A case for Grammar

Phrases & Context:

Suppose you hear in a bar/caffè:

Vorrei un cappuccino.
I would like a cappuccino.

You could deduce from context the meaning, and you could even memorize and repeat the phrase yourself….but, by also understanding a bit of the grammar behind it, you can adapt and change the sentence as needed to express thousands upon thousands of related concepts and ideas, and create your own unique sentences that you’ve never heard before.

How?

Grammar helps you understand the different parts of a sentence, and how the different parts interact and affect each other to change the meaning.

Knowing grammar, I am able to break the sentence down as follows:

VORREI

the verb “volere” conjugated in the 1st person singular conditional tense: means “I would like”

UN

indefinite masculine article— gender corresponds with noun it modifies: means “a”

CAPPUCCINO

singular, masculine noun: means “delicious coffee-based drink with foamed milk”

Knowing this, I can modify the sentence to communicate a variety of things.

Changing ‘the who’:

(io) vorrei
(tu) vorresti

(lui) vorrebbe

(noi) vorremmo

(voi) vorreste

(loro) vorrebbero

(1) Vorrei un cappuccino.
I would like a cappuccino.

(2) Vorresti un cappuccino.
You would like a cappuccino.

(3) Vorrebbe un cappuccino.
He/She/You (formal) would like a cappuccino.

(4) Vorremmo un cappuccino.
We would like a cappuccino.

(5) Vorreste un cappuccino.
You all would like a cappuccino.

(6) Vorrebbero un cappuccino.
They would like a cappuccino.

And that’s just by knowing one tense— the conditional…

Other tenses:

volere— to want, simple future tense:
(io) vorrò I will want
(tu) vorrai you will want

(lui) vorrà he will want

(noi) vorremo we will want

(voi) vorrete you (all) will want

(loro) vorranno they will want

So, that’s another six sentences!

(1) Vorrò un cappuccino.
I will want a cappuccino.

(2) Vorrai un cappuccino.
You will want a cappuccino.

(3) Vorrà un cappuccino. 
He/She/You (formal) will want a cappuccino.

(4) Vorremo un cappuccino. 
We will want a cappuccino.

(5) Vorrete un cappuccino. 
You all will want a cappuccino.

(6) Vorranno un cappuccino. 
They will want a cappuccino.

I could even combine them:

Vorrei un cappuccino adesso, e vorrò un cappuccino domani.
I would like a cappuccino now, and I will want a cappuccino tomorrow.

Present: Voglio— I want
Imperfect Past: Volevo— I wanted
Past Perfect: Avevo voluto— I had wanted
etc.

Changing ‘the object’:

And that’s just changing the verb, what if we change the object of the verb?

In this case, the object of the verb is un cappuccino— “a cappuccino”.

I can change the indefinite article un-“a” to the definite article il- “the”:

Vorrei il cappuccino.
I would like the cappuccino.

Now, I’m able to talk about a specific cappuccino. (Maybe there are two drinks on the counter, and I’m saying I would like the cappuccino, not the tea.)

Or, maybe I’m feeling especially gluttonous and would like multiple cappuccinos. If I’ve studied grammar and know how to make a noun plural, then I can easily change the article to any number due (two), tre (three), etc. and change cappuccino from singular, to plural: cappuccini

Vorrei un cappuccino.
I would like a cappuccino.
Vorrei due cappuccini.
I would like two cappuccinos.
Vorrei tre cappuccini.
I would like three cappuccinos.
Vorrei duemila tredici cappuccini.
I would like two thousand and thirteen cappuccinos.

And that’s of course, if we only want to talk about cappuccinos.  If you know other masculine nouns, you can simply swap them out:

Vorrei un succo d’arancia.
I would like an orange juice.
Vorrei un cane.
I would like a dog.

If you know how to modify the article, you can say you’d like a feminine noun quite easily too:

Vorrei una collana.
I would like a necklace.
Vorrei una coperta.
I would like a blanket.

Wanting an action:

Knowing a bit more about the verb volere, I know that instead of wanting an object, I can also “want to do something.”

In English, we say “I want to go” but thanks to my grammar studies I know the equivalent in Italian is the version of the verb that ends in -ARE, -ERE, or -IRE, also known as the infinitive.

So now, I can put practically any infinitive verb after the conjugated verb volere…

Vorrei andare.
I would like to go.
Vorrei nuotare.
I would like to swim.
Vorrei leggere.
I would like to read.
etc..

Adding it all up:

Vorrei sciare.
I would like ???

Ah! Sì..Mi piace sciare.
Ah! Yes…I like to ski.

See? Grammar is fun!

Volevo un cappuccino, ma adesso voglio un tè.

I wanted a cappuccino, but now I want a tea.