Breakdown of Mein Ratschlag ist: Du sollst nicht lügen.
sein
to be
du
you (informal singular)
nicht
not
mein
my
Questions & Answers about Mein Ratschlag ist: Du sollst nicht lügen.
Why does sollst mean "should" here? I thought it meant "supposed to".
sollen is very versatile! It often translates to "to be supposed to", but it is also the go-to verb for giving rules, passing on commands, or giving strong advice. Since this sentence starts with a piece of advice (Ratschlag), translating sollst as "should" is the most natural fit in English.
Why is lügen at the end of the sentence?
This is the classic rule for modal verbs. When you use a modal verb like sollen, it takes the conjugated spot right after the subject (Du sollst). The main action verb, which is lügen (to lie) here, gets pushed to the very end of the clause in its basic dictionary (infinitive) form.
Why is the word for "my" just Mein and not Meinen or Meine?
The word Ratschlag (advice) is a masculine noun (der Ratschlag). In this sentence, it is the subject of the first clause, so it is in the nominative case. For a masculine noun in the nominative case, the possessive word takes no extra ending, leaving us with just Mein.
Why does nicht go right before lügen?
When you use a modal verb and want to negate the main action, nicht usually goes just before the infinitive verb at the end of the sentence. Here, it is placed right in front of lügen because it specifically negates the act of lying.