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A1 · Modal verbs

Modalverb + … + Infinitiv

modal verb second, main verb at the end

FormModalverb (Position 2) … Infinitiv (Satzende)

Meaning and usage

A modal verb like können, müssen or wollen takes second position and changes for the person. The main verb moves to the very end and stays in its basic form, the infinitive. So you say Ich kann gut Deutsch sprechen, not Ich kann gut Deutsch spreche.

Use this pattern for ability, necessity, wishes and permission. The one mistake to avoid is putting the main verb next to the modal: the infinitive belongs at the end, after everything else in the sentence.

Examples 5

Test yourself

  1. 1 Sprachbausteine

    Ich heute meine Oma besuchen.

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    Correct answer: will

    will is the correct form for ich, and the main verb besuchen stands at the end. The other forms belong to du, wir and ihr.

    • willst goes with du, not with ich.
    • wollt goes with ihr, not with ich.
    • wollen goes with wir or sie (plural), not with ich.

In this topic: Modal verbs

  1. Modalverb + … + Infinitiv modal verb second, main verb at the end
  2. ich kann, er kann ich and er forms of können: no ending, no umlaut
  3. können can, be able to, know how to
  4. müssen must, have to
  5. wollen want to
  6. möchte would like, polite way to say what you want
  7. dürfen may, be allowed to; asking permission
  8. sollen should, be supposed to, someone else's instruction
  9. mögen to like, mostly with a noun
  10. Verb + gern like doing something
  11. nicht müssen, nicht dürfen not have to vs must not

Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.