Past and conditional modality
In short
| morati | moći | trebati | |
|---|---|---|---|
| past | morao/morala sam | mogao/mogla sam | trebalo je da + present (never changes) |
| conditional | morao/morala bi (really ought to) | mogao/mogla bi (could) | trebalo bi da + present (advice) |
| negative | nisam morao = didn't have to | nisam mogao = couldn't | nije trebalo da = shouldn't have; ne bi trebalo da = shouldn't |
Not allowed = ne smeti: nisam smeo/smela.
B1 · Lesson 35 · Modalnost u prošlosti i savet
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
You already use moram, mogu and treba da in the present, and you know the past tense and the conditional. This lesson puts them together: what you had to do, what you could or couldn't do, what someone should do, and the regretful "you should have done that" — exactly what you need after a visit to the doctor.
1. What I had to do, what I could do — the past of morati and moći
The modals form the past like any other verb: the short form of biti plus the l-participle, which agrees with the subject — morao for a man, morala for a woman, morali for a group. The next verb follows as da + present (or the infinitive), exactly as in the present tense.
| Who | morati (had to) | moći (could, was able to) |
|---|---|---|
| ja (man) | morao sam | mogao sam |
| ja (woman) | morala sam | mogla sam |
| ti (man / woman) | morao si / morala si | mogao si / mogla si |
| on / ona | morao je / morala je | mogao je / mogla je |
| mi | morali smo | mogli smo |
| vi | morali ste | mogli ste |
| oni / one | morali su / morale su | mogli su / mogle su |
- Morao sam da odem kod lekara. — I had to go to the doctor. (man speaking)
- Nisam mogla da spavam zbog kašlja. — I couldn't sleep because of the cough. (woman speaking)
2. Advice — trebalo bi da
To give polite advice, put trebati in the conditional: trebalo bi da + present. Like the impersonal treba da you already know, it never changes: the person is shown only by the verb after da. It is softer than treba da — "you ought to", "it would be good if you".
| Advice | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Trebalo bi da odmaraš. | You should rest. |
| Trebalo bi da odmarate. | You should rest. (formal or plural) |
| Ne bi trebalo da ideš na posao. | You shouldn't go to work. |
| Mogao bi da probaš čaj. / Mogla bi da probaš čaj. | You could try tea. (to a man / to a woman) |
| Morala bi da se javiš lekaru. | You really ought to see a doctor. (to a woman) |
Mogao bi / mogla bi is a gentle suggestion ("you could"), morao bi / morala bi a firmer one ("you really ought to"). These two agree with the person, like any conditional.
In everyday speech you will also hear the personal trebao bi da, trebala bi da. The impersonal trebalo bi da is the standard form and never changes, so use it: Trebalo bi da piješ više vode.
3. "You should have" — trebalo je da
To say that something was necessary and did not happen — the normal way to express regret or a mild reproach — use the past of impersonal trebati: trebalo je da + present. Trebalo stays in the neuter singular whoever is meant; the person goes in the verb after da.
| Serbian | English |
|---|---|
| Trebalo je da odem ranije. | I should have gone earlier. |
| Trebalo je da odeš ranije. | You should have gone earlier. |
| Trebalo je da ode ranije. | He / She should have gone earlier. |
| Trebalo je da odemo ranije. | We should have gone earlier. |
| Nije trebalo da ideš na trening. | You shouldn't have gone to training. |
- Trebalo je da ranije zakažeš pregled. — You should have booked the check-up earlier.
4. Two kinds of "not"
A negated modal can mean very different things, and English must not is a trap. Ne morati means "not have to" — it is not necessary. "Not allowed" is a different verb, smeti (may, be allowed): ne smeti.
| Serbian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nisi morao da čekaš. | You didn't have to wait. (it wasn't necessary — to a man) |
| Nisam smeo da jedem. | I wasn't allowed to eat. (man speaking) |
| Nisam mogao da spavam. | I couldn't sleep. (man speaking) |
| Ne bi trebalo da ideš. | You shouldn't go. (advice) |
| Nije trebalo da ideš. | You shouldn't have gone. (reproach) |
When you want to say "you must not", reach for ne smeš, never ne moraš: Ne moraš da piješ lek only means the medicine is optional.
Check what you read
6 of the 14 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Juče sam(morati) da idem kod lekara.
Mi smo(morati) da čekamo dva sata u ambulanti.
Ana nije(moći) da spava cele noći.
___ bi da piješ više vode.
Ne bi ___ da ideš na posao sa temperaturom.
Nije ___ da ideš na trening dok si bio bolestan.
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Nisi morao da čekaš.
You didn't have to wait. (to a man)
Morao sam da odem kod lekara.
I had to go to the doctor. (man speaking)
Trebalo je da ranije zakažeš pregled.
You should have booked the check-up earlier.
Nisam smeo da jedem ništa pre pregleda.
I wasn't allowed to eat anything before the check-up. (man speaking)
Da li si morao da vadiš krv u laboratoriji?
Did you have to have blood taken at the lab? (to a man)
U apoteci nisu smeli da mi prodaju antibiotik bez recepta.
At the pharmacy they weren't allowed to sell me an antibiotic without a prescription.
Nije trebalo da ideš na trening dok si bio bolestan.
You shouldn't have gone to training while you were ill. (to a man)
Trebalo je da uzimaš tri doze dnevno, a ne jednu.
You should have been taking three doses a day, not one.
Trebalo je da me pozoveš čim te je zabolelo grlo.
You should have called me as soon as your throat started hurting.
Kad je video nalaz, lekar je morao da mi prepiše antibiotik.
When he saw the test results, the doctor had to prescribe me an antibiotic.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 18
Try it yourself
Translate a sentence that uses this rule. The check marks the word that went wrong and names the rule behind it, as in the app.
Sentences
Write it in Serbian
You shouldn't have gone to training while you were ill. (to a man)