German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Dürfen and More
Use German modal verbs to express ability, necessity, permission and intention.
DE011 · DE · A1 / A2 · conjugation, grammar
The question
Why does Ich muss arbeiten put arbeiten at the end?
A modal verb modifies the meaning of another action. In a typical German main clause, the conjugated modal is in second position and the other verb appears as an infinitive near the end: Ich muss heute arbeiten (I have to work today).
Six common modals
| Modal | Typical meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| können | can / be able to | Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. |
| müssen | must / have to | Ich muss gehen. |
| dürfen | may / be allowed to | Darf ich hier sitzen? |
| sollen | should / be supposed to | Du sollst mehr schlafen. |
| wollen | want to / intend to | Wir wollen essen. |
| mögen | like | Ich mag Kaffee. |
Möchte is a widely used polite form based on mögen: Ich möchte einen Tee (I'd like a tea). Modals often have irregular present forms, such as ich kann, du kannst and ich muss, du musst. In subordinate clauses the finite modal usually goes to the end: weil ich heute arbeiten muss. With a perfect-tense modal and another infinitive, German often uses a double infinitive: Ich habe arbeiten müssen.
Common mistake
Avoid *Ich muss zu gehen in ordinary modal constructions: say Ich muss gehen. Also distinguish nicht müssen ('not have to') from nicht dürfen ('not allowed to').
Remember
Conjugate the modal, place the main action in the infinitive, and learn each modal's precise meaning.