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Italian Modal Verbs: Potere, Volere, Dovere explained with examples

What are modal verbs in Italian? Modal verbs - potere (can), volere (want) and dovere (must) - are key to expressing yourself in Italian. These verbs allow you to express possibilities, desires and obligations, making them essential tools for anyone learning the language. Thanks to these verbs, you can construct more complex and precise sentences, even at beginner level. Let us now look at the characteristics of each verb, keeping in mind that these modal verbs are irregular and do not follow the typical conjugation patterns of regular verbs. Potere - To express possibility or permission The verb potere is used to indicate that an action is possible , or to ask for or give permission . Examples with Potere: Posso aprire la finestra? (May I open the window?)  - Permission Non posso venire domani. (I can't come tomorrow.) - Possibility Puoi aiutarmi? ( Can you help me?) - Possibility Conjugation of Potere (Present tense) Person Form io posso...
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Demonstrative adjectives

The demonstrative adjectives 'questo' (this) and 'quello' (that) are essential for indicating the proximity or distance of people or objects in relation to the speaker. Understanding their use is essential for describing our surroundings and expressing our ideas accurately when speaking or writing in Italian.
Demonstrative adjectives provide important information in the context of everyday communication, helping to indicate whether the object or person being talked about is near or far from the speaker or listener. For example, when shopping for groceries, we can say 'Voglio comprare questo pane' to refer to one close by, or 'Preferisco quel pane' to refer to one further away. In a room, we can say 'Questa sedia è comoda' to refer to a comfortable chair next to us, or 'Quella sedia è comoda' to refer to one further away. Let's look at how and when to use these two adjectives.

QUESTO

The adjective 'questo' refers to people or things close to the speaker. It is a regular adjective and matches the gender and number of the noun it is used with:

Maschile singolare: questo libro

Maschile plurale: questi libri

Femminile singolare: questa casa

Femminile plurale: queste case

For example:

Questo libro è interessante.

Questi libri sono nuovi.

Questa casa è piccola.

Queste case sono luminose.

Before words beginning with a vowel, 'questo' (this) can become 'quest' (this), e.g.: questo albero (this tree), quest'idea (this idea), quest'ora (this hour), quest'uomo (this man).

For example:

Quest'albero è grande.


QUELLO

The adjective 'quello' refers to people or things far away from the speaker. Quello is irregular and its form varies according to the gender, number and initial letter of the noun, following the same rules as the definite articles:

  • Maschile singolare:

"il" ➞ quel libro

"lo" ➞ quello studente

"l'" ➞  quell'albero

  • Maschile plurale:

"i" ➞ quei libri

"gli" ➞ quegli studenti, quegli alberi

  • Femminile singolare:

"la" ➞ quella casa

"l'" ➞ quell'arancia

  • Femminile plurale:

"le" ➞ quelle case, quelle arance

For example:

  • Quel libro è interessante.

  • Quei libri sono nuovi.

  • Quella casa è piccola.

  • Quelle case sono bianche.

  • Quello studente è bravo.

  • Quegli studenti sono bravi.

  • Quell'arancia è rossa.

  • Quelle arance sono dolci.

When to use the apostrophe

The apostrophe is used in words beginning with a vowel when the final vowel of the preceding word is omitted to avoid a sound that is too heavy or difficult to pronounce. The general rule is that the apostrophe is used to facilitate fluency in spoken and written language.

Let us take a closer look at when the apostrophe is used:

Singular forms (quello, quella, quell') are omitted when the following noun begins with a vowel.

For example: quell'amico, quell'albero, quell'arancia.

Plural forms (quelle, quegli) are never elided, even if the following noun begins with a vowel.

For example: quelle arance, quegli alberi.

Why is there no elision with plurals?

The plural form of the demonstrative adjectives 'quelle' and 'quegli' does not need elision to make it sound fluent. The adjectives 'quelle' and 'quegli' are already quite 'soft' and easy to pronounce without the need to drop the final vowel, as is the case with the singular forms.

Remember that the choice of the correct form of 'quello' depends on the initial letter and gender of the noun that follows, just as with definite articles. Here is a summary table to help you:

Tabella che illustra l'uso di 'questo' per oggetti singolari e 'questi' per oggetti plurali.


If you would like to expand on any of the concepts or would like to speak to a native speaker teacher qualified in teaching Italian to foreigners, please contact me at info@appylanguage.com. I will be happy to meet you and guide you in a one-to-one online session. Happy learning!

If you have any questions or would like to share your learning experience, please leave a comment below. I'm curious to know how you are progressing on your language journey!

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