volessero

Volessero is the third-person plural imperfect subjunctive form of the Italian verb volere (to want). It is used primarily in dependent clauses after verbs and expressions that convey doubt, desire, possibility, or reported speech, and it is more common in formal or literary Italian than in everyday conversation. The imperfect subjunctive is one of the main tenses of the Italian subjunctive and tends to appear in clauses referring to past time, hypothetical situations, or wishes.

Formation: The endings follow the standard pattern for -ere verbs in the imperfect subjunctive. The forms are io volessi, tu volessi, lui/lei volesse, noi volessimo, voi voleste, loro volessero. Therefore volessero is the form used for loro.

Usage notes: Volessero often signals a hypothetical or desired state in the past or in a hypothetical condition introduced by se. It can appear in indirect speech after verbs of thinking, saying, or believing in contexts referring to past time, e.g., "Credevo che volessero partecipare" (I believed that they would want to participate). In contemporary speech, volessero is frequently replaced with vorrebbero or with a different tense of the verb volere, depending on nuance.

Examples: Se volessero unirsi al progetto, dovrebbero comunicarlo. (If they wanted to join the project, they should communicate it.) Penso che volessero partecipare. (I think they would want to participate.) Credevo che volessero dirci la verità. (I believed that they would tell us the truth.)