Unfulfilled Obligations: "Trebuia să"
When assembling flat-pack furniture, things don't always go according to the instructions. To express that something was supposed to happen (but didn't), use the Imperfect form of past obligation: trebuia să.
Because the Romanian verb for "must" is impersonal, trebuia does not change form. Instead, conjugate the verb following să to match the person who was supposed to do the action.
| I was supposed to align the edge. | Trebuia să aliniez marginea. |
| You were supposed to screw into this hole. | Trebuia să înșurubezi în această gaură. |
| You were supposed to align the hinge with the edge. | Trebuia să aliniezi balamaua cu marginea. |
Completed Necessities: "A trebuit să"
When a mistake forces you to take corrective action, you are dealing with a completed past necessity—something you had to do, and actually did. For this, use the Perfect Compus form: a trebuit să.
Just like before, a trebuit remains fixed. Only the second verb changes to show who completed the mandatory action.
| I had to undo the hinge. | A trebuit să desfac balamaua. |
| We had to disassemble the closet because of a mistake. | A trebuit să demontăm dulapul din cauza unei greșeli. |
Cause and Effect
When explaining a DIY disaster, these two past tense forms often appear together. You can state the unfulfilled expectation (trebuia să) and connect it to the action you were forced to take (a trebuit să) using the phrase așa că (so).
| The hole was supposed to be on the edge, so I had to disassemble the board. | Gaura trebuia să fie pe margine, așa că a trebuit să demontez placa. |