AUXILIARY VERB
sollen/ˈzɔlən/should; ought to; supposed to
sollen is a German auxiliary verb that means should, ought to, or supposed to. It is pronounced /ˈzɔlən/. In conjugation, the simple past is "sollte" and the past participle is "gesollt".
Definitions
1.expresses that something is advised or expected to be done; to be supposed to do something(advice or obligation)
a.to express a recommendation or moral duty
Du sollst mehr Gemüse essen.—You should eat more vegetables.
b.to indicate an external obligation or reported instruction
Die Schüler sollen die Hausaufgaben bis morgen abgeben.—The students are supposed to hand in the homework by tomorrow.
Conjugation
| Infinitive | sollen |
|---|---|
| Present (ich) | soll |
| Present (du) | sollst |
| Present (er/sie/es) | soll |
| Preterite (ich) | sollte |
| Participle II | gesollt |
| Konjunktiv II (ich) | sollte |
| Imperative (singular) | — |
| Imperative (plural) | — |
| Auxiliary | haben |
Frequently asked questions
- What does "sollen" mean in English?
- "sollen" means should, ought to, or supposed to. It is a German auxiliary verb.
- How do you pronounce "sollen"?
- "sollen" is pronounced /ˈzɔlən/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet.
- What is the past participle of "sollen"?
- The past participle (Partizip II) of "sollen" is "gesollt", used with the auxiliary "haben".
- What is the simple past of "sollen"?
- In the simple past (Präteritum), "sollen" becomes "sollte" in the first person singular.
- What part of speech is "sollen"?
- "sollen" is a auxiliary verb in German.
