Master Modal Verbs in German Quickly With These Conjugation Tips

Modal verbs in German are the most essential way to communicate ability, obligation, permission, and desire. These practical verbs like dürfen (may, to be allowed) and sollen (should, supposed to) are easy and essential ways to build fluent and useful sentences you can use in everyday German communication. The best part? There are only six German modal verbs, making this part of German easy to learn. Follow along the charts and examples below to quickly incorporate modal verbs in German into your language skills.

Table of Contents

• What are modal verbs in German?
• How to use German modal verbs in sentences in any tense
• Quickly master conjugating the 6 modal verbs in German

What are modal verbs in German?

Modal verbs in German are a part of speech used to express conditions such as possibility and necessity. They are auxiliary verbs, meaning they help support and give more information about our connection to the main verb of the sentence. In other words, modal verbs let you say what someone can, must, or should do, for example, without changing the action itself.

These are the six modal verbs in German along with their English translations:

• dürfen = may, to be allowed to
• mögen = to like
• können = can, to be able to
• wollen = to want
• sollen = should, supposed to
• müssen = must, to have to

How to use German modal verbs in sentences in any tense

Whether you’re giving your friend advice or asking for permission to go to the bathroom during a lecture, modal verbs in German help you express yourself naturally. So, how are German modal verbs used in sentences? See the following sections to get tips and examples of sentences with German modal verbs in the simple past, present, and future tenses.

Present tense sentences with modal verbs

You use the present tense in German to discuss things in the here and now. Typically, modal verbs appear in the second position in the sentence, meaning just after the subject. You’ll have to conjugate modal verbs in German to agree with the subject in terms of tense, grammatical gender, and number. Keep in mind that modal verbs are irregular German verbs, so you’ll have to memorize their different forms rather than follow a predictable pattern.

Finally, you’ll place the main German verb at the end of the sentence in its infinitive form, meaning its base, unaltered form (spielen instead of conjugated spielt). Generally, you can utilize the following formula to create your first sentences with German modal verbs:

• [subject] + [modal verb, conjugated] + [main verb, infinitive form]

Here are a few examples of this formula in action making present tense sentences with German modal verbs:

• Wir werden zu spät kommen. = We are going to be late.
• Ja, ich muss dieses Problem lösen. = Yes, I must (need to) solve this problem.

Simple past tense with German modal verbs

Once German modal verbs feel comfortable to you when making sentences in the present tense, the simple past is a breeze! You’ll follow the exact same sentence structure as you would for the present tense. The only difference is the German conjugation of modal verbs varies a bit in the simple past tense compared to the present tense, with stem changes and unique verb endings often making appearances. You can see these differences in conjugation in the modal verb conjugation charts later on.

To form a sentence with modal verbs in the simple past tense, use this formula that’s similar to the present tense:

• [subject] + [modal verb, conjugated] + [main verb, infinitive form]

Below are a few sentences showing off German modal verbs in the simple past tense:

• Wir sollten den Hund waschen. = We should have washed the dog.
• Das Mädchen mochte Schokolade. = The girl wanted chocolate.

Modal verbs in the German future tense

As a fun challenge, using German modal verbs in the future tense requires a few more rules from German grammar than the previous tenses. You’ll actually use three verbs to indicate future tense with a modal verb! Up first, our second position in the sentence will be taken over by werden (will, to become) which needs to be conjugated to fit the grammatical gender and number of the subject of the sentence. Much like the German conjugation of sein (to be), werden is an irregular verb, so its different forms will have to be memorized separately.

You will keep the main verb in its infinitive form, but now your modal verb will immediately follow that main verb as the last word of the sentence. The good news is your modal verb won’t need to be conjugated in this tense, as it will always show up in its infinitive form, just like the main verb of your sentence.

Check out the template below to see a simplified version of this future tense format with German modal verbs:

• [subject] + [werden, conjugated] + [main verb, infinitive] + [modal verb, infinitive]

Refer to the examples below to see this formula at work in practical scenarios:

• Sie wird Kleidung kaufen. = She will buy clothes.
• Ich werde vom Bett springen. = I will (am going to) jump off the bed.

Quickly master conjugating the 6 modal verbs in German

All that’s left is for you to learn each of the six German modal verbs and how each one is conjugated for each tense and pronoun. Remember: if the subject of a sentence is a noun like “Sally” or “the ship,” then you’ll conjugate your modal verb as though that noun were “he,” “she,” or “it.” All three of them conveniently conjugate the same way! 

Dürfen (may, to be allowed to)

As a paragon of permission, dürfen is a modal verb in German that means “may” or “to be allowed to.” Because it deals with things like laws, personal boundaries, and whether or not your child has the go-ahead to eat another cookie, dürfen is quite common in everyday German conversation. Much like all modal verbs, dürfen is irregular and follows its own pattern in conjugation.

See the table below to see dürfen conjugation across all pronouns and simple tenses:

Pronoun	Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
ich I	darf	durfte	werde dürfen
du you, informal	darfst	durftest	wirst dürfen
er/sie/es  he/she/it	darf	durfte	wird dürfen
wir we	dürfen	durften	werden dürfen
ihr  you, informal plural	dürft	durftet	werdet dürfen
sie/Sie  they, informal/you, formal	dürfen	durften	werden dürfen

Dürfen sentence examples:

• Die Schüler dürfen spielen. = The students may play.
• Mama, darf ich mit unserer neuen Nachbarin spielen? = Mom, may I play with our new neighbor?

Mögen (to like)

When you want to tell your grandmother from Germany that you like the traditional German food she made, mögen (to like) will be your go-to German modal verb. Since mögen expresses liking or preference, you can use it to help talk about your interests and preferences in a natural-sounding way.

Don’t be fooled though, many people confuse mögen with its subjunctive form möchte (to want). Think of it like mögen being used to show personal preference, while möchte is used for polite requests or to express wishes.

The following chart shows mögen conjugation for every simple tense and pronoun. Note that in the simple past tense, you drop the umlaut on the “o” vowel as part of the irregular conjugation.

Pronoun	Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
ich I	mag	mochte	werde mögen
du you, informal	magst	mochtest	wirst mögen
er/sie/es  he/she/it	mag	mochte	wird mögen
wir we	mögen	mochten	werden mögen
ihr  you, informal plural	mögt	mochtet	werdet mögen
sie/Sie  they, informal/you, formal	mögen	mochten	werden mögen

Mögen sentence examples:

• Die Frauen mögen Tee. = The women like tea.
• Der Junge mag kein Obst. = The boy does not like fruit.

Können (can, to be able to)

When you want to discuss ability and possibility—basically anything you can do—können (can, to be able to) can make it happen. This is one of the most commonly used modal verbs in German, and it shows up in conversation and writing for everything from skills and talents to circumstances and opportunities.

Refer to the table here to see können conjugation across the three simple tenses and all German pronouns:

Pronoun	Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
ich I	kann	konnte	werde können
du you, informal	kannst	konntest	wirst können
er/sie/es  he/she/it	kann	konnte	wird können
wir we	können	konnten	werden können
ihr  you, informal plural	könnt	konntet	werdet können
sie/Sie  they, informal/you, formal	können	konnten	werden können

Können sentence examples:

• Du kannst entweder Eier oder Obst essen. = You can have either eggs or fruit.
• Letzte Woche konnte ich sehr gut singen. = Last week I could sing very well.

Wollen (to want)

Wants, plans, and intentions. All of these desires for what we don’t have can be expressed with the German modal verb wollen (to want). As wishful for the future as it can be direct and assertive, wollen is especially useful in practical conversation when discussing decisions or personal goals. Be careful not to mix this modal verb up with mögen (to like), which is more about preference than want.

Add wollen conjugation to your language toolbox with the helpful chart shown here:

Pronoun	Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
ich I	will	wollte	werde wollen
du you, informal	willst	wolltest	wirst wollen
er/sie/es  he/she/it	will	wollte	wird wollen
wir we	wollen	wollten	werden wollen
ihr  you, informal plural	wollt	wolltet	werdet wollen
sie/Sie  they, informal/you, formal	wollen	wollten	werden wollen

Wollen sentence examples:

• Sie wollen etwas Torte. = They want some cake.
• Wolltest du nicht ein Poster kaufen? = Didn’t you want to buy a poster?

Sollen (should, supposed to)

If you want to recommend a favorite restaurant to a friend or give advice, then sollen (should, supposed to) allows you to tell them where they “should” go or what they “should” do. It’s great for referring to expectations as well, like letting your roommate know they “should” clean up their mess before your parents come over for dinner. 

You’ll find the conjugation of sollen easier than most modal verbs since no stem changes occur as you decline this German modal verb across the simple past, present, and future tenses.

Review the chart shown here for all forms of sollen conjugation in the three simple tenses:

Pronoun	Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
ich I	soll	sollte	werde sollen
du you, informal	sollst	solltest	wirst sollen
er/sie/es  he/she/it	soll	sollte	wird sollen
wir we	sollen	sollten	werden sollen
ihr  you, informal plural	sollt	solltet	werdet sollen
sie/Sie  they, informal/you, formal	sollen	sollten	werden sollen

Sollen sentence examples:

• Wie viel Trinkgeld soll ich geben? = How much tip should I give?
• Du solltest das blaue Kleid tragen. = You should wear the blue dress.

Müssen (must, to have to)

Müssen (must, to have to) is the German modal verb in charge of communicating necessity and obligation. As the most strong and direct modal verb in German, müssen is used in speech and writing for rules, responsibilities, and unavoidable truths. 

While sollen describes what “should” be or happen, müssen tells us what will inevitably occur or will invariably need to be done. Since it only has a stem change between u and ü when conjugating, it’s simpler to master its many forms than other German modal verbs—and it’s one of the most practical modals to master.

Check out this table shown below to learn every müssen conjugation across the simple present, past, and future tenses:

Pronoun	Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
ich I	muss	musste	werde müssen
du you, informal	must	musstest	wirst müssen
er/sie/es  he/she/it	muss	musste	wird müssen
wir we	müssen	mussten	werden müssen
ihr  you, informal plural	müsst	musstet	werdet müssen
sie/Sie  they, informal/you, formal	müssen	mussten	werden müssen

Müssen sentence examples:

• Du musst dir diese Musik anhören! = You have to listen to this music!
• Ich muss wieder Abendessen kochen. = I have to cook dinner again.

Armed with your new knowledge of modal verbs in German, you can now communicate ability, obligation, permission, desire, and more in natural-sounding ways. If you’d like to know more about German modal verbs or need more assistance in understanding them, consider signing up for Rosetta Stone tutoring. You’ll get an immersive, small-group setting in which to practice your German conversational skills with a native speaker who can guide you through any questions you may have.

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