должен
Translation of должен
must
Meaning of должен
нужно обязательно; без этого нельзя обойтись
used to say that something is necessary or very important
Transcription and pronunciation of должен
до́лжен
stress on the 1st syllable
- Transcription
- [ˈdoɫʐɨn]
- In Latin letters
- dolzhen
Traps and common mistakes
Мне должен уйти or Я должен уйти?
Я должен уйти
Я должен = I must; мне надо = I need to
Don't say Мне должен уйти. Say Я должен уйти, or Мне надо уйти — don't mix the two patterns.
Я должен уйти пораньше.
I must leave early.
Try translating it yourself
Translate these short sentences from English into Russian using the word you are learning. Then open one possible answer and compare it with yours. This is practice, not a test.
We must finish the report by Friday.
Show translationHide translation
Мы должны закончить отчёт к пятнице.
You must wear a helmet.
Show translationHide translation
Ты должен надеть шлем.
должен synonyms
What's the difference between должен, надо, нужно, обязан, следует, and вынужден
Colloquial, very common; used with мне, тебе
Neutral necessity; used with мне, тебе
Strong duty by law or rules
Formal: what is right or advised
Forced by circumstances, not by choice
Necessity forced by a situation; with мне, нам
Related words and lists for должен
Questions about this word
What does должен mean?
used to say that something is necessary or very important
How do you pronounce должен?
должен is pronounced [ˈdoɫʐɨn], in Latin letters “dolzhen”.
How is должен used in a sentence?
We must finish the report by Friday. Translation: Мы должны закончить отчёт к пятнице.
Learn должен in your vocabulary
Add this word to practice, repeat it with audio, examples and your own word lists.