Polish · Everyday Verbs
"must (to have to)" in Polish: musieć
musieć
Must (to have to) in Polish is musieć. The useful forms are muszę (I), musisz (you, singular) and musi (he, she or it). Musieć expresses necessity and is followed by an infinitive; nie muszę means I do not have to.
Your own action
Muszę już iść.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce musieć
Say it
moosietsh
/muɕɛtɕ/
In musieć, ś/si has a soft sh-like sound; ć/ci has a soft ch-like sound. The content words in musieć normally use penultimate stress when they have multiple syllables.
"must (to have to)" in Polish: quick reference
| Polish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| musieć | must (to have to) Infinitive or dictionary expression. | Infinitive or dictionary expression. |
| muszę | I must (to have to) First-person singular present. | First-person singular present. |
| musisz | you must (to have to) Informal second-person singular. | Informal second-person singular. |
| musi | he or she musts (to have to) Third-person singular. | Third-person singular. |
How to use musieć in real life
- 1Your own action
Muszę już iść.
I have to go now.
Muszę is the form shown for your action in this example.
- 2Speaking to one person
Musisz pracować w sobotę?
Do you have to work on Saturday?
Use musisz when addressing one person informally; polite address uses third-person grammar.
- 3Another person or situation
On musi kupić bilet.
He has to buy a ticket.
Musieć expresses necessity and is followed by an infinitive; nie muszę means I do not have to.
Mistakes English speakers make with musieć
Incorrect: Ja musieć.
Correct: Ja muszę.
Conjugate musieć with ja: muszę. A bare infinitive cannot express this statement.
Incorrect: Ty muszę.
Correct: Ty musisz.
For informal singular ty, the matching form of musieć is musisz, rather than the first-person form.
Good to know
Musieć expresses necessity and is followed by an infinitive; nie muszę means I do not have to.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Talk about must (to have to)
Partner
Podaj przykład użycia tego czasownika.
Give an example using this verb.
You
Muszę już iść.
I have to go now.
Partner
A jak zapytasz drugą osobę?
And how will you ask another person?
You
Musisz pracować w sobotę?
Do you have to work on Saturday?
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"must (to have to)" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "must (to have to)" in Polish
What does musieć mean?
Musieć expresses necessity and is followed by an infinitive; nie muszę means I do not have to.
How do I use musieć with “I”?
The first-person form is muszę. For example: Muszę już iść. — I have to go now.
How do I ask one person using musieć?
Use musisz for informal singular you. Musisz pracować w sobotę? — Do you have to work on Saturday?
What is the third-person form of musieć?
Use musi with a singular subject. On musi kupić bilet. — He has to buy a ticket.
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