dovevamo

Dovevamo is the first-person plural form of the Italian verb dovere in the imperfect indicative. It is used to express obligation, necessity, or expectation in the past, and can translate as “we had to” or “we were supposed to” in English.

The verb dovere comes from the Latin debēre, meaning to owe or to be obliged. In Italian, the imperfect form dovevamo corresponds to a past, ongoing or repeated sense of obligation, as opposed to the perfect past forms like siamo dovuti or abbiamo dovuto that express a completed obligation.

Usage in Italian often conveys duties that existed in the past but may not have been fulfilled, or habitual obligations. It can also set background conditions in narration, describing what was expected or required at a previous time. The construction is typically followed by an infinitive, as in dovevamo partire, dovevamo studiare, or dovevamo finire il lavoro.

Examples:

- Dovevamo partire alle otto, ma siamo arrivati in ritardo. (We were supposed to leave at eight, but we arrived late.)

- Dovevamo consegnare il progetto ieri. (We had to submit the project yesterday.)

Dovevamo contrasts with the passato prossimo form siamo stati dovuti or abbiamo dovuto, which indicate a completed obligation. It is commonly used in written and spoken Italian to convey past obligations or expectations in a general or narrative sense, without specifying whether the obligation was fulfilled.