to have to
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to have to
To express necessity or obligation to do something specific. Expresses that an action is required or cannot be avoided. The negation 'nicht müssen' (not have to) means that something is not necessary.
Ich muss heute Abend noch meine Hausaufgaben machen.
I still have to do my homework this evening.
must
To express a strong assumption or logical conclusion. You assume that something is highly likely to be the case or to have happened because there are reasons for it.
Das Licht ist aus, sie muss schon schlafen.
The light is off, she must already be sleeping.
to have to go
In connection with a location or direction, expressing that one must go to that place. The actual verb like 'gehen' (to go) or 'fahren' (to drive) is usually omitted.
Ich muss gleich zur Arbeit.
I have to go to work soon.
to need to go
Colloquial expression for the need to go to the toilet. Often used in the form 'ich muss mal' (I need to go).
Warte kurz, ich muss mal.
Wait a moment, I need to go.
The negation 'nicht müssen' (not have to) is often confused with the English 'must not'. It does not mean 'forbidden', but rather 'not necessary'.
Du musst heute nicht in die Schule kommen, der Unterricht ist abgesagt.
You don't have to come to school today; class is canceled.
As a modal verb, the conjugated form 'muss' appears in position 2 in a main clause, and the infinitive of the action verb goes at the end of the sentence. In a subordinate clause, the infinitive and 'muss' appear together at the end: first the infinitive, then 'muss'.
Morgen muss ich meinen Bruder vom Bahnhof abholen.
Tomorrow I have to pick up my brother from the station.
In the perfect tense with another verb, 'müssen' remains as an infinitive at the end of the sentence. The form consists of 'haben' (to have), the infinitive of the main verb, and 'müssen' (to have to).
Er hat gestern lange arbeiten müssen.
He had to work for a long time yesterday.
With the adverbs 'unbedingt' (absolutely) or 'dringend' (urgently), you can make the necessity stronger. They usually stand directly before the infinitive.
Ich muss heute unbedingt noch Sport machen.
I absolutely have to do some exercise today.
When you draw a conclusion from an observation, 'muss' expresses a very strong assumption. For the past, you combine 'muss' with the past participle and 'haben' (to have) or 'sein' (to be).
Er sieht ganz blass aus, er muss krank sein.
He looks very pale, he must be sick.
With 'müssen' and a location, the motion verb is often omitted. Words like 'zu' (to), 'nach' (to), 'in' (into), or 'auf' (to) show the direction.
Er muss heute noch zum Zahnarzt.
He still has to go to the dentist today.
The phrase 'ich muss mal' (I need to go) is a colloquial expression for the need to use the toilet. The destination is not mentioned because it is understood from the situation.
Können wir kurz anhalten? Ich muss mal.
Can we stop for a moment? I need to go.
to apply / be valid
„Es gilt zu“ and „müssen“ can both express that an action is necessary. „Es gilt zu“ presents the task more formally as a challenge that lies ahead, while „müssen“ expresses the necessity directly. „Es gilt zu“ is suitable for a formal announcement, while „müssen“ is usually better for a direct instruction.
Wir müssen den Bericht bis morgen fertigstellen.
We have to finish the report by tomorrow.
Es gilt, den Bericht bis morgen fertigzustellen.
The report needs to be completed by tomorrow.
