Language/German/Grammar/Talking-About-Obligations

German Grammar → Modal Verbs → Talking About Obligations

Talking About Obligations

In German, we use modal verbs to talk about obligations and responsibilities. These verbs indicate whether something is necessary, allowed or prohibited. They are called modal verbs because they modify the meaning of the verb they accompany. The most commonly used modal verbs for talking about obligations are "müssen", "sollen" and "dürfen".

"Müssen": To Have To / Must

"Müssen" is used to express strong obligation or duty. It is the equivalent of "have to" or "must" in English. Here are some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
Ich muss arbeiten.	[ɪç mʊs ˈaʁ.baɪ.tən]	I have to work.
Du musst mir helfen.	[du mʊst mɪʁ ˈhɛl.fən]	You must help me.
Er muss um 6 Uhr aufstehen.	[eːɐ̯ mʊs ʔʊm zɛk.s ʊfˈʃteː.ən]	He has to get up at 6 o'clock.

"Sollen": To Should / Ought to

"Sollen" is used to express duty or moral obligation. It is the equivalent of "should" or "ought to" in English. Here are some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
Ich soll früh ins Bett gehen.	[ɪç zɔl fʁyː ɪns bɛt ˈɡeː.ən]	I should go to bed early.
Du sollst mehr Gemüse essen.	[du zɔlst meːɐ̯ ɡəˈmyː.zə ˈɛs.ən]	You should eat more vegetables.
Er soll pünktlich sein.	[eːɐ̯ zɔl ˈpʏŋkt.lɪç zaɪn]	He ought to be punctual.

"Dürfen": To Be Allowed to / May

"Dürfen" is used to express permission or allowance. It is the equivalent of "be allowed to" or "may" in English. Here are some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
Ich darf heute früher nach Hause gehen.	[ɪç dɑrf ˈhɔy̯.tə ˈfʁyː.ɐ næç haʊ̯s ˈɡeː.ən]	I'm allowed to go home earlier today.
Du darfst hier nicht rauchen.	[du dɑʁfst hiːɐ̯ nɪçt ˈʁaʊ̯.çən]	You may not smoke here.
Er darf das Auto nicht fahren.	[eːɐ̯ dɑʁf das ˈʔaʊ̯.toː nɪçt ˈfaː.ʁən]	He is not allowed to drive the car.

Other Modal Verbs

There are other modal verbs in German that are used to express different degrees of obligation, such as "wollen" (to want to), "können" (to be able to) and "mögen" (to like to).

"Wollen" can express a strong desire or intention that can also involve obligation. For example, "Ich will Deutsch lernen" (I want to learn German) can imply that it is my obligation or responsibility to do so.

"Können" is used to express ability or possibility, but can also imply obligation in some contexts. For example, "Ich kann morgen nicht kommen" (I can't come tomorrow) can imply that it is my obligation to be somewhere else.

"Mögen" expresses preference or liking, but can also be used as a polite way of making requests or giving commands. For example, "Möchtest du bitte das Fenster schließen?" (Would you please close the window?) is a polite way of asking someone to close the window, but it can also imply a sense of obligation or duty.

Conclusion

Modal verbs are essential for expressing obligations and responsibilities in German. Knowing how to use them correctly will help you communicate more effectively and appropriately in different situations. So, practice using them in context and you will soon become more confident and fluent in German!

Exercises

Practice what you've learned with these exercises:

1. Translate the following sentences into German:
1. I have to study for my exam.
2. You should call your mother.
3. He is not allowed to drink alcohol.
2. Complete the sentences with the correct modal verb:
1. Ich _______ morgen früh aufstehen. (müssen / sollen / dürfen)
2. Du _______ mir später helfen. (müssen / sollen / dürfen)
3. Er _______ heute leider arbeiten. (müssen / sollen / dürfen)
3. Write three sentences using different modal verbs to express obligation or responsibility.

Sources

• <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_modal_particles" title="German modal particles">German modal particles</a>
• <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_modal_verb" title="German modal verb">German modal verb</a>

Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Past Tense & Noun and Gender.

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

  ---

Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Other Lessons

• Two Way Prepositions
• Inflections of adjectives
• Give your Opinion
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative
• Definite Articles in German
• Possessive Case in German
• Common Mistakes
• Plural Forms
• How to Use be
• Prepositions

Sources

• German Grammar: Modal Verbs for Talking About Obligations
• German Translation of “obligation” | Collins English-German Dictionary