Shall is a formal word that can mean “will” or “must,” depending on how it's used. You'll find it most often in serious documents, laws, and old-fashioned speech.

In legal writing, shall usually creates a firm requirement. When a contract states “The borrower shall repay the loan,” it means the borrower must repay it. This isn't a suggestion or possibility: it's an obligation. Court rulings, government regulations, and official rules often use shall to make clear what someone is required to do.

In everyday speech, shall sounds old-fashioned or formal. Instead of “I shall go to the store,” most people today say “I will go to the store.” British speakers use shall more than Americans do, especially in polite questions like “Shall we begin?” You might hear it in formal invitations or ceremonies, or when someone wants to sound especially proper or dignified.

The word appears frequently in older books and historical documents. The US Constitution uses shall many times to describe what government officials and branches must do. When you read “Congress shall have power to...” in the Constitution, it means Congress has the authority and responsibility to act.

Some people use shall in regular conversation to sound fancy, but it can come across as pretentious rather than elegant. It's most common in serious documents or when you want to enjoy its historical flavor in classic literature.