volere
/voˈle.re/
The English verb "want" is expressed in Italian as volere.
The verb volere is used to express a desire. You can also use the noun volere or voglia to mean a desire, wish or longing. If you are describing a lack of something, use the noun mancanza. To express a feeling of being in the mood for something, speakers often use the noun voglia in the common phrase avere voglia di.
Meaning: to desire (verb)
Which one should you use?
While volere is the verb meaning "to want", the noun voglia is frequently used to express a specific urge or being in the mood for something.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions of northern Italy, people might use volio instead of voglio.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form of volere is voglio (I want). The second-person singular present indicative form is vuoi (you want). The third-person singular present indicative form is vuole (he/she wants).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of volere is /voˈle.re/. It has three syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, using volere when ordering at a restaurant can sound overly demanding or blunt. To be polite, speakers usually use the conditional form vorrei meaning 'I would like'.
- The word volere is the root of the English word 'volunteer', as someone who volunteers is literally someone who 'wants' or chooses to do something of their own free will.
- The Italian word for 'desire' is related to the Latin 'velle', which is the ancestor of the English word 'will'.
Examples in context
- Che altro potresti volere?What more could you want?This example shows how to ask what more someone could want using volere.Tatoeba #3881879 by Guybrush88, translation #886811 by odiernod
- Che altro potreste volere?What else could you want?This example shows how to ask a group of people what else they could want using volere.Tatoeba #3881881 by Guybrush88, translation #4666305 by CK
- È sicura di volere questo?Are you sure you want this one?This example is used to ask if someone is sure they want something using volere.Tatoeba #7920325 by Guybrush88, translation #6048849 by CK
- Vorrei una tazza di caffè, per favore.I would like a cup of coffee, please.
- Desidero prenotare una camera doppia.I would like to book a double room.
- Mi piacerebbe assaggiare la specialità locale.I would like to taste the local specialty.
- Voglio mangiare una pizza stasera!I want to eat pizza tonight!
- Domani mi piacerebbe andare al mare.Tomorrow, I would like to go to the beach.
- Vorrei vedere il nuovo film al cinema.I would like to see the new movie at the cinema.
- 204 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Chiara are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- LorenzoCosa vuoi cenare stasera, Chiara?What do you want to have for dinner tonight, Chiara?
- ChiaraNon so cosa volere esattamente.I don't know exactly what I want.
- LorenzoIo voglio una pizza margherita.I want a margherita pizza.
- ChiaraVa bene, voglio lo stesso anche io!Alright, I want the same thing too!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “want” translations and entries 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.
