Soll ich eins essen?

to eat

Breakdown of Soll ich eins essen?

• ich: I
• sollen: should
• eins: one

Questions & Answers about Soll ich eins essen?

Why does soll come at the very beginning of the sentence, and why does ich follow it?

This is a yes/no question in German. In such questions, the conjugated verb (here soll, the 3rd‑person singular form of sollen) takes the first position, and the subject (ich) immediately follows. If this were a statement, you’d say Ich soll eins essen.

What does the modal verb sollen mean in Soll ich eins essen?

Sollen expresses advice, recommendation, or obligation, similar to should in English. So Soll ich eins essen? literally means “Should I eat one?”

Why is the infinitive essen placed at the end of the sentence?

In German, when you use a modal verb like sollen, the main verb remains in its infinitive form and moves to the end of the clause. That’s why essen appears at the very end.

What kind of word is eins, and why is it used here instead of ein?