dovrei
The English word 'should' can be translated into Italian as dovrei to express obligation.
dovrei is used to express a suggestion or a conditional obligation.
Meaning: expressing obligation (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use dovrei to express 'should' as a suggestion. If you want to express a direct and certain obligation, such as 'I must', use devo instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form dovrei is the first-person singular conditional of the verb dovere (to have to/must) and specifically refers to 'I' (io). The other forms of this conditional verb include dovresti, dovrebbe, dovremmo, dovreste and dovrebbero.
Did you know?
- The word dovrei shares a linguistic root with the English word 'debt', as both stem from the Latin idea of something that is owed or required.
- In Italian, the subject pronoun io is often omitted when using dovrei because the verb ending already tells the listener you are talking about yourself. Saying io dovrei is grammatically correct but can actually sound slightly redundant or overly emphatic.
- In spoken Italian, people often replace dovrei with the phrase bisognerebbe when they want to say 'one should' in a general, impersonal sense without blaming a specific person.
Examples in context
- Dovrei dirlo a Tom.I should tell Tom.This sentence shows how to use dovrei to express the idea of telling someone something.Tatoeba #4668532 by Guybrush88, translation #2261982 by CK
- Dovrei dirlo a lei?Should I tell her?This sentence demonstrates how to turn dovrei into a question to ask for advice.Tatoeba #5720311 by Guybrush88, translation #3908917 by CH
- Dovrei dirlo a lei.I should tell her.This sentence provides a statement of what one should do regarding a person.Tatoeba #5743155 by Guybrush88, translation #3908726 by CH
- Dovrei finire la relazione entro domani.I should finish the report by tomorrow.
- Dovreste prendere in considerazione la mia proposta.You should consider my proposal.
- Sarebbe opportuno inviare una email di conferma.It would be appropriate to send a confirmation email.
- Dovresti andare a vedere quel nuovo film.You should go watch that new movie.
- Dovresti fare una passeggiata per rilassarti.You should take a walk to relax.
- Sarebbe meglio non mangiare troppo prima di dormire.It would be better not to eat too much before sleeping.
- Sarebbe meglio studiare un po' di più per l'esame.It would be better to study a bit more for the exam.
- 1210 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are discussing their schedule for the afternoon.
- MatteoDovrei finire questo lavoro subito.I should finish this work right away.
- ChiaraHai ragione, Matteo.You are right, Matteo.
- MatteoCosa pensi che dovrei fare ora?What do you think I should do now?
- ChiaraDovresti prenderti una pausa.You should take a break.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
