Modal verbs (die Modalverben) have the ability to modify the meaning of other verbs in a sentence. That’s where their name comes from – they modulate other verbs. This group includes: können, wollen, müssen, dürfen, sollen, mögen and möchten. They require a different verb to be at the end of the sentence.
Let’s now look at each verb separately. Below you’ll find variations of German modal verbs in the present and past tenses, as well as example sentences that will show you how to use them in context.
- Conjugation and meaning of the verb “müssen” – must
- Conjugation and meaning of the verb “sollen” – should
- Conjugation and meaning of the verb “wollen” – to want
- The conjugation and meaning of the verb “dürfen” – can, have permission
- Conjugation and meaning of the verb “mögen” – to like
- Conjugation and meaning of the verb “möchten”
Pro tip: Note that the first and third person singular of modal verbs are always the same!
Conjugation and meaning of the verb “müssen” – must
The verb müssen is conjugated as follows:
| PERSON | PRESENT TENSE | PAST TENSE |
|---|---|---|
| ich | muss | musste |
| du | musst | musstest |
| er/sie/es | muss | musste |
| wir | müssen | mussten |
| ihr | müsst | musstet |
| sie/Sie | müssen | mussten |
With the verb müssen (must) we can express:
- An objectively or subjectively felt obligation: Ich musste die Dokumente für meinen Chef bearbeiten. (I had to complete the document for my boss.)
- Moral obligation (positive only): Man muss seine Eltern ehren. (One must respect one’s parents.)
- Legal obligation: An einer roten Ampel muss man anhalten. (There is an obligation to stop at a red light.)
- Necessity: Der Patient muss sofort operiert werden. (The patient must be operated on immediately.)
Conjugation and meaning of the verb “sollen” – should
The conjugation of the verb sollen is shown in the table below:
| PERSON | PRESENT TENSE | PAST TENSE |
|---|---|---|
| ich | soll | sollte |
| du | sollst | solltest |
| er/sie/es | soll | sollte |
| wir | sollen | sollten |
| ihr | sollt | solltet |
| sie/Sie | sollen | sollten |
The verb sollen means “to have an obligation/duty”. We will use it in the following situations:
- Recommendations: Mia soll weniger Süßigkeiten essen. (Mia should eat less sweets.)
- Moral obligation (positive): Man soll seine Eltern ehren. (One should respect one’s parents.)
- Moral obligation (negative): Man soll Kinder nicht schlagen. (One should not beat children.)
- Task/order: Ich soll mein Zimmer aufräumen. (I should clean my room.)
- Polite question: Soll ich Dir helfen? (Should I help you?).
Conjugation and meaning of the verb “wollen” – to want
The conjugation of the verb wollen:
| PERSON | PRESENT TENSE | PAST TENSE |
|---|---|---|
| ich | will | wollte |
| du | willst | wolltest |
| er/sie/es | will | wollte |
| wir | wollen | wollten |
| ihr | wollt | wolltet |
| sie/Sie | wollen | wollten |
The verb wollen means “to want” and we use it to express:
- Desire/wish: Wir wollen nach Deutschland fahren. (We want to go to Germany.)
- Plan/intention: Wollt ihr mich heute besuchen? (Do you want to visit me today?)
The conjugation and meaning of the verb “dürfen” – can, have permission
The conjugation of the verb dürfen:
| PERSON | PRESENT TENSE | PAST TENSE |
|---|---|---|
| ich | darf | durfte |
| du | darfst | durftest |
| er/sie/es | darf | durfte |
| wir | dürfen | durften |
| ihr | dürft | durftet |
| sie/ Sie | dürfen | durften |
I have already described one of the uses of the verb dürfen (to be able to) in the introduction to this article. Below you will find more examples:
- Permission: Du durftest mit meinem Auto zu der Party fahren. (You could drive to the party with my car.)
- Right: Mit 18 Jahren darf man in Deutschland wählen. (You can vote in Germany at age 18.)
- Polite question: Darf ich ein Fenster öffnen? (Can I open a window?)
- Moral obligation (negative): Man darf zu alten Leuten nicht unhöflich sein. (One should not be rude to older people.)
Conjugation and meaning of the verb “mögen” – to like
The conjugation of the verb mögen:
| PERSON | PRESENT TENSE | PAST TENSE |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mag | mochte |
| du | magst | mochtest |
| er/sie/es | mag | mochte |
| wir | mögen | mochten |
| ihr | mögt | mochtet |
| sie/Sie | mögen | mochten |
The main meaning of the verb mögen is “to like something or someone,” e.g. Ich mag meinen Kaffee ohne Zucker. (I like my coffee without sugar.), Ich mag dich. (I like you).
Conjugation and meaning of the verb “möchten”
My students often ask me if möchten is a modal verb. The answer to this question is: No, it is not another modal verb, but a form of Konjunktiv II Präteritum from the verb mögen. It means “I would like/want to.” It is close to the verb wollen. Both describe something that one would love to have or do. We use the verb möchten only in the present tense. Example sentences: Ich möchte einen Kaffee bestellen, bitte. (I would like to order coffee), Sie möchte das Buch ausleihen, wenn es möglich ist. (She would like to borrow the book, if possible.)
The conjugation of the verb möchten:
| PERSON | |
|---|---|
| ich | möchte |
| du | möchtest |
| er/sie/es | möchte |
| wir | möchten |
| ihr | möchtet |
| sie/Sie | möchten |
If you’re interested in learning more about modal verbs, check out our articles “Modal Verbs in German,” “Probability in German,” and “How to Build Sentences with Modal Verbs.”
