How do you use "ought" in a sentence?

You ought to apologise for what you said. The train ought to arrive in about ten minutes. We ought to have left earlier to avoid the traffic.

ought

Q: What does "ought" mean?

Used to indicate duty, correctness, or what is advisable Ought is a modal verb used to express duty, moral obligation, or what is expected. It's always followed by 'to' and an infinitive. It's slightly more formal than 'should' and often carries a stronger sense of moral duty. 'Ought to have' expresses that something was expected but didn't happen.

Vocabulary Word BritishAmerican ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

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Meaning: Used to indicate duty, correctness, or what is advisable

应该（表示义务或建议）

debería (expresa obligación o consejo)

～すべきである（義務や助言を表す）

~해야 한다 (의무나 조언을 나타냄)

Ought is a modal verb used to express duty, moral obligation, or what is expected. It's always followed by 'to' and an infinitive. It's slightly more formal than 'should' and often carries a stronger sense of moral duty. 'Ought to have' expresses that something was expected but didn't happen.

「ought」是一个情态动词，用于表达义务、道德责任或期望。它总是后接「to」和不定式。它比「should」稍微正式一些，通常带有更强的道德义务感。「ought to have」表示某事本应发生但没有发生。

Ought es un verbo modal usado para expresar deber, obligación moral o lo que se espera. Siempre va seguido de «to» y un infinitivo. Es ligeramente más formal que «should» y a menudo conlleva un sentido más fuerte de deber moral. «Ought to have» expresa que algo se esperaba pero no sucedió.

「ought」は義務、道徳的責任、または期待されることを表現するために使用される法助動詞です。常に「to」と不定詞が続きます。「should」よりやや形式的で、より強い道徳的義務の感覚を持つことが多いです。「ought to have」は、期待されていたことが起こらなかったことを表します。

Ought는 의무, 도덕적 책임, 또는 기대되는 바를 표현하는 조동사입니다. 항상 'to'와 부정사를 동반합니다. 'should'보다 약간 격식적이며 도덕적 의무감이 더 강합니다. 'ought to have'는 기대했지만 실현되지 않은 일을 표현합니다.

Examples

You ought to apologise for what you said.
你应该为你说的话道歉。
Deberías disculparte por lo que dijiste.
あなたは言ったことについて謝るべきです。
당신이 한 말에 대해 사과해야 합니다.
The train ought to arrive in about ten minutes.
火车应该大约十分钟后到达。
El tren debería llegar en unos diez minutos.
電車は約10分後に到着するはずです。
기차는 약 10분 후에 도착할 것입니다.
We ought to have left earlier to avoid the traffic.
我们本应该早点出发以避免交通拥堵。
Deberíamos haber salido antes para evitar el tráfico.
渋滞を避けるためにもっと早く出発すべきでした。
교통 체증을 피하려면 더 일찍 출발했어야 했습니다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: general

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old English 'āhte', past tense of 'āgan' (to own, possess). Originally meant 'owed' or 'was obligated'; the moral obligation sense developed naturally from the idea of owing a duty.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Story & Trivia

Ought comes from Old English 'ahte', the past tense of 'owe'. This connection to owing explains why ought still carries a sense of obligation - you 'owe it' to someone or to propriety to do the right thing.