# Conditional past



## book1948

What constructions in Hebrew best or most familarly express the structure "should have" in English?

eg "He should have taken his wallet but didn't" or "they should have done it differently"

PS I have a fairly good knowledge of Hebrew


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## amikama

Should have = היה צריך

He should have taken his wallet but didn't
הוא היה צריך לקחת את הארנק שלו, אבל הוא לא לקח אותו

they should have done it differently
הם היו צריכים לעשות את זה בדרך אחרת


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## book1948

Todah raba


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## JLanguage

amikama said:


> Should have = היה צריך
> 
> He should have taken his wallet but didn't
> הוא היה צריך לקחת את הארנק שלו, אבל הוא לא לקח אותו
> 
> they should have done it differently
> הם היו צריכים לעשות את זה בדרך אחרת




האם ניתן להחליף "היה צריך" עם "הצטרך" בלי לשנות את המשמעות?
​ 
​


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## amikama

JLanguage said:


> האם ניתן להחליף "היה צריך" עם "הצטרך" בלי לשנות את המשמעות?​



לא. ל"הצטרך" יש משמעות אחרת (had to).​


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## MiamianIsraeli

Shalom, I'm new to the forum. I would like to request clarification because to me היה צריך would be translated as "he would have to..."


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## pootmaster

( NOTE - I don't have hebrew keyboard installed and am too lazy to install it right now... )

You could use this, but it's a wee bit informal:

Aya kedai lo.... ( lakachat et ha-arnak )


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## amikama

pootmaster said:


> You could use this, but it's a wee bit informal:
> 
> Aya kedai lo.... ( lakachat et ha-arnak )


I don't think that היה כדאי לו conveys the same idea as הוא היה צריך. 

היה כדאי לו = literally: it was worth for him (to take the wallet).


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## elroy

amikama said:


> היה כדאי לו = literally: it was worth it for him (to take the wallet).


For what it's _worth_ , I agree 100%.


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