Umanità ha bisogno di speranza.

Humanity needs hope.

Breakdown of Umanità ha bisogno di speranza.

• avere bisogno di: to need
• la speranza: the hope
• l'umanità: the humanity

Questions & Answers about Umanità ha bisogno di speranza.

What is the literal translation of the sentence Umanità ha bisogno di speranza?

The sentence literally translates to "Humanity has need of hope", which we naturally render in English as "Humanity needs hope."

Why is there no article before umanità in this sentence?

In Italian, abstract or collective terms like umanità (humanity) often appear without a definite article when expressing a general concept. Although you might sometimes see l'umanità (with the article), omitting it here emphasizes the broad, universal idea of humanity rather than referring to a specific group.

What is the grammatical role of the phrase ha bisogno di within the sentence?

The construction ha bisogno di is an idiomatic way to express necessity in Italian. It breaks down as follows: ha is the present tense of avere (to have), bisogno means need, and di is the preposition linking the need to what is required—in this instance, speranza (hope).

What function does the preposition di serve in this phrase?

The preposition di connects the noun bisogno (need) with speranza (hope), indicating what humanity needs. This preposition is an integral part of the fixed expression avere bisogno di, much like how we say “in need of” in English.

Why is the sentence written in the present tense and what does that signify?

The use of the present tense with ha (from avere) implies a general, ongoing truth or state. In this case, it suggests that humanity is always in a state of needing hope—it’s a timeless, universal observation.

How does the structure of Umanità ha bisogno di speranza compare to the English sentence "Humanity needs hope"?

Both sentences follow a similar subject-verb-object structure. In Italian, umanità is the subject, ha is the verb, and bisogno di speranza serves as the object phrase. The key difference lies in the idiomatic expression; Italian uses avere bisogno di to express need, whereas English simply uses the verb "needs."

Could including an article change the meaning of the sentence, for example, L'umanità ha bisogno di speranza?

Adding the article as in L'umanità ha bisogno di speranza is also correct and very common. However, omitting the article in the original sentence can lend a more abstract or poetic tone, emphasizing the universal nature of the statement without tying it to a specific defined group.