mussen

Must: Mussen

Level 1

Mussen means must or have to: Ech muss elo schaffen. (I have to work now.)

How It Works

Present tense

  • ech muss
  • du muss
  • hien / si / hatt / et muss
  • mir mussen
  • dir musst
  • si mussen
  • Dir musst (polite)

The du form is muss, not muss-s: a stem ending in ss adds no extra -s, as in the regular present (du schwätz). Musst is the dir form.

The n-rule
Mussen drops its n before most consonants: Mir musse goen, but Mir mussen elo goen.

With net
Dir musst net bezuelen. means you do not have to pay. It does not forbid anything. To say must not, use däerfen: Du däerfs dat net maachen. Another way to say do not have to is net brauchen ze.

Word order
Muer muss ech fréi opstoen. The modal is second, the infinitive last. See modal + infinitive.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech muss elo schaffen.

    I have to work now.

    Word by Word: I must now work.

  2. Du muss elo positiv denken!

    You have to think positively now!

    Word by Word: You must now positive think!

  3. Mir musse muer fréi opstoen.

    We have to get up early tomorrow.

    Word by Word: We must tomorrow early up-stand.

    Mussen loses its n before m.

  4. Muss du haut schaffen?

    Do you have to work today?

    Word by Word: Must you today work?

  5. Dir musst net bezuelen, et ass gratis.

    You don't have to pay; it's free.

    Word by Word: You must not pay, it is free.

    Muss net means not necessary, not forbidden.

  6. Si mussen um aacht Auer do sinn.

    They have to be there at eight o'clock.

    Word by Word: They must at eight hour there be.

    Mussen keeps its n before the vowel of um.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the dir form musst for du.

    Du musst haut schaffen.
    Du muss haut schaffen.

    The du form is muss. Musst is used with dir and polite Dir.

  • Using muss net to forbid something.

    Du muss dat net maachen!
    Du däerfs dat net maachen!

    Intended meaning: you must not do that. Muss net means you do not have to; däerf net forbids.

  • Keeping the n of mussen before a consonant.

    Mir mussen goen.
    Mir musse goen.

    By the n-rule, mussen becomes musse before g.

How It Connects

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

mussenLevel 1Must: Mussen

Learn This First

Before Must: Mussen, learn Can: Kënnen.

Words in This Pattern

mussennet