Italian Verb ‘Dovere’ Explained: Conjugation, Meaning, and 10+ Real-Life Examples

Ciao! 👋

If you’ve started learning Italian, you’ve probably come across the verb “dovere”. It’s a small word, but it carries a lot of weight! It means to have to, must, should, and even to owe—depending on the context.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the different meanings and uses of “dovere”, how to conjugate it, and when to use each form. Plus, I’ll give you plenty of examples to help it all make sense.

Let’s dive in!

1. How to Conjugate “Dovere”
2. Expressing Obligation / Necessity
3. Advice or Moral Obligation (Conditional Mood)
4. Expressing Probability / Supposition
5. Past Obligations (Imperfetto vs. Passato Prossimo)
6. Talking About Owing Something
7. Conclusion
8. PDF Summary Table & Exercises

How to Conjugate “Dovere”

Dovere” is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow regular conjugation patterns. But don’t worry—it’s one of those verbs you use so often, it sticks quickly!

• Present: devo, devi, deve, dobbiamo, dovete, devono
• Past Perfect: ho dovuto, hai dovuto, ha dovuto, abbiamo dovuto, avete dovuto, hanno dovuto
• Imperfect: dovevo, dovevi, doveva, dovevamo, dovevate, dovevano
• Future Simple: dovrò, dovrai, dovrà, dovremo, dovrete, dovranno
• Conditional: dovrei, dovresti, dovrebbe, dovremmo, dovreste, dovrebbero

Unlike “potere,” “dovere” typically uses the auxiliary “avere” in compound tenses.

Examples:

• Devo studiare per l’esame. →I must study for the exam.
• Non devi dimenticare di chiamare tua madre. → You must not forget to call your mother.
• Devo andare al lavoro. → I have to go to work.
• Dobbiamo studiare per l’esame. → We have to study for the exam.

In English, “must” and “have to” are used to convey obligation, with “must” often indicating a stronger sense of duty.

Expressing Obligation / Necessity

This is the most common meaning: you use “dovere” when someone must or has to do something.
You’ll usually see this in the present or past.

Examples:

• Devo studiare per l’esame domani. (I have to study for the exam tomorrow.)
• Devi mangiare la frutta ogni giorno. (You must eat fruit every day.)
• Dobbiamo arrivare in orario. (We have to arrive on time.)

Advice or Moral Obligation (Conditional Mood)

When you want to say “you should” or “we ought to”, use “dovere” in the conditional: dovrei, dovresti, dovrebbe…

Examples:

Lei dovrebbe rispettare le regole. (She ought to respect the rules.)
In English, “should” is used as the past tense of “shall” and to give advice or polite suggestions.

Dovresti bere più acqua. (You should drink more water.)

Dovremmo ascoltare i consigli degli insegnanti. (We should listen to the teachers’ advice.)

Expressing Probability / Supposition

Sometimes, “dovere” is used to guess or assume something. It often translates to “must be” or “should be.”

Examples:

• Deve essere alle due di notte. (It must be two o’clock in the night.)
• Devono essere felici della notizia. (They must be happy about the news.)
• Dovrebbe piovere nel pomeriggio. (It will likely rain in the afternoon.)

Here, context is everything. It’s not about obligation—it’s about likelihood.

Past Obligations (Imperfetto vs. Passato Prossimo)

When talking about the past, dovere can show either an obligation that was supposed to happen or one that did happen.  Use the imperfetto (dovevo, dovevi…) to say someone “was supposed to” do something (possibly not done), and use the passato prossimo (ho dovuto…) to say they “had to” do it (and presumably did).

This distinction is subtle: Dovevi can suggest the action was planned or expected, while Hai dovuto confirms it happened.

Examples:

• Dovevo chiamarti ieri, ma ho dimenticato. (I was supposed to call you yesterday, but I forgot.) – (Imperfetto dovevoshows an expected action.)
• Hai dovuto lavorare fino a tardi? (Did you have to work until late?) – (Passato prossimo indicates an obligation that occurred.)
• Abbiamo dovuto prendere un taxi perché non c’erano autobus. (We had to take a taxi because there were no buses.)

Talking About Owing Something

Yes—”dovere” also means to owe. You’ll recognize this when it’s followed by a person or a thing.

Examples:

• Ti devo dieci euro. → I owe you ten euros.
• Le devo un favore. → I owe her a favor.

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you get to know “dovere” a little better. It’s such a versatile verb, and once you understand its patterns, you’ll hear it everywhere.

👉 Want to practice? Check out the exercises at the end of this post to put everything into action.

Buono studio,

Cristina ✨

PDF Summary Table & Exercises