German Grammar Explained /
Should: present tense
Sollen has often no direct translation in other languages. This modal verb expresses a necessity, which results from a request to the subject:
Meine Mutter sagt: Geh einkaufen! | → | Ich soll einkaufen gehen.
(I'm supposed to go shopping.) |
Mein Arzt sagt zu mir: Mach mehr Sport! | → | Ich soll mehr Sport machen.
(I'm supposed to do more sports.) |
The request can come not only from a person, but also from something more abstract, such as social norms:
Man soll seinen Hund an der Leine führen.
You're supposed to keep your dog on a leash.
The conjugation of this modal verb follows the pattern of the other modal verbs:
| Präsens: sollen |
|---|---|
ich | soll |
du | sollst |
er/sie/es | soll |
wir | sollen |
ihr | sollt |
Sie/sie | sollen |