Expressing Necessity with "Volerci"
To express what is needed or required to do a task—translating roughly to "it takes" or "one needs"—Italian uses the pronominal verb volerci. It is formed by combining the verb volere (to want) with the pronoun ci.
Because the "thing needed" is the grammatical subject of the sentence, volerci in the present tense is almost exclusively used in just two forms. You must choose the form based on whether the required item is singular or plural:
| Form | Usage |
|---|---|
| ci vuole | Before a singular or uncountable noun |
| ci vogliono | Before a plural noun |
| It takes a lot of time to learn a martial art. | Per imparare un'arte marziale ci vuole molto tempo. |
| It takes years of training to understand this martial art. | Ci vogliono anni di allenamento per capire quest'arte marziale. |
Abstract Qualities
Learning a martial art (un'arte marziale) is demanding. You can use volerci to express the abstract qualities, mental states, or effort required to succeed.
| It takes the right technique to block a punch. | Ci vuole la tecnica giusta per bloccare un pugno. |
| It takes extreme self-control not to injure your opponent. | Ci vuole un autocontrollo estremo per non ferire l'avversario. |
| It takes a lot of courage for a real fight. | Per un combattimento reale, ci vuole molto coraggio. |
Concrete Materials and Equipment
Volerci is equally useful for stating tangible, physical requirements, such as the space or gear needed to practice. Remember to switch to ci vogliono if you require multiple items.
| You need a kimono to practice properly. | Per praticare bene, ci vuole un kimono. |
| You need two tatami mats to practice comfortably. | Ci vogliono due tatami per praticare comodamente. |
Achieving Mastery
As you train, what you need to progress will naturally evolve. You can pair volerci with phrases like sempre meno (less and less) or sempre più (more and more) to describe shifting requirements over time.
| As you practice, you need less and less physical effort, but more and more technique. | Mentre si pratica, ci vuole sempre meno sforzo fisico, ma sempre più tecnica. |
| It takes a whole lifetime to perfect this art. | Ci vuole una vita intera per perfezionare quest'arte. |
| It takes absolute mastery to win the tournament. | Ci vuole una padronanza assoluta per vincere il torneo. |