Modal Verbs in German: können, müssen, dürfen and More
Modal verbs are the toolkit of the German language for expressing abilities, obligations, permissions, wishes, and desires. There are six of them, and they appear in almost every conversation. This article covers each modal verb’s meaning, conjugation, and usage.
What Are Modal Verbs?
Modal verbs are verbs that modify the meaning of another verb. They rarely appear alone; instead, they pair with a main verb. The main verb goes to the end of the sentence in its infinitive form.
- Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. (I can speak German.)
- Du musst jetzt gehen. (You must go now.)
The six German modal verbs are: konnen, mussen, sollen, durfen, wollen, and mogen.
Konnen — Ability and Possibility
Konnen expresses ability (can, to be able to) or possibility (may).
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | kann |
| du | kannst |
| er/sie/es | kann |
| wir | konnen |
| ihr | konnt |
| sie/Sie | konnen |
Note: the ich and er forms have no ending, and the stem vowel changes in the singular.
Examples:
- Ich kann schwimmen. (I can swim.)
- Kannst du mir helfen? (Can you help me?)
- Wir konnen morgen kommen. (We can come tomorrow.)
- Hier kann man gut essen. (One can eat well here.)
Mussen — Necessity
Mussen expresses necessity or obligation (must, have to).
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | muss |
| du | musst |
| er/sie/es | muss |
| wir | mussen |
| ihr | musst |
| sie/Sie | mussen |
Examples:
- Ich muss arbeiten. (I have to work.)
- Du musst mehr lernen. (You have to study more.)
- Wir mussen um 8 Uhr da sein. (We have to be there at 8 o’clock.)
Important: The negative “nicht mussen” means “do not have to” (NOT “must not”):
- Du musst nicht kommen. (You do not have to come.) — optional
- Compare: Du darfst nicht kommen. (You must not / are not allowed to come.) — forbidden
This is a common mistake because English “must not” means “forbidden,” but German “nicht mussen” means “not necessary.”
Sollen — Advice and Obligation
Sollen expresses external advice, suggestions, or moral obligation (should, ought to).
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | soll |
| du | sollst |
| er/sie/es | soll |
| wir | sollen |
| ihr | sollt |
| sie/Sie | sollen |
Examples:
- Du sollst mehr Wasser trinken. (You should drink more water.)
- Der Arzt sagt, ich soll mehr Sport machen. (The doctor says I should exercise more.)
- Soll ich das Fenster offnen? (Should I open the window?)
- Was soll ich machen? (What should I do?)
The difference between sollen and mussen: mussen is absolute necessity, sollen is advice or recommendation that can also be ignored.
Durfen — Permission and Prohibition
Durfen expresses permission (to be allowed to) or prohibition (not allowed to).
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | darf |
| du | darfst |
| er/sie/es | darf |
| wir | durfen |
| ihr | durft |
| sie/Sie | durfen |
Examples:
- Darf ich hier rauchen? (Am I allowed to smoke here?)
- Du darfst jetzt gehen. (You may go now.)
- Kinder durfen nicht Alkohol trinken. (Children are not allowed to drink alcohol.)
- Hier darf man nicht parken. (One is not allowed to park here.)
Durfen is especially important for politeness. The question “Darf ich…?” is a polite way to ask for permission.
Wollen — Want and Intention
Wollen expresses want, desire, or intention (to want).
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ich | will |
| du | willst |
| er/sie/es | will |
| wir | wollen |
| ihr | wollt |
| sie/Sie | wollen |
Warning for English speakers: German “will” means “want,” NOT future tense as in English!
Examples:
- Ich will nach Deutschland reisen. (I want to travel to Germany.)
- Willst du mitkommen? (Do you want to come along?)
- Wir wollen heute Abend ausgehen. (We want to go out this evening.)
- Er will Arzt werden. (He wants to become a doctor.)
Mogen — Liking and Polite Wishes
Mogen expresses liking (to like), and its subjunctive form mochte expresses polite wishes (would like).
| Person | Mogen | Mochte |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mag | mochte |
| du | magst | mochtest |
| er/sie/es | mag | mochte |
| wir | mogen | mochten |
| ihr | mogt | mochtet |
| sie/Sie | mogen | mochten |
Mogen examples (liking):
- Ich mag Schokolade. (I like chocolate.)
- Er mag keine Tomaten. (He does not like tomatoes.)
- Magst du Musik? (Do you like music?)
Note: mogen often appears without an infinitive — it then functions like a regular verb.
Mochte examples (polite wish):
- Ich mochte einen Kaffee, bitte. (I would like a coffee, please.)
- Mochtest du etwas trinken? (Would you like something to drink?)
- Wir mochten einen Tisch fur zwei. (We would like a table for two.)
Mochte is especially useful in restaurants, shops, and other situations requiring politeness.
Sentence Structure with Modal Verbs
Modal verbs always follow the same sentence structure:
Main clause: Modal verb in second position, main verb infinitive at the end.
- Ich kann gut Deutsch sprechen.
- Wir mussen morgen fruh aufstehen.
Question: Modal verb at the beginning.
- Kannst du Deutsch sprechen?
- Musst du morgen arbeiten?
Subordinate clause: Modal verb moves to the end, after the infinitive.
- Ich weiss, dass er gut Deutsch sprechen kann.
- Sie sagt, dass sie morgen nicht kommen kann.
Without an infinitive: Sometimes the main verb can be omitted when the meaning is clear from context.
- Ich kann Deutsch. (I know German.) — sprechen omitted
- Ich muss nach Hause. (I have to go home.) — gehen omitted
- Willst du ein Stuck Kuchen? (Do you want a piece of cake?) — haben/essen omitted
Modal Verbs at a Glance
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| konnen | can, to be able to | Ich kann schwimmen. |
| mussen | must, have to | Ich muss gehen. |
| sollen | should, ought to | Du sollst nicht lugen. |
| durfen | may, to be allowed to | Darf ich fragen? |
| wollen | to want | Ich will reisen. |
| mogen/mochte | to like / would like | Ich mag Kaffee. / Ich mochte Tee. |
Practical Tips
1. Learn the conjugation pattern. All modal verbs follow the same special pattern: the ich and er/sie/es forms have no ending, and the singular stem vowel differs from the plural.
2. Practice in everyday situations. Modal verbs are everyday German: “Ich muss einkaufen gehen,” “Kannst du mir helfen?,” “Ich mochte bezahlen.” Create your own sentences from daily situations.
3. Remember nicht mussen vs. nicht durfen. This is one of the most common mistakes and can completely change the meaning.
4. Use the mochte form for politeness. It is one of the most useful structures in transactional situations and immediately makes your German sound more fluent.
