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German 2 Unit 5: Modal Verbs (Present and Simple Past)

Modal verbs express ability, permission, obligation, desire and liking. Because Germans use the simple past of modals even in conversation, you need both the present and the past forms.

Covers: Meanings of the six modals and möchte, Present-tense conjugation, Word order with modals, Nicht müssen versus nicht dürfen, Simple past of modals, Modals without an infinitive

Study guide

German has six modal verbs. Können means can or to be able to (Ich kann schwimmen). Dürfen means may or to be allowed to (Darf ich hier parken?). Müssen means must or to have to (Wir müssen lernen). Sollen means to be supposed to or should, and it often reports what someone else expects (Du sollst den Arzt anrufen). Wollen means to want to, often with a strong intention (Ich will Ärztin werden). Mögen means to like and is mostly used with a noun (Ich mag Kaffee). Its subjunctive form möchte means would like to and is the polite way to state a wish: Ich möchte ein Wasser, bitte.

Modals have irregular singular forms. In the ich, du and er/sie/es forms, most modals change their vowel and the ich and er forms have no ending: ich kann, du kannst, er kann; ich darf, du darfst, er darf; ich muss, du musst, er muss; ich will, du willst, er will; ich mag, du magst, er mag. Sollen keeps its vowel: ich soll, du sollst, er soll. The plural forms are regular and keep the infinitive vowel: wir können, ihr könnt, sie können; wir müssen, ihr müsst. Möchte is conjugated ich möchte, du möchtest, er möchte, wir möchten, ihr möchtet, sie möchten.

A modal works with a second verb in the infinitive, and that infinitive goes to the end of the clause, forming the same sentence bracket you saw in the Perfekt: Ich kann heute nicht kommen. In questions the modal moves to the front: Kannst du mir helfen? The infinitive has no zu. When the meaning is clear, the infinitive can be left out, especially with verbs of motion and with languages: Ich muss jetzt nach Hause (gehen) and Sie kann gut Deutsch (sprechen). Mögen usually stands alone with an object: Magst du Pizza?

Negation changes the meaning of müssen and dürfen in a way that surprises English speakers. Nicht müssen means not to have to, so Du musst nicht kommen means you don't have to come, but you can if you want. Nicht dürfen means must not or not to be allowed, so Du darfst hier nicht rauchen means you must not smoke here. In English the word must is used for both obligation and prohibition, but in German these are different verbs. If you want to say mustn't, use nicht dürfen. A softer alternative to nicht müssen is nicht brauchen zu: Du brauchst nicht zu kommen.

In the simple past (Präteritum), modals drop their umlaut, take the weak past marker -te-, and are used much more often than their Perfekt forms, even in speech. The forms are konnte, durfte, musste, sollte, wollte and mochte (note the change from g to ch). The ich and er/sie/es forms are the same and have no extra ending: ich konnte, er konnte; du konntest, wir konnten, ihr konntet, sie konnten. So Als Kind konnte ich nicht schwimmen means As a child I couldn't swim, and Wir mussten lange warten means We had to wait a long time. The past of möchte is expressed with wollte: Ich wollte ein Eis.

Key ideas

• The six modals are können, dürfen, müssen, sollen, wollen and mögen; möchte is the polite would like.
• Most modals change vowel in the singular, and the ich and er forms have no ending.
• The modal is conjugated in position two and the second verb is an infinitive at the end, with no zu.
• Nicht müssen means don't have to, while nicht dürfen means must not.
• The simple past of modals drops the umlaut and adds -te-: konnte, durfte, musste.
• Germans normally use the simple past of modals rather than the Perfekt.
• The infinitive may be dropped when the meaning is clear: Ich muss nach Hause.

Formulas and rules

Common mistakes

• Adding an ending to the ich or er form (ich kanne, er musst).
• Putting the infinitive right after the modal instead of at the end.
• Translating mustn't with nicht müssen instead of nicht dürfen.
• Keeping the umlaut in the simple past (könnte, müsste) when the plain past is meant.
• Adding zu before the infinitive after a modal (Ich muss zu arbeiten).

Before the test, make sure you can

• Give the meaning of each modal verb and möchte.
• Conjugate all modals in the present tense.
• Build statements and questions with a modal and an infinitive in the correct positions.
• Distinguish nicht müssen from nicht dürfen.
• Conjugate modals in the simple past for all persons.
• Choose the modal that fits a situation (permission, ability, obligation, wish).
• Use modals without an infinitive in common expressions.

Words to know

können

can, to be able to

dürfen

may, to be allowed to

müssen

must, to have to

sollen

should, to be supposed to

wollen

to want to

mögen

to like

möchte

would like

erlaubt

allowed

verboten

forbidden

die Regel

rule

rauchen

to smoke

parken

to park

die Erlaubnis

permission

die Pflicht

duty

aufräumen

to tidy up

Hausaufgaben machen

to do homework

früh

early

pünktlich

on time

der Termin

appointment

Sample practice questions

30 more questions like these, from level 1 to 5, are in the practice set.