sollen
should / to be supposed to
sollen means should / to be supposed to.
Use sollen for advice, instructions, or what someone else says you should do.
We use the present tense to talk about what a patient can or is able to do right now.
| Person | Context | sollen |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | soll |
| du | you (one person, informal) | sollst |
| er/sie/es | he / she / it | soll |
| wir | we | sollen |
| ihr | you (several people, informal) | sollt |
| sie/Sie | they / you (formal, one or more people) | sollen |
German has three ways to say you:
- du – informal, one person
- ihr – informal, several people
- Sie – formal, one or more people (always capitalised when it means “you”)
The word sie (lowercase) can also mean she or they. Context and the verb form tell them apart:
- sie ist = she is
- sie sind = they are
- Sie sind = you are (formal)
Clinical register: In medical practice, use Sie with patients. Du/ihr are for colleagues, friends, or family.
Medical examples with the three you forms:
- Du sollst viel Wasser trinken
You (informal, one person) should / be supposed to drink a lot of water - Ihr sollt viel Wasser trinken
You (informal, several people) should / be supposed to drink a lot of water - Sie sollen viel Wasser trinken
You (formal) should / be supposed to drink a lot of water
- viel Wasser trinken – drink a lot of water
- die Tablette nehmen – take the tablet
- sich ausruhen – rest
- gesund essen – eat healthily
- Affirmative: Ich soll viel Wasser trinken.
I should / be supposed to drink a lot of water - Negative: Du sollst die Tablette nicht nehmen.
You (informal, one person) should not take the tablet - Affirmative: Der Patient soll sich ausruhen.
The patient is supposed to rest - Affirmative: Sie sollen gesund essen.
You (formal) should / be supposed to eat healthily - Question: Sollst du viel Wasser trinken?
Should you (informal, one person) drink a lot of water? - Negative: Wir sollen die Tablette nicht nehmen.
We should not take the tablet
- Conjugation — type the correct form for each person.
- Multiple choice — pick the verb that fits the sentence.
- Fill in the blank — type the missing modal form.
- Reorder — put the words in correct German order (modal in position 2, infinitive at the end).
- Dialogue — fill in the missing verb at the start of a doctor-patient question.
- Error correction — find and fix the wrong verb form.
- Translate — write the German sentence from English.
- Match — pair persons with forms or verbs with meanings.
Translate to German: You (formal) should / be supposed to drink a lot of water
Show answer
Sie sollen viel Wasser trinken.
Translate to German: You (informal, one person) should not take the tablet
Show answer
Du sollst die Tablette nicht nehmen.
Ask the question in German: Should you (informal, one person) rest?
Show answer
Sollst du dich ausruhen?
Put the words in the correct order: soll / Patient / essen / Der / gesund
Show answer
Der Patient soll gesund essen
- Meaning: sollen means should / to be supposed to.
- Key forms: Present forms of sollen: ich soll, du sollst, er/sie/es soll, wir sollen, ihr sollt, sie/Sie sollen.
- Word order: Subject + modal verb (conjugated) + main verb at the end.
- Register: Use Sie with patients; du/ihr with peers, friends or family.
Practice this verb with exercises, or take a mixed test with all verbs.