Language/German/Grammar/Expressing-Abilities - Revision history

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	Modal verbs in the German language are essential in expressing abilities and asking for permission. They are also used to talk about obligations and responsibilities. In this lesson, we will learn how to use these verbs in the right context.		Modal verbs in the German language are essential in expressing abilities and asking for permission. They are also used to talk about obligations and responsibilities. In this lesson, we will learn how to use these verbs in the right context.


			<span link>Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: [[Language/German/Grammar/Using-Time-Expressions\|Using Time Expressions]] & [[Language/German/Grammar/Common-Mistakes\|Common Mistakes]].</span>
	== Modal Verbs ==		== Modal Verbs ==

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	Modal verbs are crucial in the German language, as they express attitudes, perspectives and degrees of formality. In this lesson, we focused on how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. Remember that the word order in German is different from English when using modal verbs, and that modal verbs do not have different forms for different persons or moods. Keep practicing these verbs, and you'll soon become comfortable using them in everyday conversation.		Modal verbs are crucial in the German language, as they express attitudes, perspectives and degrees of formality. In this lesson, we focused on how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. Remember that the word order in German is different from English when using modal verbs, and that modal verbs do not have different forms for different persons or moods. Keep practicing these verbs, and you'll soon become comfortable using them in everyday conversation.


	<span class='maj'></span>		<span class='maj'></span>
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	* [https://deutsch.lingolia.com/en/grammar/verbs/modal-verbs Modal Verbs in German Grammar]		* [https://deutsch.lingolia.com/en/grammar/verbs/modal-verbs Modal Verbs in German Grammar]


			<span link>Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: [[Language/German/Grammar/Questions\|Questions]] & [[Language/German/Grammar/Possessive-Case-in-German\|Possessive Case in German]].</span>
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=German Grammar: Modal Verbs - Expressing Abilities \|keywords=German language, modal verbs, expressing abilities, asking for permission\|description=In this German grammar lesson, you will learn how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. }}		\|title=German Grammar: Modal Verbs - Expressing Abilities \|keywords=German language, modal verbs, expressing abilities, asking for permission\|description=In this German grammar lesson, you will learn how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. }}


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			==Other Lessons==
	==~~Related~~ Lessons==
	* [[Language/German/Grammar/Subject-and-Verb\|Subject and Verb]]		* [[Language/German/Grammar/Subject-and-Verb\|Subject and Verb]]
	* [[Language/German/Grammar/Temporal-Prepositions\|Temporal Prepositions]]		* [[Language/German/Grammar/Temporal-Prepositions\|Temporal Prepositions]]
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	Modal verbs are crucial in the German language, as they express attitudes, perspectives and degrees of formality. In this lesson, we focused on how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. Remember that the word order in German is different from English when using modal verbs, and that modal verbs do not have different forms for different persons or moods. Keep practicing these verbs, and you'll soon become comfortable using them in everyday conversation.		Modal verbs are crucial in the German language, as they express attitudes, perspectives and degrees of formality. In this lesson, we focused on how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. Remember that the word order in German is different from English when using modal verbs, and that modal verbs do not have different forms for different persons or moods. Keep practicing these verbs, and you'll soon become comfortable using them in everyday conversation.

	== Sources ==
	* [https://en.~~wikipedia.org~~/~~wiki~~/~~German_modal_particles~~ German Modal ~~Particles~~]		<span class='maj'></span>
	* [https://en.~~wikipedia~~.~~org~~/~~wiki~~/~~German_modal_verbs German~~ Modal Verbs]		==Sources==
			* [https://storylearning.com/learn/german/german-tips/german-modal-verbs German Modal Verbs Explained – StoryLearning]
			* [https://deutsch.lingolia.com/en/grammar/verbs/modal-verbs Modal Verbs in German Grammar]

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<div class="pg_page_title">German Grammar → Modal Verbs → Expressing Abilities</div>

__TOC__

Modal verbs in the German language are essential in expressing abilities and asking for permission. They are also used to talk about obligations and responsibilities. In this lesson, we will learn how to use these verbs in the right context.

== Modal Verbs ==

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs used to modify the mood or tense of the verb they are paired with. They do not have a meaning of their own but express the speaker's attitude or perspective towards actions, events or situations. The most important modal verbs in German are:

* dürfen (may, to be allowed to)
* können (can, to be able to)
* mögen (may like, to like)
* müssen (must, to have to)
* sollen (should, to be supposed to)
* wollen (want, to want to)

We use them in the present tense, and to form the sentence, we use the modal verb plus the main verb at the end of the sentence. For example, "Ich kann Deutsch sprechen" - "I can speak German".

Note that to form questions with modal verbs, we invert the positions of the modal verb and subject. We can also use the word "bitte" (please) to make a request more polite. For example, "Kann ich bitte den Stift benutzen?" - "May I please use the pen?"

Modal verbs have no inflections, which means they don't have different forms for different persons, tenses or moods. However, they can be used with other auxiliary verbs to express perfect tenses or passive voice.

=== Expressing Abilities ===

"Können" is the modal verb used to express abilities and skills. It means "can" or "to be able to" and is used to describe what a person is capable of doing. To use "können," we conjugate it with the subject and add the main verb at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

{| class="wikitable"
! German !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Ich kann schwimmen. || {{"[ɪç kant ʃvɪmən]"}} || I can swim.
|-
| Kannst du Klavier spielen? || {{"[kantstu klaˈfiːɐ̯ ˈʃpiːln̩]"}} || Can you play the piano?
|-
| Können Sie Deutsch sprechen? || {{"[ˈkœnən ziː ˈdɔʏtʃ ˈʃpʁɛçən̩]"}} || Can you speak German?
|}

=== Asking for Permission ===

"Dürfen" is the modal verb used to ask for permission or to say that you are allowed to do something. It means "may" or "to be allowed to". To use "dürfen," we conjugate it with the subject and add the main verb at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

{| class="wikitable"
! German !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Darf ich das Fenster öffnen? || {{"[dɑʁf ɪç das ˈfɛnstɐ ˈœfnən]"}} || May I open the window?
|-
| Dürfen wir heute früher gehen? || {{"[ˈdʏɐ̯fn̩ vɪʁ ˈhɔʏtə ˈfʁyːɐ̯ gən]"}} || Are we allowed to leave early today?
|-
| Du darfst das Buch behalten. || {{"[du dɑʁfst das buːx bəˈhaltən]"}} || You may keep the book.
|}

== Word Order with Modal Verbs ==

When using modal verbs in German, the main verb is usually positioned at the end of the sentence. This is the opposite of English where the main verb is often positioned after the modal verb. For example, "Ich kann singen" - "I can sing" rather than "Ich singen kann" - "I singing can".

Here is the general word order of a sentence containing a modal verb:

Subject + Modal Verb + Main Verb + Object + Time/Manner/Place

Examples:

* Ich muss heute arbeiten. (I have to work today.)
* Du sollst jetzt schlafen. (You should sleep now.)
* Er darf gestern nicht ausgehen. (He wasn't allowed to go out yesterday.)

== Conclusion ==

Modal verbs are crucial in the German language, as they express attitudes, perspectives and degrees of formality. In this lesson, we focused on how to use modal verbs to express abilities and ask for permission. Remember that the word order in German is different from English when using modal verbs, and that modal verbs do not have different forms for different persons or moods. Keep practicing these verbs, and you'll soon become comfortable using them in everyday conversation.

== Sources ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_modal_particles German Modal Particles]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_modal_verbs German Modal Verbs]

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