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Modal verbs express ability, permission, obligation, desire, or preference. They are among the most frequently used verbs in German and have special conjugation patterns and sentence structures. German has six modal verbs, and mastering them will dramatically expand what you can express.
| Modal Verb | Core Meaning |
|---|---|
| können | can, to be able to |
| müssen | must, to have to |
| dürfen | may, to be allowed to |
| sollen | should, to be supposed to |
| wollen | to want to |
| mögen | to like |
Modal verbs are irregular in the singular forms (ich, du, er/sie/es) — the vowel often changes, and ich and er/sie/es have no endings.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | kann |
| du | kannst |
| er/sie/es | kann |
| wir | können |
| ihr | könnt |
| sie/Sie | können |
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