Breakdown of Wir müssen heute lange arbeiten.
arbeiten
to work
wir
we
heute
today
müssen
to have to, must
lange
for a long time, long
Questions & Answers about Wir müssen heute lange arbeiten.
Why is the word for work (arbeiten) at the very end of the sentence?
This is a strict rule in German! When you use a modal verb like müssen (to have to), it takes the second position in the sentence. The main action verb (arbeiten) gets pushed to the very end in its basic dictionary form (the infinitive).
Can I translate müssen as 'must' instead of 'have to'?
Yes, absolutely. Wir müssen can be translated as 'We must' or 'We have to'. In everyday German, müssen is the go-to word for both forms of obligation.
Could I say 'Wir müssen arbeiten heute lange' to match English word order?
No, because German uses a sentence bracket for modal verbs. The first verb (müssen) and the last verb (arbeiten) act like bookends. All the other details, like when (heute) and for how long (lange), must go inside those bookends.
Why is it lange with an 'e' at the end instead of just lang?
When talking about a duration of time (meaning 'for a long time'), Germans usually use the adverb lange. If you were talking about physical length, like a long street or a long table, you would just use lang.
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