You already know the modal verbs müssen, können, wollen and möchten. Next you will learn the modal verb sollen. As with the other modal verbs, it refers to a second verb, the main verb.
We use sollen to report a request or an order to do something.
Nico's mother says: Nico, räum dein Zimmer auf!
But Nico doesn't want to tidy his room and stays where he is. So his brother says: Nico, hast du nicht gehört? Du sollst dein Zimmer aufräumen!
Conjugation
Unlike the other modal verbs, sollen does not have a vowel change in conjugation. The first and third person are the same.
| Singular: | |
| 1st person | ich soll |
| 2nd person | du sollst |
| 3rd person | er/sie/es/man soll |
| Plural: | |
| 1st person | wir sollen |
| 2nd person | ihr sollt |
| 3rd person | sie sollen |
| Formal: | Sie sollen |
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Grammatical terms in German: das Modalverb: Modal verbs are verbs that often refer to a second verb and add information. They clarify, for example, whether it is possible or necessary to do something. In a sentence in the present tense, the modal verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive. |