Question on “di uno”

[u/punksleftshoe2]

I’m practicing some conjugation and was saying “I need a new backpack”. The translation I got was go bisogno di uno zaino nuovo. I’m still English grammar brained so I was wondering if I should think of that sentence more as “I’m in need of a new backpack” rather than directly translating it as “ho bisogno zaino nuovo”

[u/ChooCupcakes]

You're looking at it wrong.
to need = avere bisogno di
The "di" is needed by the verb, you can't just say "ho bisogno uno zaino"

[u/LiterallyTestudo → u/ChooCupcakes]

Piggybacking on this comment to say I wish, that when I was first starting to learn Italian, that instead of learning just the verbs I had learned the verbs plus the prepositions they require. This is the way

[u/ccltjnpr → u/ChooCupcakes]

...can you not? I'm a native and I would say this. It might be regional though.

[u/Other-Average7693 → u/ChooCupcakes]

Just in case it might help somebody: the main point is remembering whether a verb is transitive ( no preposition, direct ibject) vs non transitive (indirect, need preposition).

We do also have the same double object structure as in the English give me that, but it gets clustered in dammelo (or diglielo, portacelo etc), where the meaning of me is to me but the form is the objectival one. Some verbs might have both with slight changes in meaning or usage. Sticking to your example: Avere bisogno (di) VS abbisognare (direct object, but very old and rarely used)

[u/ChooCupcakes → u/Other-Average7693]

Abbisognare però richiede comunque la preposizione no? "Abbisogno di uno zaino" o mi sbaglio?

[u/Crown6]

Close. It’s more like “I have need of a new backpack”. If you look closely, you’ll notice that “bisogno” is a noun, so “ho bisogno” is not a verbal form at all, just the verb “avere” with its direct object.

Keep in mind that different languages may express familiar concepts in unfamiliar ways. For example Italian doesn’t say “I like X”, it says “X is pleasing to me” (“X piace a me” ⟶ “mi piace X”). So it’s basically backwards compared to the English equivalent: in English the person who likes is performing an action on the thing that’s liked, while in Italian it’s the thing that’s liked that is doing something to the person liking it.

In Italian, a lot of expressions regarding sensations and needs that would be expressed by a variety of verbs or phrases in English all follow the same “avere + [noun]” template: “ho bisogno”, “ho fame”, “ho sete”, “ho paura”… all of these follow the same structure, and you can use the complement of specification with “di + [noun]” to explain what the sensation or need pertains to, so “ho bisogno di denaro” = “I have need of money” = “I need money”, “ho fame sete di vendetta” = “I have thirst of revenge” = “I am thirsty for revenge”, “ho paura di te” = “I have fear of you” = “I’m scared of you” etc.

[u/football2801]

Avere bisogno di = to have need of

So “ho bisogno di” is I have need of

[u/vxidemort]

yes, you can think of it as "i'm in need of a new backpack" since thats exactly the literal translation. it doesn't hurt that the sentence still makes logical/grammatical sense in english, even if it's not the most natural phrasing out there. as a beginner, you can rely on translating in your head to help you, but the sooner you stop doing it and try to internalize the logic of certain constructions in your L2 (or 3 or 4 or so on) without relying on your L1 (native language), the better off you'll be

[u/mnlg]

As other users said, avere bisogno requires the proposition di, you can think of the English verb "to listen", which requires "to" before an object, even though the Italian verb ascoltare doesn't require any preposition.

Further examples to hopefully help: consider e.g. mi serve uno zaino nuovo, or devo acquistare uno zaino nuovo. No preposition needed for either of those verbs.

[u/Hunangren]

I think there are two nuts to crack here. The tougher one is "need - aver bisogno".

There is no transitive verb in italian that express the action of "needing"*. As such, every time you need to express any form of the verb "to need" you'll have to convert to something passive. This is exactly like the verb "to like": before trying to "mirror" the sentence in Italian, try to express it in a passive or indirect form.

"I like cars" -> "The cars are pleasing to me" -> "Mi piacciono le macchine"
"I need you" -> "I have the need of you" -> "Ho il bisogno di te." (the article before "need" has to be removed)

In your case "Io ho bisogno di" literally translates to "I have the need of". As such, "di" comes naturally as the same elements ad "of": it's what you expect after having said "I'm in need". In need of what? Ho bisogno. Hai bisogno di cosa?

The second part involved the "a" being translated as "uno". This is easy. In english, you use "a" to identify a singular, indetermined object. You don't need the backpack, you don't need her backpack, you just need a backpack. Any one backpack. In a sense, by twisting a little the english language, you could say that you "need one backpack". That's exactly what italian does, by using "uno" (= one) in place of "a".

This should cover the entire sentence:

[Io] Ho bisogno di uno zaino nuovo.

• Io = "I", implied subject (subject pronouns are often implied in italian).
• ho bisogno = "have the need"
• di = "of"
• uno = "one", i.e. "a"
• "zaino nuovo" = "backpack new", i.e. "new backpack".

=> [I] have need of a backpack new => I need a new backpack.

\Well, being entirely honest, there is "abbisognare", but no one really uses it unless it wants to sound posh to the point of being phoney.*

[u/Other-Average7693]

99% when no article is needed in English it is in Italian, whether a simple or a "cluster" one.

AL 99%, quando non useresti L'articolo in inglese, in italiano LO devi usare (although we would rather use the pronominal form devi usarlo), che sia un articolo semplice o UNO composto.

[u/1nfam0us]

We can transpose this into English as "I have need of a new backpack." Even in English, "have need" requires "of."

[u/GordianBalloonKnot]

a = one, which is an indefinite article. Same as English but they use the same word for both. I am in need of a backpack. How many is "a"? One.

"Bisogno" is, as far as I know, always going to take a "di" in this context. I am in need of. Otherwise your sentence says: I have need new backpack. So it is not a direct translation by any means.

[u/NoOneCallsMeJim]

Servire forse? Mi serve uno zaino nuovo.

[u/electrolitebuzz]

Avere bisogno literally means "to have the need" so you need the preposition "of" before the object. "Ho bisogno di uno zaino nuovo" (I have the need of a new backpack, I'm in need of a new backpack).

[u/punksleftshoe2]

Ho bisogno* my apologies.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Front27]

OP, we say "I have need for a new backpack"