top of page
Modal verbs in German are used together with another verb to express attitudes such as ability, necessity, permission, or intention. Common modal verbs include können, müssen, wollen, sollen, dürfen, and mögen. They affect both meaning and sentence structure, especially word order, and often behave irregularly in their conjugation.
In this guide, you will learn:
what modal verbs are and how they function in German
the meanings and typical uses of the main modal verbs
how modal verbs influence verb placement and sentence structure
common learner mistakes when using modal verbs
This guide helps English-speaking learners understand modal verbs as a key element of German verb meaning and sentence construction.
bottom of page