müssen
must / to have to
müssen means must / to have to.
Use müssen for strong obligation or necessity: taking medicine, going to the doctor, resting.
We use Konjunktiv II to give softer advice or to discuss hypothetical situations with patients and colleagues.
| Person | Context | müssen |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | müsste |
| du | you (one person, informal) | müsstest |
| er/sie/es | he / she / it | müsste |
| wir | we | müssten |
| ihr | you (several people, informal) | müsstet |
| sie/Sie | they / you (formal, one or more people) | müssten |
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 müsstest zum Arzt gehen
You (informal, one person) would have to go to the doctor - Ihr müsstet zum Arzt gehen
You (informal, several people) would have to go to the doctor - Sie müssten zum Arzt gehen
You (formal) would have to go to the doctor
- zum Arzt gehen – go to the doctor
- die Tablette nehmen – take the tablet
- viel Wasser trinken – drink a lot of water
- im Bett bleiben – stay in bed
- Affirmative: Ich müsste zum Arzt gehen.
I would have to go to the doctor - Negative: Du müsstest die Tablette nicht nehmen.
You (informal, one person) would not have to take the tablet - Affirmative: Der Patient müsste viel Wasser trinken.
The patient would have to drink a lot of water - Affirmative: Sie müssten im Bett bleiben.
You (formal) would have to stay in bed - Question: Müsstest du zum Arzt gehen?
Would you (informal, one person) have to go to the doctor? - Negative: Wir müssten die Tablette nicht nehmen.
We would not have to 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) would have to go to the doctor
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Sie müssten zum Arzt gehen.
Translate to German: You (informal, one person) would not have to take the tablet
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Du müsstest die Tablette nicht nehmen.
Ask the question in German: Would you (informal, one person) have to drink a lot of water?
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Müsstest du viel Wasser trinken?
Put the words in the correct order: im / müsste / bleiben / Patient / Bett / Der
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Der Patient müsste im Bett bleiben
- Meaning: müssen means must / to have to.
- Key forms: Konjunktiv II forms of müssen: ich müsste, du müsstest, er/sie/es müsste, wir müssten, ihr müsstet, sie/Sie müssten.
- Word order: Subject + Konjunktiv II form of the modal + 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.