irid + imperfect
Wanting an Action
Trid tmur can mean you want to go; a duty context can give irid a has-to reading.
How It Works
A form of irid can precede an imperfect naming a wanted action. Singular trid serves “you” or “she”; the subject and context distinguish them. In trid tmur, “you want to go,” both predicates identify the addressee. The complement is finite and retains its own participant marking.
Wanting an action does not guarantee a commitment to perform it. A duty or consequence can instead give irid the meaning “has to.” Compare trid ġelat, “you want ice cream,” with trid tixtri ġelat, “you want to buy ice cream.” Matching participants describes the examples here, not every desire complement. Different-participant complements require separate treatment.
Examples (3)
- Trid taqra l-ittra?
Do you want to read the letter?
The imperfect names the desired action.
- Sara trid tixtri karta.
Sara wants to buy paper.
Trid and tixtri both refer to Sara.
- Min jikser ir-regoli irid iħallas multa.
Whoever breaks the rules has to pay a fine.
The consequence context supports a necessity reading.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Connect desire or contextual necessity with a finite action complement. Contrast wanting an object with wanting to act, and treat shared participants as the scope of these examples rather than a restriction on every desire construction.
Related Patterns
Practice irid + imperfect in Bubblegum
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