Questions & Answers about Han må løpe ned trappen.
What exactly does må mean here? Is it more like must or have to in English?
Må is a modal verb that usually corresponds to English must or have to.
In this sentence, Han må løpe ned trappen, it expresses necessity or obligation:
- He must run down the stairs.
- He has to run down the stairs.
How strong it is depends on context and intonation. It can mean:
- external obligation (He has to, someone is making him), or
- internal necessity (He must, he feels he needs to).
Grammatically, it always behaves like a modal verb, followed by an infinitive (løpe here).
Why is løpe in the infinitive form and not conjugated like løper?
After a modal verb like må, the main verb stays in the infinitive:
- Han løper. = He runs. (no modal, verb is conjugated)
- Han må løpe. = He must run. (modal må
- infinitive løpe)
This pattern is regular:
Why is it trappen and not just trapp?