mít + Infinitive

Obligation with Mít Plus Infinitive

Level 5

The verb mít (to have), when followed by an infinitive, acts as a modal verb expressing expectation or a "soft" obligation. It translates best to English as "is supposed to" or "is to".

How It Works

Forming the Pattern:
Conjugate the verb mít (which is an irregular verb whose present tense endings resemble the -á- class: mám, máš, má, máme, máte, mají) and attach the infinitive of the action verb. The infinitive retains its aspect (perfective for a single scheduled event, imperfective for an ongoing duty).

Word Order and Clitics:
Because mít acts as a modal verb here, any clitics (short pronouns like se, si, ho, mi, ti) must move to the second position of the clause and do not stay attached to the infinitive (e.g., Mám se učit., not Mám učit se.).

Negation and Questions:

  • Negation: Using the negative form (nemít + infinitive) means "am not supposed to" or "should not" (e.g., Nemám to dělat.).
  • Asking for Guidance: First-person questions (Mám...? / Máme...?) are the standard way to ask for instructions or offer help, translating to "Should I...?" or "Are we supposed to...?" (e.g., Mám ti pomoct?).

Past Tense Nuance:
When used in the past tense (the l-participle měl, měla, mělo, měli, měly, měla + infinitive, agreeing with the subject in gender and number, alongside the past tense auxiliary of být—jsem, jsi, jsme, jste—for the 1st and 2nd person), it frequently carries the implication that the expected action did not actually happen (e.g., "was supposed to, but didn't"). Be careful not to mix up the past tense auxiliary (jsem) with the conditional particle (bych). For example, měl jsem to udělat means "I was supposed to do it," whereas měl bych to udělat means "I should do it."

Future Tense Restriction:
Note that this modal pattern does not form a future tense. You cannot say budu mít to udělat to mean "I will be supposed to do it." To express future obligation, either use the present tense for a scheduled event (Zítra to mám udělat.) or switch to the verb muset (Zítra to budu muset udělat.).

Hearsay and Reportive Meaning:
Beyond obligation, mít + infinitive is widely used to express rumors, general belief, or hearsay, translating to "is said to" or "is supposed to" in the sense of expectation (e.g., Zítra má pršet. - "It is supposed to rain tomorrow." or Ten film má být skvělý. - "That movie is said to be great.").

Crucial Distinctions:

  • mít + infinitive: Objective schedule or assigned task ("is supposed to").
  • muset + infinitive: Hard, unavoidable necessity ("must / have to").
  • měl by + infinitive: Subjective advice or recommendation ("should / ought to"). Note that měl by is simply the conditional form of the verb mít.

Register:
This construction is ubiquitous and completely standard across both casual everyday speech and formal literary texts.

Examples (5)

  1. Vlak má přijet v pět.

    The train is scheduled to arrive at five.

    Word by Word: Train has to-arrive at five.

    Demonstrates a scheduled event or expectation.

  2. Máš uklidit pokoj, než přijdou hosté.

    You're supposed to tidy your room before the guests arrive.

    Word by Word: You-have to-tidy room, before arrive guests.

    Shows an assigned duty coming from an external source (like a parent).

  3. Co s tím mám dělat?

    What am I supposed to do with this?

    Word by Word: What with this I-have to-do?

    A very common phrase asking for instructions or expectations.

  4. Včera jsem měl pracovat, ale byl jsem nemocný.

    I was supposed to work yesterday, but I was sick.

    Word by Word: Yesterday I-am had to-work, but was I-am sick.

    Demonstrates the past tense nuance where the expected action did not occur.

  5. Zítra má pršet.

    It is supposed to rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow has to-rain.

    Used frequently for weather forecasts and general predictions.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'mít' for a strict obligation.

    Different MeaningMám jít do nemocnice, protože silně krvácím.
    Musím jít do nemocnice, protože silně krvácím.

    'Mám jít do nemocnice' is a good sentence, but it means 'I am supposed to go to the hospital', a milder duty. When heavy bleeding makes it unavoidable, use muset: 'Musím jít do nemocnice.'

  • Using 'muset' for a schedule.

    Different MeaningFilm musí začít v osm.
    Film má začít v osm.

    'Film musí začít v osm' is a good sentence, but it says the film has to start at eight (something forces it). For a schedule or plan, 'má začít' says it is scheduled to start: 'Film má začít v osm.'

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

mít + InfinitiveLevel 5Obligation with Mít Plus Infinitive

Learn This First

To understand the 'mít + infinitiv' construction for obligation, learners must first be comfortable with the present tense conjugation of 'mít'. They should also understand the concept of modal verbs followed by infinitives and how verbal aspect (perfective vs. imperfective) affects the meaning of the action being commanded or scheduled.

Words in This Pattern

mít