How to use the verb BISOGNARE in Italian!

The verb bisognare can be tricky an can be troublesome for Italian students…  for this reason in today’s lesson we have decided to make clear how and when it is used, once and for all.

How to use BISOGNARE

In Italian the verb “bisognare” is impersonal: this means that can be only used with the third person singular.

For this reason sentences like  Io bisogno aiuto or Voi bisognate studiare are totally wrong.

In this case it would be appropriate to use the verb NECESSITARE DI (+ sostantivo (noun) /infinito (infinitive))

Io necessito di aiuto. (I need help)

Voi necessitate di studiare. (You need to study)

Find out how to use the verbs METTERCI and VOLERCI!

The verb BISOGNARE, instead, has two main forms:

1. BISOGNA + infinitive  used to talk generally, to refer to everybody

Per godersi un film al cinema bisogna mangiare i pop-corn! (To enjoy a movie at the  you need to eat some popcorn)

2. BISOGNA CHE + subjunctive → used to refer to a particular subject

Se ti fa male il dente, bisogna che tu vada dal dentista! (If you’ve got toothache, you need to go to the dentist)

But there is an alternative:

AVER BISOGNO DI + sostantivo / infinito → in this case the verb is  “avere“ (to have) that can be conjugated with any person. 

Ho bisogno di fare una passeggiata: ho studiato troppo! (I need to go for a walk: I’ve studied too much!)

Ho bisogno di qualche minuto per finire il lavoro. (I need some time to finish the work)

ANDARE or VENIRE? Discover the differences!

Let’s see if you’ve mastered the contents of this class. Have a go at completing the exercises!

3 thoughts to “How to use the verb BISOGNARE in Italian!”

  1. The content you have posted is spectacular. Well done! However, the audio quality is really poor. The sound levels change drastically and, in the case of this lesson, there is too much natural echo in the room. Unfortunately, this makes it very difficult to concentrate on the lesson! I hope you can find someone to help you improve the audio problems in your lessons because everything else you are doing is fantastic!

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