Skip to content

desiderare

desire

verb deh-zee-deh-RAH-reh Less Common

Origin: from Latin desiderare

Also means

wish

Usage Note

Desiderare is to want or wish for something, more intense and polite than volere. A shop assistant's classic question is Desidera? ('Can I help you?'), and lasciare a desiderare means 'to leave something to be desired'.

Examples

"Desidero un caffè, grazie."

Natural Translation

I'd like a coffee, thank you.

Literal Translation

I-desire a coffee, thanks.

Explore Italian by topic