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An interesting aspect arises when we look at how "ought to" is used in English. "Ought to" is applied in three cases:
- Duty
- Recommendation
- Expectation
1) Duty
In English, we say:
"You ought to apologize."
(謝るべきだ。)
In German, we use "sollte":
"Du solltest dich entschuldigen."
2) Recommendation
For recommendations, we also use "sollte" in both English and German.
Example:
"You ought to eat healthier."
"Du solltest gesünder essen."
3) Expectation
When expressing an expectation, we can use the same structure in English, but might have to change in German:
- English:
"It ought to be over by now." - Japanese:
今終わるはずだ。 - German:
In German, as in Japanese, we need to switch the grammar:
"Es müsste jetzt zu Ende sein."
While we can still use "sollte" in German, there is a difference in nuance between "müsste" and "sollte."
- Müsste indicates an expectation based on evidence or logic.
- Sollte, on the other hand, is based on a general expectation, but there is more uncertainty.
Examples:
-
Müsste (based on evidence):
The movie is scheduled to end at 16:30. If someone asks at the theater, "Is the movie already over?" and you know the schedule, you would say in German:
"Sie können bereits reingehen. Der Film müsste schon um 16:20 Uhr zu Ende gegangen sein."
(This implies that, based on the schedule, the movie is very likely over.) -
Sollte (general expectation with some uncertainty):
"Das Meeting sollte um 14 Uhr enden."
(The meeting was scheduled to end at 2 PM, but there is a possibility that it has been extended.)
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