This week’s Italian phrase can sound romantic, sweet or desperate depending on how it is said, and to whom it is directed!
Ho bisogno di te!
I need you!
Ho bisogno di
In Italian, needs are expressed using the construction avere bisogno di which literally translates as to have need of. It can be followed by a noun or a verb, as in the following examples:
– avere bisogno di tempo = to need time
– avere bisogno di mangiare = to need to eat
In the first person indicative form, avere (to have) becomes ho (I have).
te
is a tonic pronoun (pronome tonico) that means you. This kind of pronoun is always accompanied by a preposition – in this case di (of).
Here is how this phrase would be expressed with the rest of the pronouns:
Ho bisogno di me.
(I need me/myself.)
Ho bisogno di te.
(I need you.) – informal
Ho bisogno di lui.
(I need him.)
Ho bisogno di lei.
(I need her.)
Ho bisogno di Lei.
(I need you.) – formal
Ho bisogno di noi.
(I need us.)
Ho bisogno di voi.
(I need you.) – plural
Ho bisogno di loro.
(I need them.)
Lo sai che ho bisogno di te. Non ce la faccio ad andare avanti da solo.
You know I need you. I can’t keep going on my own.
In Italian, another way of translating ‘to need‘ is with the verb servire, but it tends to be used for things rather than people. In fact, in a romantic context, one should never use this verb because it strongly implies the “usage” of another person, and can therefore sound very rude.
There is one situation where you might hear it, however, and that is when someone in a superior position demands the immediate assistance of a subordinate.
Mi serve il tecnico qui, subito! – Non ho il suo numero. – Trovalo! Deve venire qui a risolvere questo casino immediatamente!
I need the technician here, right now! – I don’t have his number. – Find it! He needs to come here and fix this mess immediately!
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
