sollte

Sollte is a form of the German verb sollen. It is the simple past (Präteritum) form of sollen, and it is also commonly used as the Konjunktiv II (subjunctive) form to express conditional meaning, hypotheticals, or advice. Because the Präteritum and the Konjunktiv II forms coincide for sollen, the same word sollte appears in both past-tense narratives and in conditional or advisory statements; context usually makes the intended meaning clear.

Usage and meaning

As Präteritum, sollte describes obligations, expectations, or suppositions in the past: Er sagte, er sollte früher kommen. (He said he was supposed to come earlier / He was expected to come earlier.) In reported speech the past sense is common, with the meaning shifting depending on context. As Konjunktiv II, sollte conveys advice, recommendation, or hypothetical scenarios: Du solltest mehr schlafen. (You should sleep more.) Es sollte besser werden. (It should get better.) Diese Form expresses a conditional or desirable outcome rather than a literal past event. In everyday speech, these two functions are often indistinguishable from the same form, relying on surrounding context.

Grammar notes

Conjugation in the present indicative is: ich soll, du sollst, er/sie/es soll, wir sollen, ihr sollt, sie/Sie sollen. The simple past and the Konjunktiv II forms are typically: ich sollte, du solltest, er sollte, wir sollten, ihr solltet, sie sollten. The past participle is gesollt, used in perfect constructions and with modal-periphrastic forms (often in combination with other infinitives, e.g., etwas tun sollen).

Relation to other languages

Sollte stems from the Germanic verb group related to Dutch zullen and the English shall/should. It conveys obligation, necessity, or expectation in various tenses and moods, depending on context.

Examples

- Du solltest mehr Wasser trinken.

- Er sagte, er sollte pünktlich kommen.

- Es sollte besser funktionieren.