Learn Italian: Mi sono dovuto scusare per l'imprevisto. - I had to apologize for the unexpected event.

Mi sono dovuto scusare per l'imprevisto.

I had to apologize for the unexpected event.

Breakdown of Mi sono dovuto scusare per l'imprevisto.

per

for / in order to / because of

Questions & Answers about Mi sono dovuto scusare per l'imprevisto.

Why do we use sono (essere) instead of ho (avere) with the modal verb dovere?

When a modal verb like dovere (to have to) is followed by another verb, it "borrows" the auxiliary verb that the second verb uses. Here, the second verb is the reflexive verb scusarsi (to apologize). Since all reflexive verbs use essere in the past tense, the modal verb must use essere too.

Since the auxiliary is essere, shouldn't the past participle dovuto agree with the subject?

It does agree! In this sentence, the speaker is male, so dovuto ends in the masculine singular -o. If a woman were saying this sentence, she would change the ending to match her gender and say: Mi sono dovuta scusare.

Could I put the reflexive pronoun mi at the end of the verb instead?

Yes, but it changes the grammar a bit! With modal verbs, you can also attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive to make scusarmi. When you do this, the auxiliary verb usually switches back to avere. So, the alternative is Ho dovuto scusarmi. Both sentences mean exactly the same thing.

Why does the word imprevisto look like a past tense verb?