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How to Say ‘What did you want to know?’ in Italian

Cosa voleva sapere?

KO-sa voh-LEH-vah sah-PEH-reh

[KO-sa voh-LEH-vah sah-PEH-reh]

💬 Usage Tip: The polite "you" uses the same verb form as "he/she": voleva, not volevi. So Cosa voleva sapere? could also mean "What did he want to know?".

Phrase Breakdown

Cosa

[KO-sa]

What

Used to specify something unknown.

Example

Dire cosa vuoi vedere.

Say what you want to watch.

voleva

[voh-LEH-vah]

you wanted (formal)

Imperfect of 'volere', used with formal 'Lei' politely.

Example

Voleva prenotare un tavolo?

Did you want to book a table?

sapere

[sah-PEH-reh]

to know

With 'far' it means let someone know.

Example

Fammi sapere domani.

Let me know tomorrow.

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