Modal Verbs in German

Modal verbs in German are helping verbs which add a "modality", or a specific quality or nuance, to the main verb of the sentence. The main verb is in the infinitive form, and it is placed at the end of the sentence.

First, the modal verbs. Click them to hear how they sound.

These verbs are conjugated irregularly in the present tense. Study these conjugations.

Word Order when using Modal Verbs

The modal verb is conjugated with its subject, as typical, and the infinitive is placed at the very end of the sentence. Here are some examples:

  • Der Junge muß die Deutschaufgabe schreiben.
  • Wir dürfen die Rockmusik zu Hause nicht laut spielen.
  • Ich kann heute abend ins Kino gehen.

There can be 100 syntactic elements between the finite modal verb and the infinitive at the end of the sentence; the number of elements in this syntactic field does not change the placement of the infinitive at the end. Example:

  • Das Mädchen will zuerst heute abend nach der Schule die Chemieaufgabe fleißig machen.

Now, you try to answer and create sentences using Modal Verbs.