dovessimo

Dovessimo is the first-person plural form of the Italian verb dovere in the congiuntivo imperfetto (imperfect subjunctive). It corresponds to “that we should/must” in dependent clauses and is primarily used in formal or literary Italian.

Morphology and forms: In the imperfect subjunctive, the full set for the verb dovere is: io dovessi, tu dovessi, lui/lei dovesse, noi dovessimo, voi doveste, loro dovessero. Dovessimo appears only in the noi form and is used when the subject of the subordinate clause is “we.”

Usage: Dovessimo is employed in subordinate clauses that require the subjunctive mood, typically after verbs or expressions of doubt, possibility, necessity, desire, or emotion, or in indirect speech. It often conveys hypothetical or uncertain obligation about the present or future, and can appear in conditional or hypothetical constructions introduced by se, or in clauses following verbs of thinking, wishing, or feeling.

Examples:

- Penso che noi dovessimo partire subito. (I think that we should leave immediately.)

- Se dovessimo incontrarci domani, ti avviserò. (If we should have to meet tomorrow, I’ll let you know.)

- Mi chiese se dovessimo attendere ulteriori indicazioni. (He asked me whether we should wait for further instructions.)

Notes: Dovessimo is generally more common in formal, written, or literary Italian. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer alternative expressions such as the present or past conditional forms or rephrase the sentence to avoid the imperfect subjunctive.

See also: dovere, congiuntivo imperfetto, congiuntivo presente, mood and usage in Italian.