Question 1

Why do we use должна here instead of должен?

Accepted Answer

The word for "must" or "has to" acts like a short adjective in Russian, meaning it changes its ending to match the gender and number of the subject. Since the subject мама is feminine, the masculine base form должен changes to the feminine form должна.

Question 2

Why is the verb стирать in the infinitive form?

Accepted Answer

Whenever you express obligation using должен or должна, the main action verb that follows it must be in the infinitive (the dictionary form). This is just like in English, where we say "has to wash" instead of "has washes".

Question 3

Could I use стирать to say Mom has to wash the car or the dishes?

Accepted Answer

No, стирать is specifically used for washing clothes, fabrics, and linens (it can also mean "to erase"). If you want to talk about washing a car, the dishes, or your hands, you would use a different verb: мыть.

Question 4

What case is the word бельё in?

Accepted Answer

It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing receiving the action of being washed). Since бельё (linen/laundry) is a neuter inanimate noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its dictionary form.

Question 5

Since the sentence happens завтра (tomorrow), shouldn't the sentence use a future tense?

Accepted Answer

You can often use the present tense form должна along with a future time word like завтра to express a scheduled plan or obligation. It works very similarly to saying "Mom is supposed to do laundry tomorrow" in English.

Завтра мама должна стирать бельё.

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