volerci
'Volerci' for Time Needed
The verb volerci means 'to take' or 'to be needed' in an objective sense. It focuses on the requirements of the task itself, not the person doing it.
How It Works
The verb volerci is formed by the particle ci and the verb volere.
1. Agreement:
The verb must agree with the subject (the time, resource, or people needed):
- Ci vuole + singular noun (e.g., un'ora, pazienza, un tecnico).
- Ci vogliono + plural noun (e.g., due ore, molte uova, due operai).
2. Objective vs. Subjective:
Use volerci for general requirements (e.g., 'It takes two hours to get to Rome'). If you want to talk about how much time a specific person takes, you can use metterci (e.g., 'I take two hours').
Alternatively, you can add indirect object pronouns to volerci to show who needs the resource: Mi ci vuole un'ora (It takes me an hour / I need an hour). Note that the verb still agrees with the resource needed, not the person.
3. Past Tense:
In compound tenses like the passato prossimo, volerci always uses the auxiliary essere. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject:
- Ci è voluta un'ora. (Feminine singular)
- Ci sono voluti tre giorni. (Masculine plural)
Examples (6)
- Ci vuole un'ora per arrivare a Milano.
It takes one hour to get to Milan.
Word by Word: There wants an hour for to arrive at Milan.
We use 'ci vuole' because 'un'ora' is singular.
- Ci vogliono due ore per finire i compiti.
It takes two hours to finish the homework.
Word by Word: There want two hours for to finish the homeworks.
We use 'ci vogliono' because 'due ore' is plural.
- Mi ci vuole un caffè per svegliarmi.
I need a coffee to wake up.
Word by Word: To me there wants a coffee for to wake myself.
Adding an indirect pronoun like 'mi' (to me) specifies who needs the resource.
- Gli ci vorrà molto tempo per guarire.
It will take him a long time to recover.
Word by Word: To him there will want much time for to recover.
This uses the future tense 'ci vorrà' with the indirect pronoun 'gli' (to him).
- Ci volevano tre persone per spostare quel tavolo.
It took three people to move that table.
Word by Word: There wanted three people for to move that table.
The imperfect 'ci volevano' describes a past requirement or a habitual need.
- Ci sono voluti tre anni per costruire la casa.
It took three years to build the house.
Word by Word: There are wanted three years for to build the house.
In the past tense, we use 'essere' and the plural 'voluti' to match 'tre anni'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'ci vuole' for plural time units.
Ci vuole due ore.Ci vogliono due ore.The verb must agree with the number of hours. Since 'due ore' is plural, you must use 'ci vogliono'.
Using 'avere' as the auxiliary in the past tense.
Ci ha voluto un giorno.Ci è voluto un giorno.Volerci always requires the auxiliary 'essere' in compound tenses.
Using 'volerci' as a personal verb.
Io ci voglio un'ora.Io ci metto un'ora.Volerci is impersonal. If you want to say 'I take...', use the verb 'metterci' (Io ci metto).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'volerci', a learner needs to be comfortable with the impersonal use of the particle 'ci' (as seen in 'c'è/ci sono') and how the verb 'volere' changes based on whether the requirement is singular (un'ora) or plural (due ore). Knowledge of time expressions is also essential for practical application.
- c'è / ci sonoThere Is / There Are
The verb 'volerci' is an impersonal construction using the particle 'ci' and the verb 'volere', functioning similarly to 'c'è/ci sono' where the verb agrees with the object being required (singular or plural).
Level 1 - potere / dovere / volereModal Verbs (Potere, Dovere, Volere)
Understanding the base verb 'volere' (to want) is necessary to conjugate 'volerci' correctly in its third-person forms.
Level 1 - che ore sonoTelling Time
Since 'volerci' is primarily used to express the time needed for an action, the learner must already be familiar with telling time and time units in Italian.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- essere + Past ParticiplePresent Perfect with 'Essere'
Volerci uses 'essere' in the past tense, requiring agreement with the subject.
Level 2 - metterci / volerciAdvanced Idiomatic 'Ci' (Metterci, Volerci in Idioms)
This covers 'metterci', the personal counterpart to 'volerci' for expressing time taken.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice volerci in Bubblegum
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