35 Modal verbs
35.1 Modal + infinitive
A modal verb is one that combines with another verb to modify the statement:Sie kommt morgen.
She is coming tomorrow.Sie will morgen kommen.
She wants to come tomorrow.German modal verbs combine with another verb in the infinitive (see 33.1):Sie kann später kommen.
She can (is able to) come later.Sie muss später kommen.
She must (has to) come later.Sie will später kommen.
She wants to (intends to) come later.Sie darf später kommen.
She can/is permitted to come later.Sie mag später kommen.
She may (possibly) come later.Sie soll später kommen.
She is expected to (is supposed to) come later.Sie möchte später kommen.
She would like to come later.‘möchte’ is actually a subjunctive form (see 39 ) of the modal verb ‘mögen’.Note also (nicht) brauchen ‘(not) need to’, which is widely used as a modal verb in
colloquial German but is still generally found with zu + infinitive in formal and written
contexts (see 58 ):Sie brauchen nicht später kommen. (informal)
Sie brauchen nicht später zu kommen. (formal)
You don’t need to come later. (See also 35.7.)Most of these verbs can also be used on their own, with an accusative object. In this case
they do not function as modal verbs:Ich mag diesen Herrn.
I like this gentleman.Ich brauche einen neuen Computer.
I need a new computer.35
VERBS