Muss

See also: muss, müss, Müss, muß, and Muß

German

Alternative forms

• Muß (superseded)

Etymology

Substantivization of muss (“must”), third-person singular present indicative of müssen (“to have to”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʊs/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊs

Noun

Muss n (strong, genitive Muss, no plural)

1. necessity, a must

   Synonym: Notwendigkeit

Usage notes

• The spelling Muss has been the prescribed spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform). In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, it had already been standard since ⟨ß⟩ was deprecated in the 1930s. In the affected areas, the previous spelling (Muß) is now less common, and may be regarded as a misspelling.

Declension

Declension of Muss [sg-only, neuter, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Muss
genitive	eines	des	Muss
dative	einem	dem	Muss
accusative	ein	das	Muss

Further reading

• “Muss” in Duden online
• “Muss” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From the past tense of Middle Low German môten, from Old Saxon mōtan.

Noun

Muss m

1. a need, a necessity, a must