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42 / Webster’s New World 575+ Italian Verbs

Certain verbs, including verbs of perception and impersonal verbs, can be followed
by an infinitive. Below is a list of the most common verbs followed by the infini-
tive. If one of these verbs is followed by another verb, the first verb is conjugated,
and the second verb is used in the infinitive—for example, Sai nuotare? (Can you
swim?).
amare (“to love”)
ascoltare (“to listen”)
bastare (“to be enough”)
bisogna (“it is necessary”)
desiderare (“to wish”)
dovere (“must,” “to have to”)
fare (“to make”)
gradire (“to appreciate)
guardare (“to look at”)
lasciare (“to let,” “to allow”)
occorrere (“to be necessary”)
osare (“to dare”)
osservare (“to observe”)
parere (“to seem”)
piacere (“to like”)
potere (“to be able”)
preferire (“to prefer”)
sapere (“to know how”)
sembrare (“to seem”)
sentire (“to hear,” “to listen”)
vedere (“to see”)
volere (“to want”)

Certain verbs require a preposition before the infinitive. For example, the verb
andare requires the preposition a. If andare is followed by another verb (to go danc-
ing), the sequence andare + a + infinitive is used. As in the first example below,
andare is conjugated, and the second verb is used in the infinitive (for example,
Vado a ballare [I go dancing]). In English, either the –ing form gerund or the infini-
tive can be used:

Vado a ballare. I’m going dancing.
Hanno deciso di partire in treno. They decided to leave by train.
Proviamo a entrare. Let’s try to go in.

The Appendix of Verbs Used with Prepositions lists verbs requiring the preposition
a and a list of verbs requiring the preposition di.
Note that the subjunctive is used if there is a change of subject after the verbs and
in expressions that normally require the infinitive (with or without a preposition),
especially verbs and expressions of thought, doubt, hope, fear, promise, denial, or
desire:
Spero di finire il lavoro domani. I hope to finish the work tomorrow.
Spero che tu finisca il lavoro domani. I hope you’ll finish the work
tomorrow.