The six modal verbs you cannot live without
können, müssen, dürfen, wollen, sollen, mögen — what each one means, how they bend the sentence, and the mistakes to avoid.
Modal verbs express ability, necessity, permission and desire. They are among the most useful words in German because they let you soften requests, give advice and talk about plans. Learn the six and your everyday German jumps forward.
What each modal does
- können — to be able to / can: Ich kann schwimmen.
- müssen — to have to / must: Ich muss arbeiten.
- dürfen — to be allowed to / may: Darf ich rauchen?
- wollen — to want to: Ich will nach Hause.
- sollen — to be supposed to / should: Du sollst mehr schlafen.
- mögen — to like (and möchte — would like): Ich möchte einen Kaffee.
How they reshape the sentence
The modal verb is conjugated and sits in second position; the main verb goes to the end as a plain infinitive: Ich muss heute früh aufstehen. Notice there is no zu before the infinitive — that is a classic beginner trap.
Irregular present forms
Modals change their vowel in the singular: ich kann, du kannst, er kann — but wir können. The ich and er/sie/es forms are identical and take no ending. This pattern repeats across all the modals, so once you see it, it is easy.
möchte (would like) is the polite way to order or ask for things. It is technically a form of mögen, but treat it as its own everyday word — it will make you sound friendly and natural.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Do I need zu before the second verb with a modal?
No. After a modal verb the main verb stays as a bare infinitive at the end of the clause: Ich will essen, not Ich will zu essen.
What is the difference between mögen and möchten?
mögen means to like something in general (Ich mag Kaffee). möchte is would like and is used for polite requests in the moment (Ich möchte einen Kaffee).