German grammar · Beginner (A1)
Modal verbs: können, müssen, wollen …
The six German modal verbs: what they mean, how to conjugate them, and where the second verb goes.
What modal verbs do
Modal verbs tell you about ability, duty, wishes or permission. They are usually combined with a second verb in the infinitive, which goes to the end of the sentence.
| Modal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can, to be able to | (I can swim.) | |
| must, to have to | (I have to work.) | |
| to want to | (I want to travel.) | |
| may, to be allowed to | (May I smoke?) | |
| should, to be supposed to | (What should I do?) | |
| / | to like / would like | (I'd like to pay.) |
Conjugation
Modal verbs are irregular in the singular. and / / have the same form, with no ending. The plural forms are regular.
| Person | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| / / | |||||
| / |
Mögen and möchte
means “to like” and is mostly used with a noun: Its special form means “would like” and is the polite way to ask for something. You'll use every day.
| Person | (to like) | (would like) |
|---|---|---|
| / / | ||
| / |
- Ich mag keinen Fisch.I don't like fish.
- Ich möchte ein Zimmer reservieren.I'd like to book a room.
- Möchten Sie noch etwas trinken?Would you like something else to drink?
Watch out
means “I want”, not “I will”. It can sound demanding, so use for requests.
means “don't have to”. For “must not”, say .
For the past, use the simple past: , , , , . After or , the modal goes to the very end: …,
- Du musst nicht kommen.You don't have to come.
- Hier darf man nicht parken.You mustn't park here.
- Ich konnte gestern nicht kommen, weil ich arbeiten musste.I couldn't come yesterday because I had to work.
How sure are you? sollen, dürfte, müsste
At a higher level, some modal verbs also show how sure you are or where you heard something. can mean “people say”: (the restaurant is said to be very good). means “probably”: means “ought to, should”:
+ infinitive is the everyday alternative to : (you don't need to wait).