Müssen

Müssen is a German modal verb that expresses necessity, obligation, or strong compulsion. It translates roughly to "must," "have to," or "need to" in English. The degree of necessity expressed by müssen is generally considered stronger than that conveyed by other modal verbs such as sollen or dürfen.

Grammatical Information:

• Verb Type: Modal Verb
• Principal Parts: müssen, musste, hat gemusst
• Conjugation: Müssen is an irregular verb. Its conjugation follows the general pattern of modal verbs, meaning it does not take the "ge-" prefix in the past participle form. The vowel stem changes in the singular forms of the present tense.

Meaning and Usage:

• Obligation/Necessity (External): Müssen often indicates a rule, law, regulation, or external circumstance that requires a certain action. For example, "Ich muss zur Arbeit gehen" (I have to go to work) suggests a contractual obligation or schedule.
• Strong Suggestion/Logical Conclusion: Müssen can also express a strong suggestion based on evidence or a logical conclusion. For example, "Sie muss krank sein, weil sie nicht hier ist" (She must be sick because she's not here).
• Internal Compulsion: While less common, müssen can sometimes express an internal compulsion or strong personal desire. However, this usage can sound somewhat forceful. Wollen or other expressions might be more appropriate depending on the nuance desired.
• Negation: The negation of müssen changes the meaning considerably. "Nicht müssen" means "not to have to," "not to need to," or "to be exempt from." For instance, "Du musst das nicht tun" (You don't have to do that).
• Past Tense: In the past tense (musste), the verb typically retains its meaning of obligation or necessity from the past. However, the specific context is important.