This is the 423rd most frequent Croatian word.
trebali
"Trebali" means "should" or "needed" (past tense, plural form).
In this sentence, 'trebali' is used as a modal verb suggesting obligation or recommendation, and it is conjugated in the conditional mood.
Trebali bismo se pridružiti volontiranju u zajednici.
We should join volunteering in the community.
Here, 'trebali' is used in the past conditional to express an unrealized necessity or expectation.
Da su trebali pomoći, situacija bi bila bolja.
If they had needed to help, the situation would have been better.
In this example, 'trebali' expresses an obligation or expectation in the past that was not fulfilled.