verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ʃæl/strong form, Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, Australian
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ʃal/strong form, Standard Southern British, Northern England, Scotland, Wales
/ʃɛl/strong form, New Zealand
/ʃəl/weak form
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
I thee shall a hundred golden coins; th'amount thou shalt the Queen is much higher.
He should þe Princess his Life, for she had deliver'd him from þe Poison deadly.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English schal (infinitive schulen), from Old English sċeal (infinitive sċulan (“should, must”)), from Proto-West Germanic *skulan, from Proto-Germanic *skal (infinitive *skulaną), from Proto-Indo-European *skel- (“to owe, be under obligation”). Cognate with Scots sall, sal (“shall”), North Frisian skal, schal, Saterland Frisian skäl, schäl, schal (infinitive skälle, schälle), West Frisian sil (infinitive sille (“shall”)), Dutch zal (infinitive zullen (“shall”)), Low German schall (infinitive schölen (“shall”)), German soll (infinitive sollen (“ought to”)), Danish skal (infinitive skulle (“shall”)), Icelandic skal (infinitive skulu (“shall”)), Afrikaans sal, Swedish skall (“shall”) (infinitive skola).
Across languages
Translations
56 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
ще
(šte)
— indicating the simple future tense
Dutch:
zullen
— indicating the simple future tense
West-Frisian:
sille
— indicating the simple future tense
German:
werden
— indicating the simple future tense
Kapampangan:
dapat
— indicating the simple future tense
Kapampangan:
kailangan
— indicating the simple future tense
Malay:
akan
— indicating the simple future tense
Norwegian:
skal
— indicating the simple future tense
Old English:
sculan
— indicating the simple future tense
Old Saxon:
skulan
— indicating the simple future tense
Scots:
sall
— indicating the simple future tense
Swedish:
skall
— indicating the simple future tense
Swedish:
ska
— indicating the simple future tense
Esperanto:
-u
— indicating determination or obligation
French:
devoir
— indicating determination or obligation
French:
être obligé de
— indicating determination or obligation
French:
tu iras au bal!
— indicating determination or obligation
German:
sollen
— indicating determination or obligation
Gothic:
𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽
(skulan)
— indicating determination or obligation
Italian:
dovere
— indicating determination or obligation
Italian:
essere obbligato di
— indicating determination or obligation
Japanese:
ものとする
(-mono to suru)
— indicating determination or obligation
Kapampangan:
dapat
— indicating determination or obligation
Kapampangan:
kailangan
— indicating determination or obligation
Korean:
-야 되다
(-ya doeda)
— indicating determination or obligation
Korean:
-야 하다
(-ya hada)
— indicating determination or obligation
Latin:
debeo
— indicating determination or obligation
Norwegian:
skulle
— indicating determination or obligation
Polish:
powinien
— indicating determination or obligation
Portuguese:
dever
— indicating determination or obligation
Portuguese:
precisar
— indicating determination or obligation
Russian:
до́лжен
(dólžen)
— indicating determination or obligation
Russian:
должна́
(dolžná)
— indicating determination or obligation
Russian:
должно́
(dolžnó)
— indicating determination or obligation
Russian:
должны́
(dolžný)
— indicating determination or obligation
Swedish:
skall
— indicating determination or obligation
Swedish:
ska
— indicating determination or obligation
Bulgarian:
да
(da)
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
French:
or
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
French:
informally
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
German:
sollen
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Japanese:
ようか
(-yōka)
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Japanese:
ましょうか
(-mashōka)
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
daka?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
danaka?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
dakayo?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
danakayo?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
dakata?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
danakata?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
ko?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Kapampangan:
kata?
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Korean:
-ᆯ까
(-lkka)
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Korean:
-ᆯ까요
(-lkkayo)
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Norwegian:
skulle
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Swedish:
ska
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
Swedish:
skall
— in questions to suggest a possible future action
