Yap.Town

was soll

what am I supposed to, what is … supposed to be/do

→ was
phrase Very common #823
what am I supposed to Usually followed by a subject and an infinitive, as in „Was soll ich tun?“ (“What should I do?”). It can also express surprise or confusion, as in „Was soll das bedeuten?“ (“What is that supposed to mean?”).
GE: Was soll ich jetzt machen?
EN: What am I supposed to do now?

Was soll der kleine Junge tun, der seinen Vater sucht, der im Gefängnis sitzt?

What is the little boy who is looking for his father, who is in prison, supposed to do?

— Malcolm X (1992)

Was soll sein?

What's up?

— Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Was soll er wissen?

What should he know?

— Manons Rache (1986)

Was soll sie nun mit ihm machen?

What is she supposed to do with him now?

— Wächter des Tages (2006)

Na was soll's.

Oh well.

— Salyut-7 (2017)

Und was soll danach aus dir werden?

And what will become of you after that?

— Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland (2001)

Was soll mir das ausmachen?

What difference should that make to me?

— Laurence Anyways (2012)

Was soll aus Ihrer Frau und Manon werden?

What is to become of your wife and Manon?

— Jean Florette (1986)

Was soll schon mit ihm sein, Mann?

What could possibly be wrong with him, man?

— Leviathan (2014)

Was soll er klären?

What is he supposed to clarify?

— Die Reue (1987)

Was soll det bloß mit dem Jungen werden?

What is going to become of that boy?

— Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)

Was soll es denn gewesen sein?

What could it have been?

— Ikiru - Einmal wirklich leben (1952)

Was soll sie tun?

What should she do?

— Reservoir Dogs - Wilde Hunde (1992)

Was soll's denn sein?

What can I get you?

— Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Was soll Frau Mak denken?

What is Ms. Mak supposed to think?

— Gefahr und Begierde (2007)

Was soll nicht in Ordnung sein?

What's supposed to be wrong?

— Pappa ante Portas (1991)

Was soll damit sein?

What's the point of that?

— Die Welle (2008)

Du hast doch noch nie gearbeitet, was soll sich geändert haben?

You've never worked before, what could have changed?

— Carandiru (2003)

Was soll er denn bezeugen?

What is he supposed to testify to?

— State and Main (2000)

Was soll schon sein?

What could be wrong?

— Christiane F. (1981)

Was soll das Problem sein?

What’s the problem supposed to be?

— Wächter der Nacht (2004)

Was soll er sich denken können?

What is he supposed to think?

— Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)

Was soll sie gesagt haben?

What did she supposedly say?

— Burning (2018)

Was soll werden?

What should happen?

— Der Leopard (1963)

Was soll laufen?

What's supposed to happen?

— Perfect Strangers - Wie viele Geheimnisse verträgt eine Freundschaft? (2016)

Was soll aus Gina werden?

What will become of Gina?

— Porco Rosso (1992)

Einer, der noch kurze Hosen trägt, was soll der schon in der Hose haben?

Someone who still wears shorts, what could he possibly have in his pants?

— Der Zauber von Malèna (2000)

Was soll dort passieren?

What is supposed to happen there?

— State and Main (2000)

Was soll nun werden?

What should happen now?

— Agora - Die Säulen des Himmels (2009)

Was soll daraus werden?

What will become of this?

— Parasite (2019)

Was soll der rote Hut kosten?

How much should the red hat cost?

Was soll sich auch verändert haben?

What could possibly have changed?

— Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)

Was soll es da zu besichtigen geben?

What is there to see there?

— Asterix & Obelix - Mission Kleopatra (2002)

Was soll die Frage bedeuten?

What is the meaning of the question?

— Amores perros (2000)

Was soll sie sonst sagen?

What else is she supposed to say?

— Malcolm X (1992)

Aber was soll passieren?

But what’s supposed to happen?

— Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)

Was soll der Laden denn kosten?

How much is the place supposed to cost?

— The Edge of Heaven (2007)

Was soll jetzt aus der Gemeinschaft werden?

What will become of the community now?

— Der Herr der Ringe - Die Gefährten (2001)

Was soll Du-weißt-schon-wer mit einem Trottel wie Malfoy?

What does You-Know-Who want with an idiot like Malfoy?

— Harry Potter und der Halbblutprinz (2009)

Ich fleh dich an, was soll sonst aus mir werden?

I’m begging you—what else is to become of me?

— Das süße Leben (1960)

Was soll mir denn passieren?

What could possibly happen to me?

— Das Leben ist schön (1997)

Was soll aus der Welt werden?

What will become of the world?

Was soll er an der Front?

What is he doing at the front?

— The Bridge (1959)

Was soll der fürchten, der den Tod nicht fürchtet?

What is there for him to fear who does not fear death?

Was soll schon passieren?

What could possibly happen?

— Paddington 2 (2017)

Was soll er mir sagen?

What should he tell me?

— Harry Potter und der Orden des Phönix (2007)

Was soll sie denn machen?

What is she supposed to do?

— Lars und die Frauen (2007)

Was soll es sein?

What should it be?

— Lohn der Angst (1953)

Was soll unser Gast denken?

What will our guest think?

— Moskau glaubt den Tränen nicht (1980)

Was soll die Signora tun?

What should the Signora do?

— Achteinhalb (1963)

Was soll's sein?

What’ll it be?

— Oh Boy (2012)

Was soll diese Frage bedeuten?

What is this question supposed to mean?

— Eine Frage der Ehre (1992)

Was soll jetzt für Sie kommen?

What would you like next?

— Never Look Away (2018)

Was soll an diesem Plan falsch sein?

What’s wrong with this plan?

Was soll dir schon zustoßen?

What could possibly happen to you?

— Asphalt-Haie (1980)

Was soll nun aus den beiden werden?

What will become of the two of them now?

— Jean Florette (1986)

Was soll dann aus unserer ersten Schwester werden?

What will become of our first sister then?

— Rote Laterne (1991)

Was soll er denn machen?

What is he supposed to do?

— Gangs of Wasseypur - Teil 1 (2012)

phrase Uncommon #15,538
what is … supposed to be/do Often used to ask what something is for or what someone or something is doing in a particular place.
GE: Was soll der Schlüssel hier?
EN: What is the key doing here?

Was soll die Tür?

What is the purpose of the door?

— Asterix & Obelix - Mission Kleopatra (2002)

Was soll diese Scheiße?

What is this crap?

— Hass (1995)

Was soll ich?

What should I do?

— Django Unchained (2012)

Was soll eigentlich der riesige Beutel?

What's the point of that huge bag?

— Arrietty - Die wundersame Welt der Borger (2010)

Was soll ich in Boston?

What should I do in Boston?

Was soll sie da?

What's she supposed to do there?

— 3 Idiots (2009)

Was soll die?

What's the point of that?

— Perfect Strangers - Wie viele Geheimnisse verträgt eine Freundschaft? (2016)

Was soll ich zu Hause?

What am I supposed to do at home?

— 3 Idiots (2009)

Was soll jetzt dieser Quatsch mit Indien?

What’s this nonsense about India now?

— Der Sommer mit Mamã (2015)

Was soll die Tür an der Decke?

What's the purpose of the door on the ceiling?

— Asterix & Obelix - Mission Kleopatra (2002)

Was soll diese Panik?

What's with all the panic?

— Red Cliff (2008)

Was soll ich denn da?

What am I supposed to do there?

— Die Welle (2008)

Was soll er hier?

What is he doing here?

— Jean Florette (1986)

Was soll diese dumme Frage, Minister?

What's with this stupid question, Minister?

— Bahubali - The Beginning (2015)

„ Du hast die Socken auf links.“–„ Ach, na ja, was soll’s!“

“Your socks are inside out.” — “Oh well, never mind!”

Was soll das Polizeiauto?

What's the police car for?

— The Secret Agent (2025)

Skotak, was soll das ganze Holz?

Skotak, what is all this wood for?

— Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Was soll ich bei Ihnen?

What am I supposed to do here?

— Die Nächte der Cabiria (1957)

Was soll ich mit denen?

What am I supposed to do with them?

— Asphalt-Haie (1980)

Was soll das ganze Theater?

What’s all the fuss about?

— Glücklich wie Lazzaro (2018)