The Italian Modal Verbs Explained for Beginners

What’s the Difference Between the Italian Modal Verbs and Other Types of Verbs?

When your teacher (or your book) is telling you “this is a modal verb,” there’s no need to panic!  Saying a verb a is “modal” is just a label to remind you that, in Italian, there are three (modal) verbs that have a lot in common and are kind of different from the other verbs.

Voglio – I want

Posso – I can

Devo – I have to, I need, I must

What do they have in common? Simple. They are followed by infinitive verbs (e.g. non conjugated verbs) 

An infinitive verb is a base form of any verb, the way you look it up in a dictionary.

So, we can say that modal verbs are always followed by infinitive verbs. 

• Voglio vivere in Italia – I want to live in Italy

• Posso aprire la porta? – Can I open the window?

• Devo andare – I must go or I need to go or I have to go  

A common mistake made by beginner Italian learners is to use a conjugated verb after a modal verb, such as in the incorrect phrase “Voglio vado = I want I go,” which should be corrected to “Voglio andare”. The correct way to say  “I want to go” in Italian, is by using the infinitive form of the verb “andare” after the modal verb “voglio.”

How to Conjugate an Volere / Potere / Dovere  in the Present Tense?

The Italian modal verbs dovere, potere, and volere express necessity, possibility, and desire, respectively. They are also used to request permission, make requests, and offer assistance. Modal verbs are always followed by an infinitive and are irregular, so they need to be memorized. Since they are high-frequency verbs, it’s crucial to know their conjugations.

Conjugation of the modal verbs in the present tense 

Examples:

• Voglio andare al supermercato (modal verb + infinitive + object) – I want to go to the grocery store.

• Devo comprare della cioccolata (modal verb + infinitive + object) – I need to buy some chocolate.

• Non posso aspettarti (modal verb + infinitive ) –  I can’t wait for you.

Let’s see now how to use the Italian modal verbs in-depth…

How to Use the Verb “Dovere”

Dovere + infinitive:  must, to have to, to need to 

• Devo andare in palestra – I must (need, have to) go to the gym.

Dovere + noun: to owe 

• Ti devo 5 euro per la piazza – I owe you 5 euros for the pizza

How to Use the Verb “Potere” 

Potere means “can or may” when asking for permission or being allowed (or not allowed) to do something.

• Posso uscire un momento? – Can I leave for a second?

• I bambini non possono guardare la tv di sera tardi – Children are not allowed to watch TV late.

English vs. Italian [sapere vs. potere]

Potere does not express the ability to do something, as it does in English. 

To express the ability to do something in Italian, you should use the verb “sapere” which means “to know how to” or “to be able to”.

Examples: 

• Io posso parlare italiano means “I am allowed to speak Italian” or “I might be able to speak Italian”.
• Io so parlare italiano means “I can speak Italian” or “I know how to speak Italian.”
• Posso cantare means “I’m allowed to sing”.
• So cantare means “I can sing” or “I know how to sing”.

Avoid the common mistake of using potere in these types of sentences. If you ask someone “puoi cucinare?” – you are actually requesting him or her to cook.

• Puoi cucinare? – Will you cook? (I want you to cook) 
• Sai cucinare? – Can you cook? (Do you know how to cook?)

How to Use the Verb “VOLERE”

Volere: to want, to wish

• Voglio mangiare giapponese – I want  to eat Japanese

• Voglio il sushi e la tempura – I want sushi and tempura

The Modal Verbs with the Passato Prossimo

Conjugating modal verbs with the passato prossimo (and other compound tenses*) needs a special construction.

A compound tense is a verb resulting from the combination of an auxiliary verb and a past participle (e.g. past conditional, compound future, past perfect, etc..)

How to Conjugate an VOLERE / POTERE / DOVERE  in Passato Prossimo?

If you have already learned the passato prossimo (the main past tense in Italian), you know that it’s a combination of an auxiliary and a past participle (e.g. ho parlato = I spoke, I’ve spoken).

But, what’s the correct auxiliary to use with modal verbs in the passato prossimo? 

When using a modal verb in the past tense, the correct auxiliary to use depends on the main verb that follows the modal verb. In general, both “essere” and “avere” can be used as auxiliary verbs with modal verbs in the passato prossimo.

The auxiliary verb used depends on the main verb that follows the modal verb.

If the main verb is transitive and takes a direct object, such as “mangiare” (to eat), the auxiliary verb used will be “avere”. If the main verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object, such as “andare” (to go), the auxiliary verb used will be “essere”.

For example: 

If you want to say in Italian – I wanted to eat, you need to chose the correct auxiliary of the verb “mangiare = to eat“, which is avere.

So, I wanted to eat goes to “ho voluto mangiare”

However, if you wanted to say – I wanted to go, you’d need to choose the correct auxiliary of the verb “andare = to go“, which is essere.

• Sono voluta andare  – I wanted to go

The same rule applies for dovere and potere, of course. For example: 

1. Ho dovuto preparare la cena – I had to prepare the dinner. 
2. Sono dovuta andare in aeroporto in autobus – I had to go to the airport by bus.
3. Non ho potuto preparare la cena – I could not prepare dinner.
4. Non sono potuta andare a pranzo – I could not go to the lunch.

In the above examples, “preparare” is transitive and thus uses “avere” as its auxiliary in the passato prossimo, while “andare” is intransitive and takes “essere” as its auxiliary in the passato prossimo.

Note that when the auxiliary verb preceding the modal verb is essere, the past participle of the modal verb agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence.

• Sono dovuta andare via – I had to leave  (dovuta, feminine singular).

• Ci siamo alzati tardi – we got up late  (alzati, masculine plural)

• Non siamo potuti venire – we could not come (potuti, masculine plural)