Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

we

Breakdown of Wir sollen Rücksicht auf die Nachbarn nehmen.

• sollen: should
• der Nachbar: the neighbor
• die: the; (plural, accusative)

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?