Question 1

Why use the past tense volevo if the person is asking for the haircut right now?

Accepted Answer

This is the imperfetto attenuativo (polite imperfect). Even though the request is happening in the present, Italians often use the imperfect to soften the statement so it doesn't sound like a blunt demand. It translates roughly to 'I was wanting' or 'I was hoping to get'.

Question 2

Is there a difference between using volevo and the conditional vorrei in this context?

Accepted Answer

Both are polite ways to ask for something, but they have slightly different conversational flavors. Vorrei (I would like) is the standard polite request. Volevo is very common in spoken Italian and is typically used to announce the reason you just approached someone, such as walking up to a hairdresser to state why you came in.

Question 3

The English translation says 'from this photo'. Why does the Italian use di instead of da?

Accepted Answer

While English uses 'from' to indicate where the inspiration came from, Italian uses di (of) to create a descriptive link. You are literally asking for 'the hairstyle of this photo'. Using da here would sound unnatural, as if the physical photograph itself is giving you the haircut.

Question 4

What is the origin of the noun acconciatura?

Accepted Answer

It comes from the verb acconciare (to arrange, fix, or style). The suffix -tura is frequently added to Italian verbs to create a noun representing the action or the result of that action, similar to how chiudere (to close) becomes chiusura (closure) or spazzare (to sweep) becomes spazzatura (garbage).

Volevo l'acconciatura di questa foto.

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