Question 1

The translation says "I wanted," but since this lesson is about the polite imperfect, could this also mean "I would like"?

Accepted Answer

Exactly. This is the imperfetto attenuativo (mitigating imperfect) in action. While it literally translates to the past tense "I wanted," native speakers constantly use volevo in present-day situations to soften a request. If you are at a hair salon, saying volevo un risultato... sounds much less demanding than using the direct present tense voglio (I want).

Question 2

How does using volevo for a polite request differ from using the conditional vorrei?

Accepted Answer

In daily spoken Italian, they are often interchangeable for polite requests. Vorrei (I would like) is the standard, textbook way to be polite. Volevo is slightly more colloquial and frames your request as an ongoing thought you brought into the shop with you ("I was wanting..."). It feels very natural and unpretentious in retail or casual service settings.

Question 3

Just as a refresher, why doesn't molto change to match the masculine singular risultato voluminoso?

Accepted Answer

Because molto is being used as an adverb here, meaning "very," to modify the adjective voluminoso. Adverbs are invariable, meaning their endings never change. Molto only changes its ending to agree with a noun when it acts as an adjective meaning "a lot of" or "many" (for example, molti risultati).

Question 4

In what everyday context would an Italian typically ask for a risultato molto voluminoso?

Accepted Answer

You will hear this specific phrasing most often in styling and design contexts. It is exactly what you would say at the hairdresser (il parrucchiere) when asking for a blowout with a lot of body, or perhaps when discussing how you want a piece of clothing to fit at a tailor.

Volevo un risultato molto voluminoso.

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