare una camera per due notti.I would like to book a room for two nights.
- Gradirei ricevere maggiori informazioni sul prodotto.I would appreciate receiving more information about the product.
- Mi piacerebbe visitare il museo domani.I would like to visit the museum tomorrow.
- Voglio andare al cinema stasera.I want to go to the cinema tonight.
- Ho voglia di mangiare una pizza.I feel like eating a pizza.
- Mi farebbe piacere vederti domani.I would like to see you tomorrow.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- MartinaCosa vuoi mangiare stasera, Lorenzo?What do you want to eat tonight, Lorenzo?
- LorenzoNon so cosa volere esattamente.I don't know exactly what I want.
- MartinaPreferiresti volere una pizza o un panino?Would you prefer to want a pizza or a sandwich?
- LorenzoVorrei volere una pizza margherita.I would like to want a margherita pizza.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry volere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries volere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
