Breakdown of Ar trebui să economisești dacă vrei un telefon mai bun.
bun
good
un
a
a vrea
to want
telefonul
the phone
Questions & Answers about Ar trebui să economisești dacă vrei un telefon mai bun.
What does ar trebui mean here?
Ar trebui is a very common Romanian way to express should.
It comes from the verb a trebui = to be necessary / to have to, but in this form it is used in a more indirect, softer way to give advice or express what would be a good idea.
So in this sentence, ar trebui does not sound like a strict obligation. It sounds more like advice:
- Ar trebui... = You should...
Why is there a să after ar trebui?
In Romanian, many verbs and expressions are followed by să + verb.
Here, să economisești is the structure used after ar trebui.
So the pattern is:
- ar trebui să
- verb
Examples:
- Ar trebui să pleci. = You should leave.
- Ar trebui să înveți. = You should study.
You can think of să as a very common connector that introduces a verb clause, somewhat like to or a subjunctive marker in English, though it does not match English exactly.
Why is the verb economisești in that form?