--- title: "Volo in Elementary Latin" description: "Volo means “I want” or “I wish” in Latin, an irregular verb you use with infinitives to express desire, intention, and commands in Elementary Latin." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/volo" type: "key-term" subject: "Elementary Latin" unit: "Unit 3" --- # Volo in Elementary Latin ## Definition Volo is the Latin irregular verb meaning “I want” or “I wish.” In Elementary Latin, you use it with an infinitive, like volo videre, to show desire or intention. ## What It Is Volo is the Latin verb for “I want” or “I wish,” and in Elementary Latin it is one of the first irregular verbs you learn because it does not behave like a regular conjugation verb. Its basic present forms are volo, vis, vult, and they show up constantly in short reading passages and grammar drills. The biggest thing to notice is that volo often takes a complementary infinitive. That means the verb of wanting is followed by another verb in the infinitive form, as in volo videre, “I want to see,” or volo venire, “I want to come.” The infinitive tells you what action is desired, while volo tells you the speaker’s attitude toward it. This is not the same pattern as an indirect statement. In Latin, indirect statements usually involve verbs of saying, thinking, or perceiving plus an accusative and infinitive construction. Volo does not work that way in the basic classroom examples, so if you see volo followed by an infinitive, you should think “wanting” or “wishing,” not “reported speech.” Because volo is irregular, you should not expect it to line up neatly with the usual verb endings you see in first, second, third, or fourth conjugation verbs. The form changes in ways you just have to recognize and memorize. That is why teachers often pair it with other high-frequency irregular verbs early in the course. In real translation, volo often adds tone. It can sound plain and direct, like “I want,” or a little softer, like “I wish,” depending on context. A short sentence such as Volo librum legere can be translated naturally as “I want to read the book,” but the exact English wording may shift a bit to match how the Latin sentence feels. ## Why It Matters Volo shows up everywhere in beginner Latin because it gives you a fast way to express desire, purpose, and intention. If you can spot it quickly, you can translate a sentence much more smoothly and avoid confusing it with a regular verb. It also trains you to notice how Latin builds meaning with verb chains. When volo is followed by an infinitive, the two verbs work together: volo gives the attitude, and the infinitive gives the action. That pattern comes up often in simple texts, especially when a character wants to do something, go somewhere, or make a choice. Learning volo also sharpens your eye for irregular forms. Latin reading depends on recognizing forms at a glance, and irregular verbs do not always give you the clean endings you expect. If you know volo, vis, and vult early, you can identify them even in short, untidy passages where every word matters. This term also connects to translation accuracy. A lot of beginner mistakes happen when a student sees an infinitive and tries to force it into a separate clause or treats volo like a regular verb pattern. Knowing how it works keeps you from overcomplicating the sentence and helps you produce cleaner English. ## Connections ### nolo Nolo is the negative form related to volo, and it means “I do not want.” The two verbs are often learned together because they make a clear contrast in meaning and show how Latin can express simple preference or refusal. If you know volo, nolo is an easy extension for reading sentences about someone not wanting to act. ### malo Malo means “I prefer” or “I would rather,” which is a step beyond plain wanting. It is useful for comparing choices, not just expressing desire. In beginner Latin, seeing malo can help you notice that Latin often packs a lot of meaning into one irregular verb instead of using a longer phrase. ### imperative mood The imperative mood gives commands, while volo expresses wanting or wishing. They can appear close together in meaning because both deal with action and intention, but the grammar is different. If a sentence tells someone what to do, look for the imperative; if it says what someone wants, look for volo plus an infinitive. ### [sum, esse, fui](/elementary-latin/key-terms/sum-esse-fui) Sum is another extremely common irregular verb, and it is often the first one students master before moving on to others like volo. Comparing the two helps you see that irregular verbs do not all behave the same way, even though they are all high-frequency and worth memorizing early. Both are essential for reading basic Latin sentences smoothly. ## On the AP Exam A translation quiz or chapter test may give you a short sentence with volo and ask you to identify its form or translate the whole clause. Your job is to recognize that volo means “I want” or “I wish,” then connect it to the infinitive that follows. If you see volo videre, do not split it into two unrelated verbs, translate it as one idea: “I want to see.” In sentence analysis, you may also be asked to explain why volo is irregular or to compare it with a regular verb form. When you are parsing, check the subject first, then match the correct present form, since volo, vis, and vult are easy to mix up in fast reading. ## volo vs nolo Nolo is the negative relative of volo, meaning “I do not want.” They are easy to mix up because they sound similar and both express desire, but the meanings point in opposite directions. If you see nolo, the sentence is about refusal or lack of desire, not wanting. ## Key Takeaways - Volo means “I want” or “I wish” in Latin, and it is an irregular verb that does not follow normal conjugation patterns. - The forms you should know early are volo, vis, and vult, because they appear often in beginner reading. - Volo commonly takes a complementary infinitive, so volo videre means “I want to see.” - Do not treat volo like an indirect statement verb, because it does not use the same accusative and infinitive structure in basic examples. - If you can spot volo quickly, you can translate desire, intention, and preference with much less guesswork. ## FAQs ### What is volo in Elementary Latin? Volo is the Latin irregular verb meaning “I want” or “I wish.” In Elementary Latin, it usually appears with an infinitive to show what action someone wants to do, such as volo venire, “I want to come.” ### How do you use volo with an infinitive? You put volo before an infinitive to make a simple phrase of desire or intention. For example, volo videre means “I want to see.” The infinitive names the action, and volo shows the speaker’s wanting. ### Is volo an irregular verb? Yes, volo is irregular, so it does not follow the standard pattern of regular Latin conjugations. That is why forms like volo, vis, and vult need to be memorized directly instead of guessed from a normal ending pattern. ### What is the difference between volo and nolo? Volo means “I want,” while nolo means “I do not want.” They are closely related and often taught together, but nolo flips the meaning into refusal or lack of desire. That makes them a common pair in translation practice. ## Related Study Guides - [3.5 Irregular verbs](/elementary-latin/unit-3/irregular-verbs/study-guide/h1ce1ec6KOy8jEWh) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/volo#resource","name":"Volo in Elementary Latin","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/volo","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/volo#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:21:22.598Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"Elementary Latin Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://fiveable.me/editorial#content-team","name":"Fiveable Content Team","url":"https://fiveable.me/editorial","parentOrganization":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/#organization"},"member":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda DoAmaral","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/adoamaral"]},{"@type":"Person","name":"Becky Bahr","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-bahr-b52743132"]}]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/volo#term","name":"volo","description":"Volo is the Latin irregular verb meaning “I want” or “I wish.” In Elementary Latin, you use it with an infinitive, like volo videre, to show desire or intention.","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms/volo","inDefinedTermSet":{"@type":"DefinedTermSet","name":"Elementary Latin Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/elementary-latin/key-terms"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is volo in Elementary Latin?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Volo is the Latin irregular verb meaning “I want” or “I wish.” In Elementary Latin, it usually appears with an infinitive to show what action someone wants to do, such as volo venire, “I want to come.”"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you use volo with an infinitive?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You put volo before an infinitive to make a simple phrase of desire or intention. 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