Desidero aiutare il turista.

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Breakdown of Desidero aiutare il turista.

• aiutare: to help
• il turista: the tourist
• desiderare: to want

Questions & Answers about Desidero aiutare il turista.

Why do we use desidero instead of voglio here?

Both desidero and voglio mean "I want," but desidero is a bit more polite or formal than voglio, which is more direct. Desiderare translates roughly to "to desire," indicating a wish or a strong desire. In everyday conversation, you could use voglio if you want a more straightforward tone.

Why is aiutare an infinitive?

After verbs like desiderare, it is typical to use the infinitive form of the following verb. In Italian, when you say "I want to do something" or "I wish to do something," you put the second verb in the infinitive. So, we say desidero aiutare ("I desire to help") without adding additional prepositions such as "di."

Why do we say il turista rather than un turista?

Using il turista implies there is a specific tourist being referred to (maybe one you're already talking about or know). If it were un turista, you'd be talking about any tourist in general. In everyday speech, the context usually decides whether you want to refer to a specific person (il turista) or a nonspecific person (un turista).

Is it common to say Desidero aiutare il turista in everyday conversation?

It’s grammatically correct, but it might sound slightly more formal. In everyday scenarios, many Italians might opt for Voglio aiutare il turista or even something simpler like Voglio dare una mano al turista ("I want to give a hand to the tourist"), which is less formal and still clear.