Questions & Answers about Vi må beslutte planen i dag.
What does må mean and what role does it play in this sentence?
må is the present‐tense form of the modal verb å måtte, which expresses obligation or necessity—equivalent to English must or have to.
- Part of speech: modal auxiliary
- Function: it modifies the following verb (beslutte) to show that deciding the plan is required
- Example: Jeg må gå (“I must go”)
What’s the difference between må and skal?
Both are common modals, but they convey different shades of meaning:
- må = necessity/obligation (external or internal need)
• “Du må levere rapporten i dag.” (“You must hand in the report today.”) - skal = future intention, plan, promise or command in spoken language
• “Jeg skal ringe deg senere.” (“I will call you later.”)
• As a command (less formal than må): “Du skal være stille!” (“You shall/should be quiet!”)
Why is there no å before beslutte?