Learn Italian: Dobbiamo rispettare le regole.

Dobbiamo rispettare le regole.

We must respect the rules.

Breakdown of Dobbiamo rispettare le regole.

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Questions & Answers about Dobbiamo rispettare le regole.

Why is there no word for "to" between dobbiamo and rispettare?

Dobbiamo is the "we" form of the modal verb dovere (to have to / must). In Italian, you link a modal verb directly to the dictionary form (infinitive) of the next verb. You just put rispettare right after it, with no extra connecting words like in English.

Does dobbiamo mean "we must" or "we have to"?

It means both! English has separate words for "must" and "have to", but Italian uses the single verb dovere to express both obligations and necessities.

Why doesn't the sentence start with noi (we)?

In Italian, the verb ending usually tells you who is doing the action. The -iamo ending on dobbiamo specifically means "we", so you don't need to add the pronoun noi unless you want to add special emphasis.

Why is the article le used for "the rules"?

Regole (rules) is a feminine plural noun. The singular is la regola (the rule). Because it is feminine and plural, it must use the feminine plural word for "the", which is le.