Verb

sollen

Translation

should, is supposed to, shall, is said to

Du sollst deine Hausaufgaben machen.

You should do your homework.

Er soll sehr reich sein.

He is said to be very rich.

Was soll ich tun?

What should I do?

((sth.)) + infinitive to be supposed to do (sth.) You are supposed to clean your room.

+ infinitive to be said to be The film is said to be very good.

müssen (must), dürfen (may), können (can)

From Old High German 'solan', related to English 'shall'.

Think of it as a 'soft must' or an obligation from someone else. 'Soll' sounds like 'shall'.