Learn Hardcore German: Wir sollen den Zählerstand heute noch an die Hausverwaltung schicken. - We are supposed to send the meter reading to the property management today.

Sollen often means we are supposed to / we are expected to—usually because someone else (a landlord, the contract, the building management) wants it done. It can sound like an external instruction or expectation. Müssen is stronger and more about necessity: we have to (no real choice, urgent/mandatory). So Wir sollen ... schicken often implies: Someone told us to send it or it’s the agreed/required thing to do.

How does the grammar work with sollen? Why is schicken at the end?

This is a standard modal verb structure:

Wir sollen = conjugated modal verb in position 2
... schicken = infinitive goes to the end of the clause
So the “verb bracket” is: sollen … schicken.
Pattern: Subject + modal (conjugated) + … + main verb (infinitive at end).

What case is den Zählerstand and how can I tell?

Den Zählerstand is accusative (direct object). You can tell from:

den = masculine accusative singular (for der Zählerstand)
The verb schicken typically takes a direct object: you send something → that “something” is accusative.

What exactly is Zählerstand?

Zählerstand is a compound noun:

Zähler = meter/counter (e.g., electricity meter, gas meter, water meter)
Stand = status/level/reading
So Zählerstand means meter reading (the number shown on the meter at a specific time).

Why is Zählerstand capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized, including common nouns like Zählerstand, Hausverwaltung, Tag, etc.

What does heute noch mean exactly? Is it just today?

heute noch means still today / by the end of today—it adds urgency or a deadline within the same day.

heute = today
noch here = “still / yet (within the remaining time)”
So it’s closer to: We’re supposed to send the meter reading today (still), i.e., before today ends.

Could I also say noch heute? Is there a difference?

Yes, noch heute is also common and usually means the same: still today.

heute noch often feels like “today (and it hasn’t happened yet)”
noch heute can feel slightly more like “as early as today / before the day ends”
In most everyday contexts they’re interchangeable.

Why is it an die Hausverwaltung and not zu der Hausverwaltung?

With schicken, German commonly uses an + accusative for the recipient/target of sending:

etwas an jemanden schicken = send something to someone
zu can work in some contexts, but it often suggests movement to a place (physically going there) more than sending something to an organization/contact point. For mail/email-style “to,” an is very typical.

Why is it die Hausverwaltung (accusative) after an?

an can take accusative or dative:

accusative = direction/target (to somewhere/someone)
dative = location/position (at somewhere)
Here it’s a target/recipient, so it’s accusative: an die Hausverwaltung.

What is Hausverwaltung exactly?

Hausverwaltung usually means property management / building management—the office or company that manages the apartment building (contracts, maintenance, billing, etc.). In rental contexts, they may request the meter reading for billing.

Where can time words like heute noch go in the sentence?

Time expressions are flexible, but common placements are:

Wir sollen den Zählerstand heute noch an die Hausverwaltung schicken. (neutral/common)
Wir sollen heute noch den Zählerstand an die Hausverwaltung schicken. (emphasizes the deadline a bit more)
German often follows TeKaMoLo (Time–Cause–Manner–Place) as a guideline, but you can move parts for emphasis.

Is schicken the best verb here? What about senden or einreichen?

All can work, with different tone:

schicken = everyday, neutral: send (email/post/message)
senden = slightly more formal/technical (broadcast/send)
einreichen = “submit” (more bureaucratic; common with documents/forms)
For meter readings, schicken is very natural; einreichen is also possible if it’s part of a formal process.

How would this change in a more polite or formal request?

You might see:

Wir sollen den Zählerstand heute noch an die Hausverwaltung senden. (more formal verb)
Der Zählerstand soll heute noch an die Hausverwaltung geschickt werden. (passive, impersonal/formal)
If speaking directly to someone: Bitte schicken Sie den Zählerstand heute noch an die Hausverwaltung. (polite imperative)