# mám/měla jsem to udělat



## Linni

How do you say something like "*Mám to udělat.*", "M*ěla jsem to udělat.*" in English ?I don't mean the meaning "I should have done it", but the case when I am telling somebody "I was told to do this".


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## Jana337

Linni said:
			
		

> How do you say something like "*Mám to udělat.*", "M*ěla jsem to udělat.*" in English ?I don't mean the meaning "I should have done it", but the case when I am telling somebody "I was told to do this".


 "I should have done it" works for the latter case as well (if you didn't do it). If you want to stress that someone asked you to, you can also use "I am/was supposed to do it". As usual, there are other ways to express the same: I am/was charged with doing it.

Jana


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## Linni

Jana337 said:
			
		

> "I should have done it" works for the latter case as well (if you didn't do it). If you want to stress that someone asked you to, you can also use "I am/was supposed to do it". As usual, there are other ways to express the same: I am/was in charge of it.
> 
> Jana


 
If I understand it well, we can say both *"I should have done it"* for the meanings 1) *I was supposed to do it.*  and 2) *I regret I didn't do it. ?*


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## Jana337

Linni said:
			
		

> If I understand it well, we can say both *"I should have done it"* for the meanings 1) *I was supposed to do it.*  and 2) *I regret I didn't do it. ?*


Yes but in the first case only when you actually did not do it. Which implies some regret as well, in fact.

Jana


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## Linni

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Yes but in the first case only when you actually did not do it. Which implies some regret as well, in fact.
> 
> Jana


 
But you migh not regret it... Měla jsem to sice udělat, ale nechtělo se mi.... It would mean I don't regret it that much. Anyway, even if I stressed I didn't regret it at all, could I say still the same sentence, "I should have done it"?

I suppose that "měl to udělat (přikázala jsem mu to)" can't be translated with "he should have....", am I right?


(by the way, I will open a new thread connected with "nechtělo se mi", you can have a look at it too )


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## WERWOLF

May be, it could be expressed more simply: I have / I had to do it. This sentence: "I should have done it". I would translate it as. Uz bych to mela mit hotove. Am I wrong?


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## Jana337

Linni said:
			
		

> But you migh not regret it... Měla jsem to sice udělat, ale nechtělo se mi.... It would mean I don't regret it that much. Anyway, even if I stressed I didn't regret it at all, could I say still the same sentence, "I should have done it"?


Ne. I was supposed to do it.





> I suppose that "měl to udělat (přikázala jsem mu to)" can't be translated with "he should have....", am I right?


Správně.


> May be, it could be expressed more simply: I have / I had to do it.


To se používá, pokud jsem to potom skutečně udělala - ať už ze svých vnitřních pohnutek nebo na jako objektivně danou podmínku.

Kde jsi? Kvůli tobě jsme zmeškali autobus!
U schodů jsem potkal bezradnou ženu s kočárkem. Musel jsem jí pomoci, to by udělal každý! 

Musel jsem si pořídit silnější brýle, protože jsem špatně viděl na tabuli.

Ale určitě nelze říci "měl jsem to udělat", protože "měl jsem" znamená z vůle někoho jiného. V této situaci by se řeklo výše zmíněné "I was supposed".


> This sentence: "I should have done it". I would translate it as. Uz bych to mela mit hotove. Am I wrong?


Není to špatně, ale je třeba to upřesnit.
"I should have done it" samo o sobě znamená, že jsem to neudělal a teď toho lituji.
Už to mělo být hotovo - I should have done/finished it by now. Čili začal jsem, ale nestihl jsem to do termínu.

Jana


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