Word
Trebalo bi da sediš ovde i da popuniš ovaj obrazac pre nego što dođeš na šalter.
Meaning
You should sit here and fill out this form before you come to the counter.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Trebalo bi da sediš ovde i da popuniš ovaj obrazac pre nego što dođeš na šalter.
ovde
here
i
and
na
to
ovaj
this
Questions & Answers about Trebalo bi da sediš ovde i da popuniš ovaj obrazac pre nego što dođeš na šalter.
What does Trebalo bi da... mean in this sentence?
Trebalo bi da... usually means you should... / you ought to....
So:
Trebalo bi da sediš ovde i da popuniš ovaj obrazac...
= You should sit here and fill out this form...
It sounds like a recommendation or polite instruction. It is generally softer than moraš da... (you must / have to...).
Why is it trebalo bi, not something that agrees with you?
In this pattern, trebalo bi da + present tense is a very common impersonal construction in Serbian.
The trebalo here does not agree with the person being spoken to. It functions as a fixed, neutral form meaning something like it would be advisable / one should.
That is why you get:
- Trebalo bi da sediš = You should sit
- Trebalo bi da sedim = I should sit
- Trebalo bi da sedimo = We should sit
Only the verb after da changes for person.
What is the role of bi in trebalo bi?
Bi is the conditional particle. It softens the expression and gives it the sense of should / would be good to.