Breakdown of El trebuie să spună răspunsul așa.
el
he
să
to (subjunctive marker)
trebui
to have to / to be needed (with a dative: to need)
spune
to say / to recite
Questions & Answers about El trebuie să spună răspunsul așa.
Why is it să spună instead of să spune?
After să, Romanian verbs change their endings for the third person (he, she, or they). For the verb a spune (to say), the normal form for 'he says' is el spune. But after să, the ending changes to an -ă, making it să spună.
Does trebuie change if the subject is 'they' instead of 'he'?
No, trebuie (must / have to) is a special verb that does not change its form to match the person doing the action. It stays exactly the same. So, 'they must say' would simply be ei trebuie să spună.
How does the word răspunsul break down?
Does așa always translate to 'like this'?
așa is a very useful and common word. Depending on the context, it can mean 'like this', 'like that', 'this way', or just 'so'. In this sentence, it describes the specific way he needs to give the answer.