sollte

Meaning and Usage

"sollte" is the past tense form of "sollen" in German, and it means "should" in English. It is used to express a past obligation, suggestion, or advice.

Linguistic Analysis

"sollte" is an irregular verb in German, belonging to the modal verb category. Its origin is from Old High German as "sollo."

Comparisons between German and English

The word "sollte" is similar to the English word "should" both in meaning and usage.

Example Sentences

• Er sollte früher nach Hause kommen. (He should have come home earlier.)
• Du solltest mehr Wasser trinken. (You should drink more water.)

Memory Tips

Associate "sollte" with the English word "should" to remember its meaning.

Conjugation (for verbs)

• Ich sollte (I should)
• Du solltest (You should)
• Er/sie/es sollte (He/she/it should)
• Wir sollten (We should)
• Ihr solltet (You all should)
• Sie sollten (They should)