Modal Verben

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By definition, a modal verb is an auxiliary verb that expresses necessity or possibility. Now the question is: What exactly is an auxiliary verb? An auxiliary verb is a verb that adds functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which it appears—for example, to express tense, aspect, modality, voice, emphasis, etc. Auxiliary verbs usually accompany a main verb. The main verb provides the main semantic content of the clause.

There are 6 modal verbs in German:

Verb
Meaning
Usage
dürfen
may/
allow/
permit
permission, prohibition
können
can/
able to
ability
möchten
would like to/ want
desire,
wish
müssen
must/
have to
compulsion
sollen
shall/
should
advice
wollen
wish/
want
demand

Modal Verbs' Conjugation:

Verb
dürfen (may)
ich
darf
wir
dürfen
du
darfst
ihr
dürft
er/sie/es
darf
sie/Sie
dürfen
Verb
können (can)
ich
kann
wir
können
du
kannst
ihr
könnt
er/sie/es
kann
sie/Sie
können
Verb
möchten (would like to)
ich
möchte
wir
möchten
du
möchtest
ihr
möchtet
er/sie/es
möchte
sie/Sie
möchten
Verb
müssen (must)
ich
muß
wir
müssen
du
mußt
ihr
müsst
er/sie/es
muß
sie/Sie
müssen
Verb
sollen (should)
ich
soll
wir
sollen
du
sollst
ihr
sollt
er/sie/es
soll
sie/Sie
sollen
Verb
wollen (want)
ich
will
wir
wollen
du
willst
ihr
wollt
er/sie/es
will
sie/Sie
wollen

Modal Verbs' Usage:

1. The modal verb takes the second position in a statement and the main verb is pushed to the end of the sentence in its infinitive form.
Example:
Ich trinke Kaffee. [I drink coffee.]
Ich möchte Kaffee trinken. [I would like to drink coffee.]
2. In W-Frage, modal verb takes the second position and the main verb is pushed to the end of the question in its infinitive form.
Example:
Was trinken Sie? [What do you drink?]
Was möchten Sie trinken? [What would you like to drink?]
3. In Ja/Nein-Frage, modal verb takes the first position and the main verb is pushed to the end of the question in its infinitive form.
Example:
Trinken Sie Bier? [Do you drink beer?]
Möchten Sie Bier trinken? [Would you like to drink beer?]
4. The verb conjugation of modal verbs is same in first person singular and third person singular, that is, it is same with "ich" and "er/sie/es"

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