Breakdown of Das Dorf soll heute nicht mehr existieren.
heute
today
nicht mehr
no longer, not any more
sollen
should / ought to
das Dorf
the village
Questions & Answers about Das Dorf soll heute nicht mehr existieren.
Why does soll mean "is said to" here instead of "should"?
In German, the modal verb sollen can be used subjectively to report hearsay, rumors, or claims made by others. Instead of expressing an obligation, it translates to "is said to" or "supposedly." In this sentence, Das Dorf soll... existieren means that people are saying the village exists.
How does nicht mehr work in this sentence?
The phrase nicht mehr literally translates to "not more," but it is the standard German expression for "no longer" or "not anymore." Together with the main verb, nicht mehr existieren means "to no longer exist."
Why is heute placed before nicht mehr?
In German word order, expressions of time like heute generally come before negations like nicht or nicht mehr. You typically establish the timeframe before negating the action.
Why is existieren at the very end of the sentence?
This is a quick reminder of how modal verbs work! The conjugated modal verb soll takes the second position in the clause, which pushes the main verb existieren to the very end in its infinitive (unconjugated) form.