Language/German/Grammar/Expressing-Abilities

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German Grammar → Modal Verbs → Expressing Abilities

Modal verbs in the German language are essential in expressing abilities and asking for permission. They are also used to talk about obligations and responsibilities. In this lesson, we will learn how to use these verbs in the right context.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Using Time Expressions & Common Mistakes.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs used to modify the mood or tense of the verb they are paired with. They do not have a meaning of their own but express the speaker's attitude or perspective towards actions, events or situations. The most important modal verbs in German are:

• dürfen (may, to be allowed to)
• können (can, to be able to)
• mögen (may like, to like)
• müssen (must, to have to)
• sollen (should, to be supposed to)
• wollen (want, to want to)

We use them in the present tense, and to form the sentence, we use the modal verb plus the main verb at the end of the sentence. For example, "Ich kann Deutsch sprechen" - "I can speak German".

Note that to form questions with modal verbs, we invert the positions of the modal verb and subject. We can also use the word "bitte" (please) to make a request more polite. For example, "Kann ich bitte den Stift benutzen?" - "May I please use the pen?"

Modal verbs have no inflections, which means they don't have different forms for different persons, tenses or moods. However, they can be used with other auxiliary verbs to express perfect tenses or passive voice.

Expressing Abilities

"Können" is the modal verb used to express abilities and skills. It means "can" or "to be able to" and is used to describe what a person is capable of doing. To use "können," we conjugate it with the subject and add the main verb at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
Ich kann schwimmen.	{{"[ɪç kant ʃvɪmən]"}}	I can swim.
Kannst du Klavier spielen?	{{"[kantstu klaˈfiːɐ̯ ˈʃpiːln̩]"}}	Can you play the piano?
Können Sie Deutsch sprechen?	{{"[ˈkœnən ziː ˈdɔʏtʃ ˈʃpʁɛçən̩]"}}	Can you speak German?

Asking for Permission

"Dürfen" is the modal verb used to ask for permission or to say that you are allowed to do something. It means "may" or "to be allowed to". To use "dürfen," we conjugate it with the subject and add the main verb at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
Darf ich das Fenster öffnen?	{{"[dɑʁf ɪç das ˈfɛnstɐ ˈœfnən]"}}	May I open the window?
Dürfen wir heute früher gehen?	{{"[ˈdʏɐ̯fn̩ vɪʁ ˈhɔʏtə ˈfʁyːɐ̯ gən]"}}	Are we allowed to leave early today?
Du darfst das Buch behalten.	{{"[du dɑʁfst das buːx bəˈhaltən]"}}	You may keep the book.

Word Order with Modal Verbs

When using modal verbs in German, the main verb is usually positioned at the end of the sentence. This is the opposite of English where the main verb is often positioned after the modal verb. For example, "Ich kann singen" - "I can sing" rather than "Ich singen kann" - "I singing can".

Here is the general word order of a sentence containing a modal verb:

Subject + Modal Verb + Main Verb + Object + Time/Manner/Place

Examples:

• Ich muss heute arbeiten. (I have to work today.)
• Du sollst jetzt schlafen. (You should sleep now.)
• Er darf gestern nicht ausgehen. (He wasn't allowed to go out yesterday.)

Conclusion

Modal verbs are crucial in the German language, as they express attitudes, perspectives and degrees of formality. In this lesson, we focused on how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. Remember that the word order in German is different from English when using modal verbs, and that modal verbs do not have different forms for different persons or moods. Keep practicing these verbs, and you'll soon become comfortable using them in everyday conversation.

Sources

• German Modal Verbs Explained – StoryLearning
• Modal Verbs in German Grammar

Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Questions & Possessive Case in German.

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject and Verb
• Noun and Gender

  ---

Greetings and Introduction

• Greetings and Goodbyes
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Definite and Indefinite Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural Forms
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative

  ---

Numbers, Dates and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days of the Week and Months
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Verb Forms
• Present Tense
• Separable Verbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Talking About Your Friends

  ---

Prepositions

• Using Prepositions
• Two-Way Prepositions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food and Meals
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

• Geography and Landmarks
• Cuisine and Traditions

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Booking a Trip
• Public Transportation

  ---

Modal Verbs

• Expressing Abilities
• Talking About Obligations

  ---

Shopping and Clothes

• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying Groceries

  ---

Music and Entertainment

• Popular Musicians and Genres
• Movies, TV and Literature

  ---

Adjectives

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Health and Body

• Talking About Health
• Body Parts

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Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Other Lessons

• Subject and Verb
• Temporal Prepositions
• Questions
• Using Prepositions
• Imperative Tense
• Comparative and Superlative Forms
• Conditional Mood
• Gender
• Present Tense
• Descriptive Adjectives

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