Breakdown of La mia matrigna lo avrebbe dovuto accettare.
avere
to have
mio
my
dovere
must
lo
him/it (direct object)
la
her/it (direct object)
accettare
to accept
la matrigna
the stepmother
Questions & Answers about La mia matrigna lo avrebbe dovuto accettare.
Why do we use the article in la mia matrigna if it is a family member?
You correctly remember that singular close family members drop the definite article with possessives (like mia madre). However, extended family members, step-relatives, and modified nouns are exceptions. Words like matrigna, patrigno, or cuginetto always keep the article, hence la mia matrigna.
Could the pronoun lo be attached to the end of the sentence instead?
Yes, absolutely. With modal verbs like dovere, object pronouns can either go before the conjugated verb (lo avrebbe dovuto accettare) or attach to the dropped -e of the infinitive (avrebbe dovuto accettarlo). Both are equally common and correct.
Why is the auxiliary verb avere (avrebbe) used here rather than essere?
How does avrebbe dovuto translate to 'should have'?
To express 'should have' in Italian, you use the past conditional (condizionale passato) of the verb dovere (to have to / must). Literally, it translates to 'would have had to', which captures the English meaning of 'should have' perfectly.
Learn La mia matrigna lo avrebbe dovuto accettare and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free