Italian for Elementary Learners: Saying What You Want to Be and Do in the Future
Learn to talk about career aspirations and future plans in Italian using volere, the future tense, and expressions like ho intenzione di and punto a.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn how to talk about your future work in Italian. You will practise saying what job you want, what you are aiming for, and what you plan to do. The key structures are volere (to want), the simple future tense, and phrases like ho intenzione di (I intend to) and punto a (I'm aiming for). These are different from talking about study habits, which usually uses the present tense and frequency words like di solito (usually) or ogni giorno (every day). Here the focus is on the future.
By the end, you can…
- say what job I want to do using voglio fare and voglio essere.
- talk about a promotion or a future goal using punto a and ho intenzione di.
- use the simple future tense to say what I will do in my career.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Voglio fare il medico.
I want to be a doctor.
VOH-lyoh FAH-reh eel MEH-dee-koh
Use fare + definite article + profession for most jobs. For a woman: Voglio fare la medica.
Voglio diventare infermiera.
I want to become a nurse.
VOH-lyoh dee-vehn-TAH-reh een-fehr-MYEH-rah
diventare (to become) is common for professions. Infermiera is feminine; infermiere is masculine.
Punto a una promozione.
I'm aiming for a promotion.
POON-toh ah OO-nah proh-moht-TSYOH-neh
punto a means I aim at / I'm aiming for. It is followed by a noun.
Ho intenzione di cambiare lavoro.
I intend to change jobs.
oh een-tehn-TSYOH-neh dee kahm-BYA-reh lah-VOH-roh
ho intenzione di + infinitive expresses a firm intention.
L'anno prossimo cercherò un lavoro nuovo.
Next year I will look for a new job.
LAHN-noh PROHS-see-moh chehr-keh-ROH oon lah-VOH-roh NWOH-voh
cercherò is the first-person future of cercare. Use it for future plans.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To say what job you want, use volere + fare + article + profession: Voglio fare l'insegnante (I want to be a teacher). With essere, the article is dropped: Voglio essere insegnante is also correct but less common in everyday speech. For a woman, the profession often changes: Voglio fare l'insegnante works for both, but Voglio fare il medico becomes Voglio fare la medica. To talk about aims, use punto a + noun: Punto a una promozione. To talk about intentions, use ho intenzione di + infinitive: Ho intenzione di studiare medicina.
When to use it
Use the simple future when you talk about a plan that is not yet fixed or that happens later: L'anno prossimo lavorerò all'estero (Next year I will work abroad). Use the present tense for a plan you have already arranged: Domani comincio il nuovo lavoro (Tomorrow I start the new job). Use voglio when you express a desire, and vorrei when you want to be polite: Vorrei fare il medico (I would like to be a doctor). In a job interview, vorrei and ho intenzione di sound more professional than voglio.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Cosa vuoi fare dopo l'università?
What do you want to do after university?KOH-zah VWOH-ee FAH-reh DOH-poh loo-nee-vehr-see-TAHVoglio fare la medico. Punto a una specializzazione in pediatria.
I want to be a doctor. I'm aiming for a specialization in pediatrics.VOH-lyoh FAH-reh lah MEH-dee-koh. POON-toh ah OO-nah speh-tsyah-leed-tsah-TSYOH-neh een peh-dyah-TREE-ahBene! E hai intenzione di restare in Italia?
Good! And do you intend to stay in Italy?BEH-neh! eh eye een-tehn-TSYOH-neh dee reh-STAH-reh een ee-TAH-lyahSì, l'anno prossimo cercherò un posto in un ospedale qui.
Yes, next year I will look for a position in a hospital here.see, LAHN-noh PROHS-see-moh chehr-keh-ROH oon POHS-toh een oon oh-speh-DAH-leh kweeA little context goes a long way
In Italian workplaces, ambition is often expressed with understatement. Punto a una promozione is fine with colleagues, but in a formal interview you might say Vorrei crescere professionalmente (I would like to grow professionally). In northern Italy, career talk is generally more direct; in the south, personal relationships matter more, so aspirazioni are often discussed with people you trust. Use Lei (formal you) with superiors: Lei che lavoro vorrebbe fare?
One thing to watch for
Saying Voglio essere un medico with the article un.
Try this instead: With essere and a profession, Italian normally drops the article: Voglio essere medico. With fare, the article is used: Voglio fare il medico. For a woman: Voglio fare la medico or la medica.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I want to be an engineer' for a male speaker?
Show a sample answer
Voglio fare l'ingegnere.
Use fare + l' before a vowel-initial profession. Voglio essere ingegnere is also correct but less common.
2Translate: 'I intend to look for a new job.'
Show a sample answer
Ho intenzione di cercare un nuovo lavoro.
ho intenzione di is followed by the infinitive cercare. Ho intenzione di cercare un lavoro nuovo is also acceptable.
3Make this polite for a job interview: 'Voglio una promozione.'
Show a sample answer
Vorrei una promozione.
Vorrei is the polite conditional of volere. In a formal context it sounds more professional than voglio.
Use voglio fare + article + profession for what you want to be, punto a + noun for what you aim for, and ho intenzione di + infinitive for what you plan to do. Use the future tense for later plans, and vorrei to sound polite.
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