Я должен идти в магазин.

I have to go to the store.

Breakdown of Я должен идти в магазин.

• я: I
• в: to
• магазин: the store
• идти: to go
• должен: to have to

Questions & Answers about Я должен идти в магазин.

What does должен mean, and how does it function in this sentence?

должен is the short‑form masculine adjective meaning “must” or “have to.” In Russian, these short‑form adjectives often act like modal verbs: they’re followed by an infinitive (here идти) to show obligation. So я должен идти literally is “I am obligated to go.”

Why is it я должен, and what if the speaker is female or talking about a group?

Short‑form adjectives agree with the subject in gender and number:

• A male speaker says я должен.
• A female says я должна.
• A mixed or plural group says мы/они должны.

Why is the infinitive идти used here? How is it different from ходить or from the perfective пойти?

1. Modal + infinitive: after должен you always use an infinitive form of the verb.
2. Идти vs ходить:
   • идти = unidirectional, “to go (right now, one‑way).”
   • ходить = multidirectional or habitual, “to go (repeatedly or back‑and‑forth).”
3. идти vs пойти:
   • идти (imperfective) focuses on the process—“I must be going/to go.”
   • пойти (perfective) focuses on the single completed action—“I must set out (and complete the trip).”

Why is магазин in the accusative case?

Motion toward a place with в uses the accusative. В магазин answers “into where?” Because магазин is inanimate, its accusative form is identical to the nominative (магазин).

Why в магазин and not на магазин?

Some locations take в, others на—it’s lexical. You say в магазин, в школу, в театр, but на почту, на рынок, на работу. There’s no strict rule; each noun has its collocation.

How flexible is word order here? Could I say в магазин я должен идти or я в магазин должен идти?

Russian word order is relatively free. You can move в магазин or должен for emphasis:
• В магазин я должен идти (emphasizes destination)
• Я должен идти в магазин (neutral)
• Я в магазин должен идти (unusual but possible for stylistic twist)
The core syntax (subject – predicate – infinitive – direction) stays clear, though.

Are there alternative ways to express “I have to go to the store” in Russian?

Yes, for example:

• Мне нужно идти в магазин. (milder, “I need to go…”)
• Мне надо идти в магазин. (colloquial, “I’ve got to go…”)
• Я должен пойти в магазин. (perfective infinitive, “I must head off to the shop”)
• Мне следует идти в магазин. (even more polite, “I ought to go…”)

Does должен imply a strong obligation like “must” or more of a suggestion like “should”?

должен usually means a fairly strong necessity (“must,” “have to”). For a softer “should,” use verbs like следует or expressions like мне лучше.