To say that someone "must" or "has to" do something, Russian uses the word должен. As a short-form adjective, it agrees with the gender and number of the person who has the obligation. Notice the fleeting vowel -е- in the masculine form, which drops out in the other forms.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| должен | должна | должно | должны |
To state what someone must do, follow the correct form of должен with an action verb in the infinitive.
| I must clean the room and wash the dishes. | Я должен убирать комнату и мыть посуду. |
| She has to wash the floor today. | Сегодня она должна мыть пол. |
Daily Duties and Chores
This structure is heavily used for talking about household chores and daily responsibilities.
| Mom has to do the laundry tomorrow. | Завтра мама должна стирать бельё. |
| My brother has to take out the trash every day. | Мой брат должен выносить мусор каждый день. |
Asking Questions and Contrasting Duties
To ask about responsibilities, place a question word like кто (who) or почему (why) at the beginning of the sentence. You can also contrast different people's chores in a single sentence using the conjunction а (and/but).
| Who must wash her clothes? | Кто должен стирать её одежду? |
| I must wash the floor, and my sister must wash the dishes. | Я должен мыть пол, а сестра должна мыть посуду. |
| Why must I take out the trash? My brother promises to do this on time. | Почему я должен выносить мусор? Мой брат обещает делать это вовремя. |
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