B1 · Can, must, want
Advising and recommending
« Should » and « you'd better », with the same threat inside.
At a glance
- Remember
- dovresti advises, è meglio weighs up, faresti meglio warns.
- Form
- (io) dovreiI should
- Signal words
- dovresti
- dovrebbe
- è meglio
- faresti meglio
- avresti dovuto
- Trap
- Wrong:È meglio a partire adesso.Right:È meglio partire adesso.
Your turn
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The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Italian. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) stem (irregular) tense marker ending for tense and person auxiliary verb
| I should | (io) dovrei |
| you should | (tu) dovresti |
| he / she should, you should (formal) | (lui / lei / Lei) dovrebbe |
| we should | (noi) dovremmo |
| you should (plural) | (voi) dovreste |
| they should | (loro) dovrebbero |
| it is better | è meglio |
| it would be better | sarebbe meglio |
| you would do better to | faresti meglio a |
| I should have | (io) avrei dovuto |
| you should have | (tu) avresti dovuto |
| he / she should have, you should have (formal) | (lui / lei / Lei) avrebbe dovuto |
| we should have | (noi) avremmo dovuto |
| you should have (plural) | (voi) avreste dovuto |
| they should have | (loro) avrebbero dovuto |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
dovere in the condizionale advises; in the present it obliges.
Dovresti riposarti.You should get some rest.
e meglio plus the bare infinitive, with no preposition.
È meglio partire presto.It is better to leave early.
faresti meglio a plus the infinitive, with a.
Faresti meglio a tacere.You would do better to keep quiet.
avresti dovuto plus the infinitive looks back and reproaches.
Avresti dovuto avvisarmi.You should have warned me.
Example sentences
Dovrebbe consultare un medico.You should see a doctor.
È meglio prenotare in anticipo.It is better to book in advance.
Faresti meglio a controllare due volte.You would do better to check twice.
Avremmo dovuto prendere il treno.We should have taken the train.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The two advising phrases differ in one letter's worth of grammar. After è meglio the infinitive follows directly, and after faresti meglio it needs an a. English hides the question by using « to » in both — « it is better to wait », « you'd better wait » — so there is nothing to copy and the pair has to be learnt as a pair.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
« You should » is dovere in the condizionale: dovresti. The same verb that carries the duty, softened.
È meglio is impersonal and milder for that reason — it says what would be better without addressing anybody. Sarebbe meglio is more cautious still.
Faresti meglio a is the sharpest of the three: a piece of advice with a threat inside it, exactly like « you'd better ».
In the past it is avresti dovuto, « you should have ». That is a reproach and no longer advice.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: dovere · essere · avere · fare · prendere · partire · controllare · anticipare