Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

We should be considerate of the neighbors.

Breakdown of Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

• wir: we
• sollen: should
• der Nachbar: the neighbor
• die: the; (plural, accusative)
• Rücksicht nehmen auf: to show consideration for

Questions & Answers about Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

What exactly does sollen mean here? Is it closer to must or should?

In this sentence, sollen expresses a norm, rule, or expectation coming from outside (parents, authorities, social norms, etc.).

• It often corresponds to “should” or “are supposed to”:
  • Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.
    = We should / are supposed to be considerate of the neighbours.

Compared with müssen:

• müssen = strong necessity / obligation (often internal or absolute):
  
  • Wir müssen leise sein. – We have to be quiet.
• sollen = weaker, more about what is expected / recommended / prescribed:
  
  • Wir sollen leise sein. – We should be quiet / We’re supposed to be quiet.

So here sollen is softer than must, but stronger than a mere suggestion.

Why do you say Rücksicht nehmen? Why use nehmen (“to take”) with Rücksicht?

Rücksicht nehmen (auf …) is a fixed idiomatic expression in German. Literally it’s “to take consideration (of …)”, but it means:

• Rücksicht auf jemanden/etwas nehmen = to be considerate of someone/something, to take someone/something into account

This is an example of a light-verb construction:

• The “real” meaning is mostly in the noun (Rücksicht).
• The verb (nehmen) is grammatically necessary but loses its literal sense of “physically taking.”

Other similar patterns in German:

• Hoffnung haben – to have hope
• Angst haben – to be afraid
• Entscheidung treffen – to make a decision

So you should learn Rücksicht auf … nehmen as one unit.

Why is it auf die Nachbarn? What case is that, and why?

Here auf is used together with Rücksicht nehmen as part of a fixed pattern:

• Rücksicht auf jemanden/etwas nehmen

In this construction, auf always takes the accusative.

• die Nachbarn is accusative plural:
  • nominative plural: die Nachbarn
  • accusative plural: die Nachbarn (same form)

So:

• Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn
  = consideration for the neighbours (accusative after auf in this phrase)

Even though auf can take either dative or accusative in general, in this fixed expression it is always accusative.

What’s the difference between Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen, die Nachbarn berücksichtigen, and auf die Nachbarn achten?

All three relate to taking others into account, but with slightly different nuances:

1. Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen

   • Emphasis: being considerate, not disturbing them, thinking about their comfort.
   • Very common in everyday situations:
     • noise, parking, shared spaces, etc.
   • Often implies politeness and social consideration.

2. die Nachbarn berücksichtigen

   • berücksichtigen = to take into account / to factor in.
   • Sounds a bit more formal or rational:
     • Wir müssen die Nachbarn bei der Planung berücksichtigen.
       We must take the neighbours into account when planning.
   • Less about politeness, more about including them in decisions.

3. auf die Nachbarn achten

   • achten auf = to pay attention to, watch out for.
   • Can mean:
     • be mindful of them (don’t disturb them), or
     • keep an eye on them (for safety, help, etc.), depending on context.
   • Slightly broader and more neutral than Rücksicht nehmen.

In the context of noise or behaviour, Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen is the most idiomatic.

Does Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen mean “We should be considerate” or “We are supposed to be considerate”? Is there a difference?

It can mean either, depending on context:

• We should be considerate
  → moral recommendation, it’s the right thing to do.
• We are supposed to be considerate
  → indicates a rule, expectation, or instruction from someone else (parents, landlord, house rules).

German sollen naturally covers both ideas:

• a moral or social obligation, and
• an external expectation or rule.

Context (and sometimes tone) decides which English translation fits better.

Why is Rücksicht capitalized?

Because Rücksicht is a noun, and all nouns are capitalized in German.

So:

• die Rücksicht – consideration
• Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

Even in fixed expressions with verbs (like Rücksicht nehmen), the noun part keeps its capitalization.

What gender and forms does Nachbarn have?

Nachbarn is the plural of der Nachbar (the neighbour).

Singular (weak masculine noun):

• Nominative: der Nachbar (Der Nachbar ist nett.)
• Accusative: den Nachbarn (Ich sehe den Nachbarn.)
• Dative: dem Nachbarn (Ich helfe dem Nachbarn.)
• Genitive: des Nachbarn (Das Auto des Nachbarn.)

Plural:

• Nominative: die Nachbarn (Die Nachbarn sind nett.)
• Accusative: die Nachbarn (Ich sehe die Nachbarn.)
• Dative: den Nachbarn (Ich helfe den Nachbarn.)
• Genitive: der Nachbarn (Die Kinder der Nachbarn.)

In auf die Nachbarn, we have accusative plural: die Nachbarn.

How do I negate this? Where do I put nicht or kein?

There are two main options, with a subtle difference in meaning:

1. Wir sollen keine Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

   • keine Rücksicht = no consideration at all.
   • Meaning: We are supposed to not be considerate of them (none at all).
   • This negates the noun.

2. Wir sollen nicht auf die Nachbarn Rücksicht nehmen.

   • Focus: We should not take the neighbours into consideration.
   • This negates the whole phrase “auf die Nachbarn Rücksicht nehmen”.
   • Slightly stronger emphasis on “not on the neighbours”; maybe we should consider someone else instead.

In most everyday contexts, if you just mean “We shouldn’t be considerate of the neighbours”, keine Rücksicht is the more natural-sounding version.

How do I turn this into a yes/no question like “Should we be considerate of the neighbours?” in German?

You just move the modal verb sollen to the first position:

• Sollen wir Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen?
  = Should we be considerate of the neighbours? / Are we supposed to be considerate of the neighbours?

Word order pattern:

• Statement: Wir sollen … nehmen.
• Question: Sollen wir … nehmen?

How do I say “We were supposed to be considerate of the neighbours” (past tense)?

The most common way is to use the preterite (simple past) of sollen:

• Wir sollten Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

This is understood as past tense:

• We were supposed to be considerate of the neighbours (at that time).

Technically you can also use the perfect:

• Wir haben Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen sollen.
  • Grammatically correct but used less often in everyday speech.
  • Feels a bit more complex and can imply looking back from a later point.

Be aware:

• sollten can also be Konjunktiv II (subjunctive) meaning “should” in a more hypothetical or polite way.
• Here, context decides whether sollten is simple past or subjunctive. In a clear past-time context, it’s taken as simple past.

Can I drop wir and just say Sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen?

No. In German you generally must include the subject pronoun:

• Correct: Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.
• Incorrect: Sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen. (missing subject)

The main exception is the imperative (commands), where the subject is often omitted:

• Nehmt Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn! – Be considerate of the neighbours! (addressing “ihr”)
• Nimm Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn! – (addressing “du”)
• Nehmen Sie Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn! – (formal “Sie”; here the pronoun stays)

Can I express the same idea with an adjective, like rücksichtsvoll?

Yes, you can reformulate using rücksichtsvoll (“considerate”):

• Wir sollen rücksichtsvoll gegenüber den Nachbarn sein.

Notes:

• rücksichtsvoll = considerate, thoughtful of others.
• gegenüber takes the dative: den Nachbarn (dative plural).

Meaning:

• Very close to Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen, just phrased with “to be considerate” instead of “to take consideration.”

Why is the verb order sollen … nehmen? Why is nehmen at the end?

This is standard German word order with a modal verb:

• sollen is the conjugated modal verb (here: sollen → wir sollen).
• The main verb (nehmen) is in the infinitive at the end of the clause.

Pattern:

• Subject + conjugated verb (2nd position) + rest of the sentence + infinitive at the end.

So:

• Wir (subject)
• sollen (conjugated verb in 2nd position)
• Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn (objects/prepositional phrase)
• nehmen (infinitive at the very end)

In a subordinate clause, the order changes:

• …, weil wir Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen sollen.
  (both verbs go to the end, with the infinitive nehmen before the modal sollen)

This verb-final structure with infinitives is a core feature of German syntax.