müssen present tense conjugation
Müssen (to have to, must) in the present tense: muss, musst, muss, müssen, müsst, müssen.
Präsens Present
| ich | regular: müsse |
|---|---|
| du | regular: müsst |
| er/sie/es | regular: müsst |
| wir | |
| ihr | regular: müsst |
| sie/Sie |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the present tense
The Präsens covers “I do” and “I am doing” and is very often used for the future when a time word makes it clear: “Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin.”
How it is formed
Regular endings on the stem: e, st, t, en, t, en. Many strong verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms (fahren → fährst, sehen → siehst).
Müssen is irregular here. 4 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give müsse, müsst, müsst, müsst.
Müssen in a sentence
- Ich muss jetzt gehen.I have to go now.
- Wir mussten warten.We had to wait.
Modal verb; ich/er muss (no umlaut in singular), musste in Präteritum.
FAQ
What is the present tense of müssen?
Müssen in the German present tense: ich muss, du musst, er/sie/es muss, wir müssen, ihr müsst, sie/Sie müssen.
Is müssen irregular in the present tense?
Yes. 4 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: ich muss (regular would be müsse); du musst (regular would be müsst); er/sie/es muss (regular would be müsst); ihr müsst (regular would be müsst).
When do you use the German present tense?
The Präsens covers “I do” and “I am doing” and is very often used for the future when a time word makes it clear: “Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin.”
How is the present tense formed?
Regular endings on the stem: e, st, t, en, t, en. Many strong verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms (fahren → fährst, sehen → siehst).
Full müssen conjugation, all tenses →
Drill it with flashcards →