D\u00fcrfen \u2014<\/em> May \/ to be allowed to<\/h3>\nD\u00fcrfen<\/em> is the modal verb we use to say “may” or “to be allowed to”. It basically describes having permission or the right to do something. So, just as in English, it can be used as a politer way of requesting permission: “May<\/strong> I sit here”?\u00a0<\/p>\nHere are a few examples of the verb d\u00fcrfen<\/em>, with and without a secondary infinitive verb. (When relevant, I’ll also include a literal translation with the word-by-word sentence order, to better illustrate the differences between English and German word order.)<\/p>\nDie Kinder d\u00fcrfen<\/strong> bis 21 Uhr aufbleiben.<\/em> \u2014 The children are allowed to stay up till 9 o’clock. (Literally: The children are allowed to till 21 o’clock stay up.)<\/p>\nDarf<\/strong> man hier zelten?<\/em> \u2014 Are you allowed to camp here? (Literally: Is one allowed to here camp?)\u00a0<\/p>\nIch darf <\/strong>nichts sagen. \u2014 <\/em>I’m not allowed to say anything. (Literally: I am allowed nothing to say.)<\/p>\nWhen used in the negative, it can change to mean “must not”, in the sense of having a moral, social or other sort of expectation or obligation\u00a0not<\/em> to do something:\u00a0<\/p>\nWir d\u00fcrfen<\/strong> das nicht zulassen. \u2014 <\/em>We must not allow this. (Literally: We are allowed to this not allow.)<\/p>\nGerman learners tend try and use m\u00fcssen nicht <\/em>(must\/to have to) here, but as we’ll explain below,\u00a0this\u00a0<\/em>instead has the meaning of “not having <\/strong>to do something”, as in there is no obligation, but rather an option: “You don’t have to\u00a0<\/strong>come, if you don’t want to.”\u00a0<\/p>\nSo make sure to use d\u00fcrfen\u00a0<\/em>when there is a sense of duty or necessity\u00a0not <\/strong>to do something.\u00a0<\/p>\nK\u00f6nnen \u2014 <\/em>Can<\/h3>\nUsed as the more colloquial term for an ability, k<\/em>\u00f6nnen<\/em> means “to be able to” or “can.” Here are a few examples:<\/p>\nSie kann<\/strong> mich nicht h<\/em>\u00f6ren.<\/em> \u2014 <\/em>She can’t hear me. (Literally: She can me not hear.)<\/p>\nSie k<\/strong>\u00f6nnen<\/strong> ein bisschen Deutsch sprechen.<\/em> \u2014 They can speak a little bit of German. (Literally: They can a little bit German speak.)<\/p>\nIt can also be used as a less formal way of asking for permission, just as in English:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kann<\/strong> ich die Fotos sehen? \u2014 <\/em>Can I see the photos? (Literally: Can I the photos see?)<\/p>\nWollen \u2014 <\/em>Want<\/h3>\nWollen<\/em> is one of many words\/ways in German to express a desire. If you “want” something, whether it’s a thing or to do an action, you can simply use wollen!<\/em><\/p>\nIch will<\/strong> ein neues Auto<\/em>.<\/em> \u2014 <\/em>I want a new car.\u00a0<\/p>\nWollt<\/strong> ihr nach Hause gehen? \u2014 <\/em>Do you guys want to go home? (Literally: Want you guys to home go?)\u00a0<\/p>\nEr will<\/strong> mir einen Kuss geben. \u2014 <\/em>He wants to give me a kiss. (Literally: He wants to me a kiss to give.)<\/p>\nM\u00fcssen \u2014<\/em> To have to<\/h3>\nIf there’s one thing you learn as you grow up, it’s that there are things you are “permitted to do,” things you “should do,” things you “want to do” and, of course, things you “must do.” For all those “musts,” use m<\/em>\u00fcssen:<\/em><\/p>\nIch muss<\/strong> jetzt gehen.<\/em> \u2014 I have to go now. (Literally: I must now go.)<\/p>\nEr muss<\/strong> ein Geldstrafe zahlen. \u2014 <\/em>He has to pay a fine. (Literally: He must a fine pay.)<\/p>\nSie m\u00fcssen\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>einen neuen Job finden.<\/em> \u2014 <\/em>They have to find a new job. (Literally: They must a new job find.)<\/p>\nIt’s best to think of\u00a0m\u00fcssen\u00a0<\/em>as meaning “to have to”, and not “must”. This stops you from falling into a common trap for German learners, namely trying to use m\u00fcssen <\/em>to say someone must not<\/strong> do something. Using nicht\u00a0<\/em>with\u00a0m\u00fcssen <\/em>in fact ends up meaning something quite different\u2014you don’t have to if you don’t want to!\u00a0<\/p>\nDu musst nicht spielen, wenn du keine Lust hast. \u2014 <\/em>You don’t have to play if you don’t want to. (Literally: You have to not play, if you no desire have.)\u00a0<\/p>\nIf you want to tell someone they explicitly\u00a0must not\u00a0<\/strong>do something, you always need to\u00a0use\u00a0d\u00fcrfen<\/em>!<\/p>\nIt’s also worth mentioning that German speakers tend to use m\u00fcssen<\/em>\u00a0more often than English speakers say “must.” In many cases, it may sound more natural to say “should” in English:<\/p>\nIch muss<\/strong> lernen, weil ich Freitag eine Pr\u00fcfung habe.<\/em> \u2014 I should study, because I have a test on Friday. (Literally: I must study, because I Friday a test have.)<\/p>\nSollen \u2014<\/em> To be supposed to \/ to be expected to<\/h3>\nSollen\u00a0<\/em>can be a bit of a tricky one, as it can have a variety of different shades of meaning. Many often simply translate it as “should”, but in its regular present tense form, it is better to think of the meaning as “to be supposed to do something”.<\/p>\nSo, similar to\u00a0m\u00fcssen<\/em>, it’s an obligation, but this time it’s an expectation or request that comes from someone else:\u00a0<\/p>\nMama hat gesagt, ich soll<\/strong> dir helfen. \u2014 <\/em>Mom said I am supposed to\/have to help you.\u00a0<\/p>\nBut if you instead want to give some advice, rather than an order, you often instead use the past tense form sollten<\/em>:<\/p>\nEr sollte<\/strong> zum Arzt gehen!<\/em> \u2014 He should go to the doctor’s! (Literally: He should to the doctor go!)\u00a0<\/p>\nIn\u00a0Zukunft solltest<\/span> <\/strong>du vorsichtiger sein.<\/em> \u2014 In the future, you should be more careful. (Literally: In the future should you more careful be.)<\/p>\nThere are a lot of exceptions to the above rules, but just try and remember\u00a0sollen<\/em>\u00a0is more for obligations coming from someone else, and sollten\u00a0<\/em>is more for recommendations.\u00a0<\/p>\nM\u00f6gen \u2014<\/em> Like<\/h3>\nM<\/em>\u00f6gen<\/em> is arguably one of the easiest modal verbs to remember, especially since we probably use it pretty often. It means to “like” something.<\/p>\nEr mag<\/strong> angeln.<\/em> \u2014 He likes to go fishing.\u00a0<\/p>\nDu m<\/strong><\/em>agst<\/strong> den gr<\/em>\u00fcnen Apfel, aber ich mag<\/strong><\/em> den roten Apfel.<\/em> \u2014 <\/em>You like the green apple, but I like the red apple.<\/p>\nIch mag<\/strong> nicht mehr weiterspielen.<\/em> \u2014 I don’t want to play anymore. (I want to not more keep playing.)\u00a0<\/p>\nConjugations of German Modal Verbs<\/h2>\nPresent Tense Modal Verb Forms<\/h3>\n
Now that you’ve learned what each modal verb means and seen examples of how to use it, here are the present tense conjugations for each. Each of the examples above is also in the present tense, for your reference.<\/p>\n
You’ll notice that the ich<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0er\/sie\/es<\/em> forms are exactly the same! This holds true for every modal verb. Wir<\/em> and Sie\/sie<\/em> are also the same.\u00a0Keep that in mind as you memorize these conjugations!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\tD\u00fcrfen<\/em> Present<\/strong><\/th>K\u00f6nnen<\/em> Present<\/strong><\/th>| Wollen<\/em> Present<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n | | |
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