Verb

sollen

Translation

should, is supposed to, shall, is said to

Du sollst deine Hausaufgaben machen.

You are supposed to 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 (be allowed to), können (can)

Derived from Old High German 'solan', cognate with the English word 'shall'.

Remember 'soll' for external obligations, like 'is supposed to'. It's what others expect you to do.