Phrase in German
What does "Ich hätte das machen sollen." mean in German?
The phrase "Ich hätte das machen sollen." is used to say that you should have done something in the past, usually with regret or hindsight.
Phrase
Ich hätte das machen sollen.
Natural translation
I should have done that.
- I ought to have done that.
- I should have taken care of that.
Breakdown of the phrase
Ich hätte
Subjunctive II of "haben", used to express an unreal or hypothetical past.
das
Neutral object pronoun: that.
machen sollen
Infinitive construction with "sollen" expressing obligation or advice in the past.
Usage notes
- It often sounds reflective and slightly regretful.
- It is useful when talking about missed actions or decisions.
- The structure is very common in everyday German.
Similar examples
Ich hätte das früher machen sollen.
I should have done that earlier.
Wir hätten das gestern machen sollen.
We should have done that yesterday.
Du hättest das nicht alleine machen sollen.
You should not have done that alone.
EchoLearn card
Front
Ich hätte das machen sollen.
Back
I should have done that. A phrase used to express regret about something left undone.
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