# want somebody to do something



## merquiades

In English we have a peculiar verbal structure when using verbs of volition

Want, need + person + to do + something

I want you to dance.  She wants me to work hard.  They need me to do it by tomorrow.

This structure is difficult for foreign students of English even on the highest level and one of the last assimilated.  It seems like in most languages (I know of) the equivalent is the structure  
Want, need + that + someone + does (this verb in subjunctive if the language has it) + something.

ex)  Spanish
Quiero que bailes conmigo. Quiere que trabaje duro. Necesitan que lo haga para mañana.
Literal translation:  *I want that you dance with me.  *She wants that I work hard.  *They need that I do it for tomorrow.

I would like to know 1) if any language has a similar construction to English; 2) what language(s) use the more common second structure; 3) if there is another option in some languages; 4) an example would be appreciated.


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## rusita preciosa

In Russian the construction is 


merquiades said:


> Want, need + that + someone + does + something.


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## Orlin

In Bulgarian we say: Аз искам някой да направи нещо (I want + somebody + subjunctive conjunction + do something).


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## Rallino

In Turkish, it's a little more complicated:

"To want somebody to do something" is phrased as below:

From somebody - something+accusative - doing (noun form of the verb)+possession suffix+accusative - to want.


Ex: I want you to take the pencil.

Senden kalemi almanı istiyorum.
(From-you pencil-the taking-your want-I)


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## Orlin

Rallino said:


> In Turkish, it's a little more complicated:
> 
> "To want somebody to do something" is phrased as below:
> 
> From somebody - something(accusative) - doing (noun form of the verb)- possession suffix - to want.
> 
> 
> Ex: I want you to take the pencil.
> 
> Senden kalemi almanı istiyorum.
> (From-you pencil-the taking-your want-I)


This helped me remember another alternative in Bulgarian: Аз искам от някого да направи нещо (I want + from somebody + subjunct. conj. + do + something).
Your sentence in Bulgarian can be:
1. (Аз) искам (ти) да вземеш молива.
2. (Аз) искам от теб(е) да вземеш молива.
Subject pronouns are optional.


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## merquiades

Orlin said:


> In Bulgarian we say: Аз искам някой да направи нещо (I want + somebody + subjunctive conjunction + do something).



Is the "do something" an infinitive or is it a conjugated verb with the subject being "somebody"?




			
				Rusita Preciosa said:
			
		

> In Russian the construction is
> Cita:
> Iniciado por merquiades
> Want, need + that + someone + does + something.




Rusita, could you give me an example in Russian?  Thanks!



			
				Rallino said:
			
		

> From somebody - something+accusative - doing (noun form of the verb)+possession suffix+accusative - to want.



Rallino, I'll have to think some about the Turkish structure.  It's very philosophical.  Can all verbs become nouns?   Like if I say, I want him to marry her.
From him marriage-the to her want I?  Is that how it works?


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## Orlin

merquiades said:


> Is the "do something" an infinitive or is it a conjugated verb with the subject being "somebody"?


Bulgarian has no infinitive and uses да+present tense (quasi-subjunctive) instead.


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## Maroseika

rusita preciosa said:


> In Russian the construction is
> Want, need + that + someone + does + something.



I think in Russian it's rather like in Spanish, i.e. using Subjunctive mood:
Want, need + that + someone + would do something.
Я хочу, чтобы ты пришел. - Quiero que llegues. - I want you to come.


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## Rallino

merquiades said:


> Rallino, I'll have to think some about the Turkish structure.  It's very philosophical.  Can all verbs become nouns?   Like if I say, I want him to marry her.
> From him marriage-the to her want I?  Is that how it works?



Exactly. And let not the noun forms frighten you. In English as far as I know, you can't guess the noun form of a verb, say, "to marry" as *marriage*. You have to know it by heart. 

In Turkish, there is a very simple method. All verbs end in "k". You omit that "k", and it is now a noun.

Evlenmek = to marry
Evlenme = marrying, marriage


I want him to marry her.

O = he/she

Ondan _(or Onun*)_, onunla evlenmesini istiyorum.
(from-him, with-her marrying-his want-I.)


*Just noticed that apart from the ablative case, genitive can also be used.


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## sakvaka

*Finnish*.

_Hän haluaa, että minä työskentelen kovasti._
_Hän haluaa minun työskentelevän kovasti._

The structures are: 1) a standard that-clause, 2) a participial phrase ("lauseenvastike") that consists of a genitive "subject" (lit. who's doings it's all about) and a present participle verb in instructive *accusative* (sorry!).


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## jazyk

> ex)  Spanish
> Quiero que bailes conmigo. Quiere que trabaje duro. Necesitan que lo haga para mañana.


Not surprisingly, Portuguese is like Spanish and needs the subjunctive: Quero que dances comigo. Quero que trabalhe muito/dê duro. Necessitam/Precisam que o faça para amanhã.


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## merquiades

jazyk said:


> Not surprisingly, Portuguese is like Spanish and needs the subjunctive: Quero que dances comigo. Quero que trabalhe muito/dê duro. Necessitam/Precisam que o faça para amanhã.



No, not surprisingly.  I remember Portuguese having a personal infinitive.  Can you use that here?
Quero tu dançares comigo.
Well, probably not


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## Rallino

merquiades said:


> No, not surprisingly.  I remember Portuguese having a personal infinitive.  Can you use that here?
> Quero tu dançares comigo.
> Well, probably not



I think you need a second verb to use that. Like: Quero ver tu dançares conmigo.

But I'm not too sure.


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## merquiades

Rallino said:


> I think you need a second verb to use that. Like: Quero ver tu dançares conmigo.
> 
> But I'm not too sure.



I remember in a class in Portugal the prof saying you could say something like
É preciso que tu venhas  or
É preciso tu vires
It's necessary for you to come.
But I never used the second type cause I never really understood it.
It just came to me reading Jazyk's post that maybe that was possible here though it is a different construction.
We'll see what he says.

I think I understand the Turkish construction now. Thanks!


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## merquiades

sakvaka said:


> *Finnish*.
> 
> _Hän haluaa, että minä työskentelen kovasti._
> _Hän haluaa minun työskentelevän kovasti._
> 
> The structures are: 1) a standard that-clause, 2) a participial phrase ("lauseenvastike") that consists of a genitive "subject" (lit. who's doings it's all about) and a present participle verb in instructive *accusative* (sorry!).



Is the second option more literary?


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## jazyk

> No, not surprisingly.  I remember Portuguese having a personal infinitive.  Can you use that here?
> Quero tu dançares comigo.
> Well, probably not


No.



> I think you need a second verb to use that. Like: Quero ver tu dançares conmigo.


That's not correct.


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## merquiades

Ok. crystal clear. Thanks Jazyk and Rallino.



			
				Orlin said:
			
		

> Bulgarian has no infinitive and uses да+present tense (quasi-subjunctive) instead.



Ok, that's another possibility then.

In Bulgarian you say   
I want somebody that he does something.
I want from somebody that he does something.

Spasiba


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## ilocas2

Czech:

Chce, abych tancoval. - He/She wants me to dance.
Chci, abys tancoval. - I want you to dance.
Chci, aby tancoval. - I want him to dance.
Chce, abychom tancovali. - He/She wants us to dance.
Chci, abyste tancovali. - I want you to dance.
Chci, aby tancovali. - I want they to dance.

Conjugated form of want + conjugated form of auxillary verb (person depends on object) + past participle corresponding to gender of object (_singular:_ tancoval - masculine gender, tancovala - feminine gender, tancovalo - neuter gender (in this concrete case it's rare), _plural:_ tancovali - masculine animate gender, tancovaly - masculine inanimate gender and feminine gender, tancovala - neuter gender (in this concrete case it's rare) (in colloquial language is also "tancovaly" for neuter gender, "tancovali" and "tancovaly" are pronounced the same))

The same for "need":

Potřebují, abych to udělal do zítra. - They need me to do it by tomorrow.

In colloquial language is often said:

"abysem" instead of "abych"
"abysi" instead of "abys"
"abysme" instead of "abychom" - almost always


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## Tjahzi

*Swedish* uses "the second option". Both verbs in the present tense, there is no subjunctive mood.

_Jag vill att du gör det.
_I want that you do it.

On a side note, one cannot replace _want (vilja/vill) _with _need_ _(behöva/behöver)_. The phrase _I need you to do it_ must be rewritten.


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## sakvaka

merquiades said:


> Is the second option more literary?


 
Indeed it is. And, as in Swedish, the phrase _need someone to do sth_ is not possible.


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## ThomasK

Dutch : ik wil dat je dat doet (want + that + subclause). 

I could imagine a variant "Ik wil je dat zien doen", but that is different, I think : "I want to see you do it" focuses on the seeing, it seems to me.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
_I want you to dance_:
1a/ «Θέλω να χορέψεις» ('θelo na xo'repsis)-->1st person (singular) verb in indicative mood + generic subordinator + 2nd person (singular) verb in subjunctive mood*. Something like, _I want to you dance_.
1b/ «Σε θέλω να χορέψεις» (se 'θelo na xo'repsis)--> 2nd person pre-verbal clitic accusative pronoun (for emphasis) + 1st person (singular) verb in indicative mood + generic subordinator + 2nd person (singular) verb in subjunctive mood*. Something like, _You, I want to you dance_. 
_She wants me to work hard_:
2a/ «θέλει να εργαστώ/δουλέψω σκληρά» ([she] 'θeli na erɣa'sto [formal]/ðu'lepso [vernacular] skli'ra)--> 3rd person (singular) verb in indicative mood + generic subordinator + 2nd person (singular) verb in subjunctive mood* + adverb. Something like _[she] wants to I work hard_.
2b/ «Με θέλει να εργαστώ/δουλέψω σκληρά» ([she] me 'θeli na erɣa'sto [formal]/ðu'lepso [vernacular] skli'ra)--> 1st person pre-verbal clitic accusative pronoun (for emphasis) + 3rd person verb (singular) in indicative mood + generic subordinator + 2nd person (singular) verb in subjunctive mood* + adverb. Something like, _me, [she] wants to I work hard_.
_They need me to do it by tomorrow_:
3a/ «Θέλουν να το κάνω μέχρι αύριο» ([they] 'θelun na to 'kano 'mexri 'avrio)--> 3rd person (plural) verb in indicative mood + generic subordinator + neuter (singular) definite article + 1st person (singular) verb in subjunctive mood*. Something like, _[they] want to it I do until tomorrow_. 
3b/ «Με θέλουν να το κάνω μέχρι αύριο» (me [they] 'θelun na to 'kano 'mexri 'avrio)--> 1st person pre-verbal clitic accusative pronoun (for emphasis) + 3rd person (plural) verb in indicative mood + generic subordinator + neuter (singular) definite article + 1st person (singular) verb in subjunctive mood*. Something like _Me, [they] want to it I do until tomorrow_. 

*Modern Greek subjunctive is the morphological descendent of the Classical: a) future tense indicative, b) aorist subjunctive. When these forms are prefaced with «θα» (θa) serve as future tense, and when are prefaced with «να» (na) serve as subjunctive.


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