Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide, Third Edition (2013)
Part B. Functions
II. Actions affecting ourselves and others
23. Expressing need, obligation or desire
23.1 Introduction
Sometimes in Italian, as in other languages, there is little difference between a desire, expressed by the verb volere, and a need, expressed by the phrase aver bisogno di or a similar expression:
Ho bisogno di un caffè. / Voglio un caffè.
I need a coffee. / I want a coffee.
23.2 Expressing wants
23.2.1 Using volere
The verb volere can be used both with a noun (something you want) and with a verb (something you want to do), in its role as an auxiliary verb (see 2.1.7):
Gli operai vogliono un aumento di stipendio.
The workmen want a wage increase.
Volete parlare del contratto?
Do you want to talk about the contract?
Vuoi andare a cena?
Do you want to go to dinner?
Vuoi una mano?
Do you want a hand?
Using the present indicative form of volere can sometimes sound rather demanding, or even discourteous, especially in the first person ‘I’:
Voglio un francobollo.
I want a stamp.
II direttore vuole parlarLe.
The manager wants to speak to you.
A request or wish can be expressed more politely by using the present conditional (see 2.2.12) rather than the present indicative of volere:
Vorrei due biglietti per stasera, per favore.
I would like two tickets for tonight, please.
La signora Giannini vorrebbe parlarLe.
Signora Giannini would like to speak to you.
Vorrei un appuntamento per domani.
I would like an appointment for tomorrow.
It is also possible to use the imperfect indicative volevo to express a polite request (see 2.2.4):
Volevo duecento grammi di prosciutto.
I would like two hundred grams of ham. (Literally: ‘I wanted’)
23.2.2 Using aver voglia di
Another way of expressing ‘want’ is the phrase aver voglia di, used either with a verb or a noun:
Gli studenti avevano voglia di andare a casa.
The students wanted to go home.
Non ha voglia di scherzare.
He's not in the mood for joking.
Ho voglia di un gelato.
I fancy an ice-cream.
23.2.3 Using mi va
A very idiomatic way of saying what one wants to do or feels like doing is to use the verb andare (see 2.2.3) and an indirect pronoun (see 3.4.2), either with a noun or with di and a verb infinitive:
Ti va un gelato?
Do you fancy an ice-cream?
Non mi vanno queste domande.
I don't like these questions.
Ti va di mangiare la pizza?
Do you feel like (having) a pizza?
Non gli andava di seguire le mie istruzioni.
He didn't want to follow my instructions.
23.2.4 Using me la sento (sentirsela)
Another idiomatic way to say what you feel like doing is sentirsela (the verb sentire, a reflexive pronoun and the pronoun la). Although the reflexive pronoun changes, the la element is invariable. Sentirsela can also be linked to a verb infinitive by di:
Faccio i compiti domani. Non me la sento stasera.
I'll do my homework tomorrow. I don't feel like it tonight.
Te la senti di uscire stasera?
Do you feel like going out tonight?
23.2.5 Making a request in a shop
To request something in a shop or restaurant, use either the present conditional form Vorrei (see 23.2.1) or the question form Mi dà … ? (see 2.2.3) ‘Please would you give me … ?’ You can also use an imperative form Mi dia‘Give me’ (see 2.2.21) but this might sound a little demanding.
Mi dà dieci biglietti per l'autobus, per favore?
Would you give me ten bus tickets, please?
23.3 Expressing needs
23.3.1 Using bisogna
The verb bisogna ‘it is necessary’ can be followed by a verb infinitive, or by che and subjunctive, but not by a noun. Bisogna is generally used only in the 3rd person singular and confined to the simple tenses: present indicative(bisogna), imperfect indicative (bisognava), future (bisognerà) and present conditional (bisognerebbe):
Bisogna farlo subito.
It needs to be done straightaway.
(Literally: It is necessary to do it straightaway.)
Bisognava vedere qual era la soluzione migliore.
We had to see what the best solution was.
Bisognerebbe che loro capissero la situazione.
They would have to understand the situation.
(Literally: It would be necessary for them to understand the situation.)
23.3.2 Using aver bisogno di
The phrase aver bisogno di ‘to have need of’ can be used with either a noun or a verb infinitive, to express what you need or what you need to do:
Ho bisogno di tempo per studiare.
I need time to study.
Avete bisogno di me?
Do you need me?
Avevamo bisogno di riposare.
We needed to rest.
23.3.3 Using c'è bisogno
The phrase c'è bisogno di (literally: ‘there is need of’) can be followed by a noun (object or person), a verb infinitive linked by di, or che + subjunctive:
Ci sarà bisogno di un interprete. Il direttore parla solo italiano.
We will need an interpreter. The director only speaks Italian.
Non c'era bisogno di spiegare. Avevamo già capito.
There wasn't any need to explain. We had already understood.
Non c'è bisogno che Lei mi accompagni. Penso di trovare l'ufficio senza problemi.
There's no need for you to accompany me. I think I can find the office without any problem.
23.3.4 Using è necessario
Another impersonal phrase expressing need is è necessario ‘it is necessary’ which can be followed directly by a verb infinitive or che + subjunctive:
È necessario iscriversi prima di venire alla lezione.
It's necessary to enrol before coming to the lesson.
Era necessario collaborare per avere i fondi.
It was necessary to collaborate in order to get funding.
È necessario che i gruppi collaborino per avere dei buoni risultati.
It's necessary for the groups to collaborate in order to get good results.
23.3.5 Using dovere
The verb dovere (see 2.1.7) expresses a personal obligation as well as a need:
Devo prendere il treno delle 8.00 per arrivare in tempo per la riunione.
I have to get the 8 o'clock train to arrive in time for the meeting.
Gli studenti devono impegnarsi di più.
The students must make more of an effort.
The present conditional of dovere expresses what one ought to do, rather than what one must do:
Dovremmo organizzare la prossima riunione prima di Natale.
We ought to organise the next meeting before Christmas.
23.3.6 Using servire, occorrere
To express need, the verbs servire and occorrere are used.
Needing an object
The third person singular and plural forms (serve, servono; occorre, occorrono) are used to talk about an object (or objects) needed. The construction is similar to piacere (see 28.2.1): the person needing something is expressed by an indirect pronoun mi, ti, gli, etc. (see 3.4.2 and 18.4.2) while the object needed becomes the grammatical subject of the verb and the verb has to be either singular or plural to agree with it:
Mi serve un cacciavite.
I need a screwdriver.
Quanti fogli ti servono?
How many sheets do you need?
Quanto tempo vi occorre?
How much time do you need?
Per fare la torta, occorrono sei uova.
Six eggs are needed to make the cake.
Needing to do something
Both servire and occorrere can also be used impersonally (‘it is necessary’) followed by a verb infinitive (see 2.2.1) or by che + subjunctive (see 2.2.14). Occorrere tends to be used in more formal contexts, while servire is more widely used.
Occorrere is generally followed by a verb infinitive when no subject is mentioned (as in the first example), or by che + subjunctive when the subject is mentioned (as in the second example):
Occorre controllare prima di consegnare la traduzione.
One should check before handing in the translation.
Occorre che lei mi dia un documento.
She has to give me a document.
Servire can be used impersonally, meaning ‘it is necessary, it's useful’. Servire is generally followed by a verb infinitive when no particular person is mentioned (as in the first example), or by che + subjunctive when the person involved is mentioned, particularly in a more formal context (as in the second example). It can also be followed by a verb infinitive even when a person is mentioned (as in the last example).
Non serve a niente studiare.
There's no point in studying.
Non serve che Lei mi dia il documento.
It's not necessary/useful for you to give me your document.
Non mi serve imparare l'italiano.
Learning Italian is not any use to me.
When used impersonally, as here, both servire and occorrere can be replaced by phrases such as bisogna (see 23.3.1), c'è bisogno (see 23.3.3), è necessario (see 23.3.4).