Learn Italian: Ci vogliono anni di allenamento per capire quest'arte marziale. - It takes years of training to understand this martial art.

Ci vogliono anni di allenamento per capire quest'arte marziale.

It takes years of training to understand this martial art.

Breakdown of Ci vogliono anni di allenamento per capire quest'arte marziale.

Questions & Answers about Ci vogliono anni di allenamento per capire quest'arte marziale.

Why is it ci vogliono (plural) when the English translation says "It takes" (singular)?

With the verb volerci (to take / to be needed), the thing that is needed acts as the grammatical subject. Here, the subject is the plural noun anni (years), so the verb must be conjugated in the plural as ci vogliono. If it took only one year, you would use the singular: ci vuole un anno.

What is the difference between using volerci here instead of metterci?

Volerci describes a general, objective necessity—it takes years of training for anyone to understand this art. If you used the verb metterci instead (ci mettono anni), it would change the meaning to refer to a specific group of people: "They take years to understand it."

Why do we use the preposition per before capire?

When an infinitive verb expresses the purpose or goal of an action, Italian uses per (meaning "in order to"). Here, the years of training are required specifically in order to understand the martial art.

Why is quest'arte written with an apostrophe?