In this post, we’ll cover just the most basic uses of these words. For some of the more advanced uses, check out our post on how to use German modals in the perfect and subjunctive!
German Articles
How to use modal verbs in German?
By: Ulrike Carlson Thu Jun 05 2025
In German, we use modal verbsNo definition set for verbsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to talk about our desires or abilities, to give or deny permission, to discuss likely or possible situations, or to discuss needs and desires. Like English modal verbs (e.g. “can,” “should,” “would,” “must,”...) they are used to modify another verb.
modal verbmain verb
Ich will schlafen, aber ich kann nicht.
I want to sleep, but I can’t.
→ Here, both modal verbs modify the verb schlafen(to sleep).
Usually, these six German verbs are considered to be modal verbs: dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen, and wollen. In this post, we’ll talk about how and when to use each of these German modal verbs. As you’ll see, their grammar is a little different from “normal” verbs in German!
Table of Contents
How are the German modal verbs different from other verbs?
The modal verbs are a bit different from other verbs you’ve learned. Here are the main things that make them special:
They are irregularNo definition set for irregularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verbs → Their present and past tense conjugation patterns are different from that of most other verbs. Check out these charts of German modal verb conjugations to see all their forms!
They rarely come alone → modal verbs usually modify another verb in the sentence.
Unlike other verbs that we use with other verbs, you don’t need to use the preposition zu(to) before the second verb.
- modal verb
Ich kann gut Tennis spielen.
I can play tennis well.
- "normal" verbzu
Ich hoffe, gut Tennis zu spielen.
I hope to play tennis well.
When to use each of the German modal verbs in the present tense?
As we mentioned above, the German modal verbs are: dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen, and wollen. Let’s discuss when you might want to use each one in the present tense!
Tip
‘Dürfen’
Dürfen has two main uses:
to express that an action is permitted or allowed:
modal verbMama, darf ich bitte ein Eis essen?
Mom, may I eat an ice cream, please?
to say that someone may do or must not do something:
modal verbWir dürfen hier nicht schwimmen.
We may/must not swim here.
‘Können’
Können is used to express that you are able to do or can do something.
modal verb
Kannst du schon lesen?
Can you read already?
Können can be colloquially used to request, give, or withhold permission (just like “can” in English is often used instead of “may”).
modal verb
Kann ich hier Fußball spielen?
Can (=may) I play soccer here?
Nein, du kannst hier nicht Fußball spielen.
No, you can’t (=may not) play soccer here.
You can also use können to talk about likelihood, a use we’ll discuss more below.
‘Mögen’
Mögen expresses that you like something or someone.
modal verb
Ich mag lesen und schreiben.
I like reading and writing.
Mögen can also be used to discuss possibility and likelihood, which we’ll discuss below.
‘Müssen’
The modal verb müssen expresses a strong necessity, expressing that one must or has to do something.
modal verb
Ich muss sofort Wasser trinken.
I must drink water immediately.
Müssen is also often used to discuss likelihood. Read more below!
Important
Watch out if negation is involved! In a negative sentence, müssen is used when something is not necessary (think “You needn’t do that.”)
If, instead, you want to say, “You mustn’t do that,” you are technically forbidding an action, not saying that it’s not very necessary. In this case, you should use the German verb but dürfen instead.
‘Sollen’
Sollen expresses that you are supposed to do or shall do something. Unlike müssen, which expresses a necessity, sollen is just an obligation so there’s still some wiggle room.
modal verb
Wir sollen heute den Tisch decken.
We are supposed to set the table today.
Soll ich den Tisch decken, Papa?
Shall I set the table, Dad?
Important
Watch out: Sollen is often translated as “should,” but that’s actually closer in meaning to the subjunctive form of sollen, sollte, which is used to give advice:
subjunctive modal verb
Du solltest dir eine Jacke anziehen.
You should put on a jacket.
‘Wollen’
Wollen lets us express a strong desire. Use it to talk about what you or someone else wants:
modal verb
Er will in Deutschland studieren.
He wants to study in Germany.
Be careful though! Much like “want” in English, it’s not considered very polite to express your own immediate desires with wollen in German. Instead, Germans prefer to use the gentler möchte(would like).
modal verb
Child:
Mama, ich will Schokolade haben!
Mom, I want to have chocolate!
Mother:
Ja, aber das heißt: “Ich möchte bitte Schokolade haben”.
Yes, but we say: “I would like to have some chocolate, please.”
‘Lassen’: just a little different
Lassen is used like a modal verb, to give or withhold permission (like “to let”).
modal verb
Sie lässt mich nicht mitspielen!
She isn’t letting me join in the game!
With negation, it can also express that someone is persisting in an unpleasant activity.
modal verb
Er lässt mich nicht sein!
He isn’t letting me be!
Important
Lassen doesn’t follow the modal verb conjugation pattern! Make sure to check out our chart to practice the conjugation of lassen! Or, learn more about the use of this common German verb from our post on “How to use the German verb lassen.”
What word order to use with German modal verbs?
The word order to use with German modal verbs the pattern depends on whether the modal verb is in the main clauseNo definition set for main clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or in a subordinate clauseNo definition set for subordinate clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
In the main clause…
The modal verbs take up the position of the conjugated verb, appearing as the second element in a clauseNo definition set for clauseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
When there is another verb in the clause, it appears at the end of the clause, in its infinitive (dictionary) form.
For example:
modal verbinfinitive verbDu darfst mit deiner Schwester nach draußen gehen.
You may go outside with your sister.
Ich muss euch aber immer vom Fenster aus sehen können.
But I must be able to see you from the window at all times.
Tip
It’s possible to combine a modal verb with other modal verbs, but only one can be the conjugated one. Sentences like this often sound like sage advice. Say it with gravitas:
modal verbMan muss etwas können wollen.
One must want to be able (to do) something.
In a subordinate clause (introduced by a word like “because,” “when,” “if,” etc.), the modal verb appears at the very end of the clause, after the infinitive:
inifinitive verbmodal verbEr freut sich, weil er ins Kino gehen darf.
He is happy, because he may go to the movies.
Check out our post to learn more about subordinate clauses in German!
Tip
Check out our post on word order in German to learn more!
Can German modal verbs be used as the only verb in the sentence?
While modal verbs usually modify another verb, they can also be the only verb in the sentence. Most often that is the case if the other verb is obvious from context or has been previously mentioned, in which case it can be left out. Können, mögen, wollen, lassen, and möchte are often found without a verbal complement:
modal verb
Ich kann Spanisch!
I can (speak) Spanish!
Er mag Schokolade.
He likes (eating) chocolate.
Er lässt mich nicht mit zum Strand, aber meine Mama hat gesagt, ich darf mit.
He’s not letting me (go) along to the beach, but my mom said I may (go) along.
There are also a number of idiomatic phrases that use a modal verb without its regular verb complement. Here are a couple examples to get you started!
modal verb
Ich kann nicht anders!
I can’t help it! / I have no choice!
Ich muss mal!
I have to (go to the toilet)!
Tip
A fun use of können without another verb comes from an image campaign for the state of Baden-Wurttemberg, whose inhabitants are known to speak Schwäbisch(Swabian), a German regional variant having the reputation to be unintelligible to other German-speakers. Turning this into a source of regional pride, the state of Baden-Wurttemberg now uses this as their official state slogan:
modal verb
Wir können alles. Außer Hochdeutsch.
We can (do) everything. Except for standard German.
How to express beliefs or likelihood with modal verbs?
Modal verbs can also be used to express beliefs or likelihood, in addition to expressing permission, ability, necessity, etc.
Take a look at the following examples of modal verbs used with the infinitive of another verb. In these examples, the modal verbs express a belief or a degree of likelihood. Note that the English equivalent of these expressions doesn’t always contain a modal verb:
Können, müssen, and mögen can express varying degrees of likelihood. If mögen is used like that, its English equivalent is “may,” not “to like.”
modal verbDas kann schon sein.
That can/may well be.
Das muss nicht stimmen.
That’s not necessarily right.
lit. That doesn’t have to be right.
Sie müssen uns für sehr unhöflich halten.
They must consider us very impolite.
Das mag stimmen, aber ich bin mir nicht sicher.
That may be right, but I am not sure.
Sollen can be used to state a belief about someone or something:
modal verbSie soll eine sehr gute Schwimmerin sein.
She is said to be a very good swimmer.
lit. She shall be a very good swimmer.
Wollen is never used to express a belief or likelihood. Dürfen is used like that only rarely, except in this common expression:
modal verbDas darf doch nicht wahr sein!
That can’t be true!
lit. That isn’t allowed to be right!
If you want to talk about the possibility or probability of a past situation, you can use the modal verb with the past infinitive of another verb.
What is a past infinitive?
The past infinitive in German is the infinitive form of a perfect tense verb, created like this:
Past Participle
Infinitive Auxiliary
eine Katze gesehen haben
to have seen a cat
Check out our posts if you want to review the forms of German auxiliary verbs or German past participles!
Take a look at these examples of modal verbs used with past infinitives. Please note that dürfen is never used with a past infinitive in this context.
modal verbpast infinitive
Du musst ihn doch gekannt haben, oder?
But you must have known him, mustn’t you?
Er kann das gar nicht gewusst haben.
He can’t have known that.
Sie soll nach Frankreich umgezogen sein.
She is supposed to have moved to France.
Er will das nie umgezogen sein.
He maintained he’s never done that.
lit. He wants to never linked text it.
Sie mögen das vielleicht geglaubt haben, aber ich nicht.
They may have believed that, but I didn’t.
lit. They liked to have believed that, but I didn’t.
Summing up
Here’s what we found out about the mighty modal verbs:
Modal verbs express different attitudes towards actions, such as desire or ability.
Modal verbs modify another verb.
In the main clause, modal verbs appear in second position and the other verb appears at the end; in a subordinate clause it goes to the end.
Modal verbs are irregular in their conjugation pattern.
Lassen doesn’t share a conjugation pattern with the other modal verbs but behaves like one.
Modal verbs can sometimes be used on their own, without another verb.
Modal verbs can be used to express a belief or the likelihood of an event.
All modal verbs except wollen and dürfen can be used like this.
Modal verbs with past infinitives also express beliefs and likelihoods.
To practice what you’ve learned so far, check out these German modal verbs exercises. Or, if you’re ready to take your learning to the next level, check out our post on using German modals in the perfect and subjunctive!
