Potere, dovere and volere

In brief

Use potere (can, may), dovere (must, have to) and volere (want) before another verb to say what you can, need to or want to do. Change the first verb to match the person; leave the following verb in its infinitive form.

Form

Conjugated potere, dovere or volere + infinitive: posso entrare (I can come in), devo partire (I have to leave), voglio mangiare (I want to eat).

Usage

• Use potere for ability or permission: Posso entrare? (May I come in?)
• Use dovere for necessity or obligation: Devi partire? (Do you have to leave?)
• Use volere for wishes: Voglio mangiare. (I want to eat.)
• Put non before the modal to make the statement negative: Non posso venire. (I can’t come.)

Examples

• Posso entrare? — May I come in?
• Devi studiare oggi? — Do you have to study today?
• Voglio bere un caffè. — I want to have a coffee.
• Non possiamo uscire stasera. — We can’t go out tonight.

Common mistake

❌ Posso parlo italiano.

✅ Posso parlare italiano.

After a conjugated modal such as posso, use the infinitive parlare, not another conjugated verb.

Remember

The modal changes with the person; the following infinitive does not.