Deductions in the Present
In Polish, the modal verb musieć (must / to have to) isn't just for obligations—it's also used to make logical deductions. To express strong probability, use the present tense of musieć followed by an infinitive.
| Someone is knocking. It must be the tenant. | Ktoś puka. To musi być lokator. |
| This dog must be hungry. | Ten pies musi być głodny. |
You can also speculate about ongoing actions. Just match musieć to the subject (like musi for he/she, or muszą for they), and add the action they "must" be doing as an infinitive.
| He must be snoring very loudly, my ears hurt! | On musi chrapać bardzo głośno, bolą mnie uszy! |
| They are probably partying again, they must have a lot of free time. | Prawdopodobnie znowu imprezują, muszą mieć dużo czasu wolnego. |
Deductions in the Past
To say something "must have" happened, simply use the past tense of musieć followed by an infinitive. Remember that past tense verbs must agree with the subject's gender (e.g., musiał for masculine, musiała for feminine).
| It must have been a burglar, because the tenant was not at home. | To musiał być włamywacz, bo lokatora nie było w domu. |
| She must have lost the phone. | Ona musiała zgubić telefon. |
| Someone must have broken a vase. | Ktoś musiał stłuc wazon. |
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