bisogno

Bisogno is a masculine Italian noun that denotes a need, requirement, or essential condition. It can refer to concrete requirements or to more abstract needs, such as the need for rest, security, or recognition. In philosophy, sociology, and economics, it is used to discuss human needs at different levels, from basic physiological requirements to higher-level psychological or social needs. The plural form is bisogni.

In everyday Italian, the standard construction is avere bisogno di followed by a noun, pronoun, or an infinitive. Examples: Ho bisogno di aiuto. Hai bisogno di dormire? C’è bisogno di più risorse. Non c’è bisogno di preoccuparsi. The phrase can also appear in its impersonal form bisogna, used without ha to express general necessity: Bisogna studiare per superare l’esame.

Semantically, bisogni are commonly categorized as physiological (fame, sete, sonno) and non-physiological (sicurezza, appartenenza, stima, autorealizzazione). In analyses such as Maslow’s hierarchy, bisogni occupy different levels, guiding behavior and social policy. In everyday speech, bisogni may be heightened by context or urgency, as in bisogni urgenti o immediati.

Etimology and history: the term originates in medieval Italian and is historically linked to the concept of necessity or obligation. It appears in various idiomatic expressions and has given rise to the impersonal form bisogna, used to state general necessities.

See also: necessità, fame, sete, bisogni fisiologici, gerarchie di bisogni.