Breakdown of Сегодня она должна мыть пол.
она
she / it (for a feminine noun)
сегодня
today
мыть
to wash
должен
must, have to (должен, должна, должны)
пол
floor
Questions & Answers about Сегодня она должна мыть пол.
Why is the word должна used here instead of должен?
What form of the verb comes after должна?
After words expressing obligation like должна, you always use the infinitive (dictionary form) of the verb. In this sentence, that is мыть (to wash).
Why use the imperfective verb мыть instead of a perfective verb like помыть?
Using the imperfective мыть emphasizes the process or the chore itself. When talking about routine household chores like washing floors, Russian speakers often use imperfective verbs to focus on being busy with the task.
Why is пол (floor) in its dictionary form if it is the object being washed?
It is actually in the accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action. However, for masculine inanimate nouns like пол, the accusative form looks exactly the same as the nominative (dictionary) form.
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