Devo compilare il documento correttamente.

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Breakdown of Devo compilare il documento correttamente.

• dovere: to have to
• il documento: the document
• compilare: to fill out

Questions & Answers about Devo compilare il documento correttamente.

Why is devo used here?

Devo is the first-person singular present tense of dovere, which means to have to / must.

So:

• devo = I must / I have to

In this sentence, the speaker is saying that they are obliged or required to do something.

Why is compilare in the infinitive and not conjugated?

Because after the modal verb dovere, Italian normally uses an infinitive.

So the pattern is:

• dovere + infinitive
• devo compilare = I must fill out

This is similar to English:

• I must fill out
• not I must fill outs

Other common Italian modal verbs work the same way:

• posso parlare = I can speak
• voglio mangiare = I want to eat
• devo studiare = I have to study

Does compilare really mean to compile?