Breakdown of Purtroppo abbiamo dovuto cancellare il nostro viaggio.
nostro
our
il viaggio
the trip
dovere
must
purtroppo
unfortunately
cancellare
to cancel
Questions & Answers about Purtroppo abbiamo dovuto cancellare il nostro viaggio.
Why do we use abbiamo as the helping verb for dovuto here instead of siamo?
When using a modal verb like dovere (to have to) with an infinitive, you choose the helping verb based on that infinitive. The main action here is cancellare (to cancel). Since you would use avere for the verb cancellare on its own (abbiamo cancellato), you also use avere for the modal verb: abbiamo dovuto cancellare.
What is the exact translation of abbiamo dovuto?
It translates to 'we had to'. While the present tense dobbiamo means 'we have to' or 'we must', the passato prossimo form abbiamo dovuto is used for an obligation in the past that was actually carried out.
Why is it il nostro viaggio instead of just nostro viaggio?
In Italian, you almost always need a definite article (like il, la, i, le) before a possessive adjective. So, 'our trip' is phrased as 'the our trip' (il nostro viaggio). The most common exception to this rule is for singular family members, like mio padre (my father), which drop the article.
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