müssen
Translation
had to, needed to
Examples
Ich musste gestern lange arbeiten.
I had to work late yesterday.
Er musste den Zug nehmen.
He had to take the train.
Grammar Patterns
((infinitive)) had to do sth. Ich musste früher aufstehen.
Similar Words
Synonyms: sollte, konnte, wollte (other Präteritum forms of modal verbs)
Etymology
Präteritum (simple past) form of 'müssen'. From Old High German 'muozan'.
Memory Tips
The '-te' ending is a common marker for the simple past (Präteritum) of weak verbs and modal verbs in German. Remember 'musste' for 'had to'.