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Kiel oni parolas "should"?

by kafkazor, May 29, 2014

Messages: 4

Language: English

kafkazor (User's profile) May 29, 2014, 6:42:43 AM

I'm not really sure how to word this, but I want to express "should" in the sense that it would be good if something happened, as opposed to having to or being obliged to do something, which to my knowledge is conveyed with "devi". For example, in the phrase "I should go", the person speaking isn't obliged to go but it would be good if they did. Cxu mi estas komprenabla? malgajo.gif

nornen (User's profile) May 29, 2014, 7:04:38 AM

"devus" should work in most contexts.

"I should sleep, but I don't want to." = "Mi devus dormi sed mi ne volas."

kafkazor (User's profile) May 29, 2014, 8:38:22 AM

Oh okay. Dankon ridulo.gif

erinja (User's profile) May 29, 2014, 11:38:06 AM

The -u form can also double as "should" in addition to being a command form. You might say it's a slightly stronger "should" than "devus".

So for example, for "He should go" - "Li iru" or "Li devus iri"

The difference between this and the command form -u is that this one can have a subject. If I wanted to tell him "Go!" it would just be "Iru!", no subject.

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