Breakdown of Es gibt eine neue Regel im Büro. Alle Mitarbeiter sollen sie beachten.
ein
a, an (eine)
sie
she
alle
all, everyone
neu
new
das Büro
the office
es gibt
there is / there are
sollen
should / ought to
im
in the (used with months) / in the (contraction of in + dem)
der Mitarbeiter
the employee (male)
die Regel
the rule
beachten
to observe
Questions & Answers about Es gibt eine neue Regel im Büro. Alle Mitarbeiter sollen sie beachten.
Why is sollen translated as "are supposed to" here instead of "should"?
Both translations work! sollen often expresses a duty, expectation, or a rule set by someone else. Translating it as "are supposed to" captures this feeling perfectly. Since Alle Mitarbeiter (all employees) is plural, the verb is in its plural form sollen.
Does sie in the second sentence mean "they"?
Not here! While sie can mean "they" or "she", in this sentence it means "it". It refers back to eine neue Regel (a new rule). Since Regel is a feminine noun in German, we must use the feminine pronoun sie to say "it".
Why is beachten at the very end of the sentence?
This is the standard word order for modal verbs like sollen. The modal verb takes the second position in the sentence (Alle Mitarbeiter sollen...), and it pushes the main action verb (beachten) to the very end in its basic dictionary form (the infinitive).
Why is it eine neue Regel after es gibt?
The phrase es gibt (there is / there are) always requires the accusative case for the thing that exists. Because Regel is a feminine noun, the accusative form is simply eine neue Regel.
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