Modal verb 'müssen' (must/have to)
Modalverb 'müssen'
'müssen' (must / to have to) expresses necessity or obligation.
Structure
müssen (Position 2) + … + Infinitiv (Satzende)
müssen (position 2) + … + infinitive (end of the clause)
Details
- Part of Speech
- Verb
- Word Type
- Modal verb
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
Meaning. müssen means must / to have to. It expresses necessity or obligation - something that is required: Ich muss arbeiten - I have to work.
Conjugation (irregular singular).
- ich muss
- du musst
- er/sie/es muss
- wir müssen
- ihr müsst
- sie/Sie müssen
Note the vowel change ü → u in the and the identical ich-/er-forms (muss), spelled with ss.
Word order - the bracket. müssen sits in position 2; the infinitive goes to the end:
- Ich muss heute arbeiten. - I have to work today.
- Wir müssen jetzt gehen. - We have to go now.
- Du musst das Buch lesen. - You have to read the book.
Common mistakes. Be careful: nicht müssen means "do not have to" (no obligation), not "must not" - to forbid something use nicht dürfen. Do not add -t to the er-form (er muss, not er musst). Keep the second as an at the end.
About Modal verb 'müssen' (must/have to)
'müssen' (must / to have to) expresses necessity or obligation.
forms: ich muss, du musst, er muss. The goes to the end of the sentence.
'müssen' drückt Notwendigkeit oder Zwang aus.
Caution
Irregular in the singular: ich muss, du musst, er/sie/es muss (spelled with ss). The infinitive stays at the end.