Conjugations › Italian › dovere

dovere

to have to/must

Italian Irregular
tirare All Italian Verbs spingere

The Italian verb "dovere" means "to have to/must" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "dovere" across all 5 tenses.

Jump to a tense

Present Past (completed) Past (ongoing) Future Would (conditional)

How to Conjugate "dovere" in the Present Tense

Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
io I devo
tu you (informal) devi
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) deve
noi we dobbiamo
voi you all dovete
loro they devono
Lui deve lavorare.
He must work.

How to Conjugate "dovere" in the Past (completed) Tense

Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past
Person English Conjugation
io I ho dovuto
tu you (informal) hai dovuto
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) ha dovuto
noi we abbiamo dovuto
voi you all avete dovuto
loro they hanno dovuto
Lui ha dovuto correre.
He had to run.

Want to actually remember these?

VerbPal drills "dovere" in real Italian sentences using spaced repetition.

Try VerbPal Free

How to Conjugate "dovere" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
io I dovevo
tu you (informal) dovevi
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) doveva
noi we dovevamo
voi you all dovevate
loro they dovevano
Lei doveva lavorare fino tardi.
She had to work until late.

How to Conjugate "dovere" in the Future Tense

Futuro semplice Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
io I dovrò
tu you (informal) dovrai
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) dovrà
noi we dovremo
voi you all dovrete
loro they dovranno
Lui dovrà partire presto.
He will have to leave early.

How to Conjugate "dovere" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
io I dovrei
tu you (informal) dovresti
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) dovrebbe
noi we dovremmo
voi you all dovreste
loro they dovrebbero
Lui dovrebbe lavorare domani.
He should work tomorrow.
tirare All Italian Verbs spingere

Frequently Asked Questions About "dovere"

Is "dovere" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Dovere" is an irregular Italian verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "dovere" mean in English?
The Italian verb "dovere" means "to have to/must" in English.
How do you conjugate "dovere" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → devo, tu → devi, lui/lei → deve, noi → dobbiamo, voi → dovete, loro → devono.
How many tenses does "dovere" have in Italian?
"Dovere" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

Learn More About Italian Verbs

Italian Conditional Tense: How to Express Would, Could and Should

The Italian conditional tense is more regular than you think. Learn the pattern, the exceptions, and how to use it naturally in conversation.

Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto: When to Use Which in Italian

Learn when to use passato prossimo vs. imperfetto in Italian, with clear rules, trigger phrases, examples, and storytelling tips for English speakers.

Why Some Italian Verbs Use Essere and Others Use Avere

Learn why some Italian verbs use essere and others use avere in compound tenses, including motion verbs, reflexives, transitive verbs, past participle agreement, and the key exceptions learners need to know.

Master Italian verbs for real

Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.

Try VerbPal Free

7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.