Modal verbs usually work with a second verb in the infinitive, such as Ich muss lernen. In present tense, many modal verbs change their stem in the ich, du, and er/sie/es forms. In simple past, modal verbs are common in written and spoken German, such as Ich musste lernen.
The most important sentence pattern is modal verb in position 2 and infinitive at the end.
Key Facts
- The six main German modal verbs are können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen, and mögen.
- In a main clause with a modal verb, the conjugated modal verb goes in position 2 and the second verb goes to the end in the infinitive.
- The pattern for a modal sentence is subject + modal verb + other information + infinitive, as in Ich kann heute Deutsch lernen.
- The present tense forms of können are ich kann, du kannst, er/sie/es kann, wir können, ihr könnt, sie/Sie können.
- The present tense forms of müssen are ich muss, du musst, er/sie/es muss, wir müssen, ihr müsst, sie/Sie müssen.
- The present tense forms of dürfen are ich darf, du darfst, er/sie/es darf, wir dürfen, ihr dürft, sie/Sie dürfen.
- The simple past forms often used for modals include konnte, musste, durfte, sollte, wollte, and mochte.
- In a yes or no question, the modal verb comes first, as in Kannst du morgen kommen?
Vocabulary
- Modal verb
- A verb that changes the meaning of another verb by showing ability, necessity, permission, obligation, desire, or preference.
- Infinitive
- The base form of a verb, usually ending in -en or -n in German, such as lernen or gehen.
- Conjugation
- The change a verb makes to match the subject and tense, such as ich kann and wir können.
- Position 2
- The rule that the conjugated verb usually appears as the second idea in a German main clause.
- Simple past
- A past tense form often used with modal verbs, such as musste for had to or konnte for could.
- Verb bracket
- A German sentence pattern where the conjugated verb appears near the beginning and the infinitive appears at the end.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Putting both verbs next to each other is wrong because the infinitive usually belongs at the end of the main clause. Write Ich muss heute lernen, not Ich muss lernen heute.
- Adding zu before the infinitive is wrong with most modal verb sentences. Write Sie kann schwimmen, not Sie kann zu schwimmen.
- Using regular present tense endings for all modal forms is wrong because several modals have stem changes and no -e in the ich form. Write ich kann and ich muss, not ich kanne or ich müsse.
- Forgetting that du and er/sie/es forms may share the changed stem is wrong because modal verbs often change in the singular. Write du darfst and er darf, not du dürfst or er dürft.
- Using haben plus a past participle when simple past is expected can sound awkward for basic modal practice. Write Ich musste gehen when practicing simple past modals, not only Ich habe gehen müssen.
Practice Questions
- 1 Translate into German: I can speak German today.
- 2 Conjugate müssen for all six subject forms in the present tense.
- 3 Rewrite the sentence in the simple past: Wir wollen nach Berlin fahren.
- 4 Explain why the infinitive goes at the end in the sentence Ich darf am Samstag ins Kino gehen.