Modal verbs in German have rules. Full, auxiliary and modal verbs in German. Place of a modal verb in a subordinate clause

Modal verbs are a special group of verbs; they themselves do not express an action, but only express the attitude of the subject to the action.

Therefore, a modal verb cannot be alone in a sentence; it always needs a friend - a semantic verb, which is always used in the infinitive. And together they form a complex verbal predicate.

Intrigued? Let's dig into these special verbs. Meet:

können

können expresses skill or physical ability. Translated as “to be able to”

Ich kann diesels Problem lösen. – I can (capable) solve this problem.

Wer kann mir das erklären?– Who can explain this to me?

durfen

durfen expresses permission or prohibition. Translated as “be able, have permission, right”

Darf ich mein Platz nehmen?– May I take my seat?

mussen

mussen expresses the need to perform this or that action under the influence of internal pressure (that is, we ourselves realize that it is necessary to do this), translated as “to be obliged, to be forced”

Ich muss die Eltern besuchen.– I have to visit my parents.

Ich muss sparen.- I have to save money.

Ich muss um 8.30 Uhr im Büro sein. – I need to be in the office at 8:30. (I realize this myself)

sollen

sollen used to express an order, compliance with rules or law, translated as “to be obliged”

Ihr sollt die Arbeit heute abgeben!– You must submit your work today!

wollen

wollen expresses a firm desire or decision to perform an action, translated as "want"

Ich will eine Tasse Tee trinken.- I want to drink a cup of tea.

mögen

mögen means interest in something, love, translated as “to desire, to love”

1. It is also used to express an assumption.

Sie mag krank sein.- She may be sick.

Was mag das bedeuten?– What could this mean?

2. In the meaning of “to love, to like” it has almost ceased to be modal and is used independently

Ich mag Eis. – I love ice cream.

möchten (verb mögen in the Konjunktiv II subjunctive mood), in contrast to the modal verb wollen, which expresses a firm desire, expresses a desire, a polite request, and is used independently without another verb.

Ich möchte eine Tasse Tee trinken.– I would like to have a cup of tea.

Modal verbs. Word order in a sentence

In an affirmative sentence, the modal verb is in second place, and the semantic verb is at the end of the sentence.

Ich will Automechaniker werden.

In an interrogative sentence without a question word, the modal verb comes first, the semantic verb at the end of the sentence.

Kanst du Deutsch sprechen?

In an interrogative sentence with a question word, the modal verb is in second place, the semantic verb at the end of the sentence.

Was kannst du mir zeigen?

Modal verbs. Präsens (present)

Please note:

1. During conjugation, the umlaut disappears or the vowel changes altogether (compare machen - er macht, durfen – er darf)

2. Unlike ordinary verbs, no ending is added in the 1st person “-e”, in the 3rd person the ending “-” is not added t"(compare er macht And er soll)

There is only one conclusion here - the conjugation of these verbs must be learned and thoroughly practiced.

Conjugation table for modal verbs in the present tense:

Modal verbs. Past tense

Please note:

1. The umlaut disappears in the past tense.

2. To form the past tense of the verb möchten (Konjunktiv II from mögen), wollen is used.

Präteritum:

Perfect (Participle II):

To form Perfect, all modal verbs use the auxiliary verb haben.

Conjunctiv II:

Full-valued verbs usually act in a sentence as a predicate or a semantic part of the predicate. The vast majority of German verbs fall into this category.

Functional verbs are used in a sentence in combination with other verbs, being only part of the predicate. In this case, they usually lose (partially or completely) their independent semantic meaning.

Function verbs in German include:
• auxiliary verbs - haben, sein, werden;
• linking verbs - sein, werden, bleiben, heißen.

Using the auxiliary verbs haben, sein, werden, complex tense forms and passive voice are formed.

The verbs haben, sein can also be used as full verbs. In this case, these verbs are translated into Russian:
• haben- have:

• sein- to be, to be:

Modal verbs differ from ordinary full-valued verbs. They express not an action, but an attitude towards action. Modal verbs can express possibility, necessity, desire. Modal verbs in German include the following verbs:
• mussen- must, be obliged, be forced.

The verb müssen expresses necessity due to internal conviction, duty.

• sollen- must, be obliged.

The verb expresses necessity, obligation, obligation associated with someone’s instructions, the order established by someone, etc.

The verbs müssen and sollen can also be used to express an assumption, with the verb müssen to express one’s own assumption, and the verb sollen to express an assumption arising from someone else’s words.

• können- be able, be able (to have the physical ability to do something):

The verb können can also be used to mean “to be able to”:

• wollen- want, desire (often with a connotation of “intend to do something”):

The verb wollen is also used in the descriptive form of the 1st person imperative.

The verb mögen can also express a wish, advice, recommendation and is often translated in this case with the word “let”.

Anyone who has set themselves the goal of learning to speak German well should not forget about grammar. If you decide to learn a foreign language for the purpose of traveling to another country, it will definitely come in handy. It is grammar that helps you construct phrases and write correctly. Without it, it is impossible to correctly formulate a sentence and convey the meaning of what you want to convey to your interlocutor.

Meaning And use modal verbs

Unlike the Russian language, where sometimes there are sentences with one subject, in German the verb is an integral part of every phrase. Here, not only semantic verbs are used, which carry the main load, but also auxiliary ones, which are also called modal. These parts of speech are used to display an attitude towards an action. Examples with translation:

• Du machst die Hausaufgabe. – You are doing your homework.
• Du sollst die Hausaufgabe machen. – You must do your homework.

Here machst/ machen (to do) is a semantic verb denoting an action, and sollst/sollen (to be obliged) is a modal verb expressing an attitude towards action.

Table: how much modal verbs in German?

List The most common modal verbs of the German language can be presented in one table. Here are translations and examples of their use.

Model verb conjugation: present tense

The most convenient way to learn the conjugation of modal verbs in German is using a table. Shown here 6 options for how verbs change in Präsens, or present tense.

Modal verbs in past tense

The table shows how German verbs are conjugated in the present tense - prateritum, or past tense:

The table clearly shows that the forms of verbs in the first and third person singular are completely the same - they have a zero ending in the present tense and an -e ending in Präteritum. Verbs in the first and third person plural are the same - here the ending –en is used.

In the second person singular and plural, all modal verbs have the endings -st and –t, respectively.

Another feature that occurs in the conjugation of German modal verbs in Present is the change in the vowel in the root of the word, which is singular. The exception is the verb sollen. In the Imperfect, all modal verbs take the suffix – t.

In Perfect, the modal verb would look like this:

Ich habe die Waschmaschine reparieren müssen. — I had to fix the washing machine.

How are modal verbs used in a sentence?

Among the frequently asked questions by beginners, one can highlight the order of words in a sentence using modal verbs.

Declarative sentence will look like this:

Ich möchte dieses Buch lesen. – I would like to read this book.

Here the subject comes first, followed by the modal verb, then the secondary members, and at the end of the sentence there is a semantic verb.

If the offer interrogative, That without a word-question the modal verb will come first:

Möchtest du dieses Buch lesen? – Would you like to read this book?

With a question word, if it comes first, then a modal verb is placed after it:

Wann möchtest du dieses Buch lesen? – When would you like to read this book?

In passive sentences, modal verbs are used according to general rules.

Infinitive Passive:

operiert werden, angeklagt werden, zerstört werden.

How to perform exercises on modal verbs

Most often, modern educational systems offer tests as tasks to test knowledge. They are convenient because... quickly executed and verified. If you have successfully completed several tests on the use of modal verbs, it is recommended to try yourself in a regular exercise where you need to put the verb into the correct form. This way you will consolidate the acquired knowledge well and will feel free to write sentences with modal verbs.

Modal verbs - these are verbs that express not an action, but the speaker’s attitude to the action. Modal verbs can express possibility, necessity, desire, etc.

Modal verbs require after themselves a main verb, which is in the infinitive without a particlezu.

K m Odal verbs in German include the following verbs:

durfen(to be allowed, to be able to have the right)

Darf ich eintreten? - Can I come in?

Hier darf man nicht rauchen. - You can't smoke here.

können(to be able, to be able, to have the physical ability to do something)

Wir können diese Arbeit in einer Woche erfüllen. - We can complete this job in a week.

mögen(like)

Ich magTorte essen. - I like to eat cake.

The verb mögen can also express a wish, advice, recommendation and is often translated in this case with the word “let”:

Möge er glücklich sein! — Let him be happy!

mussen(expresses necessity due to internal conviction, duty)

Ich muss meinen Freunden helfen. - I have to help my friends.

Er musste die Arbeit von neuem beginnen. - He had (he was forced) to start the work again.

sollen(expresses necessity, obligation, obligation associated with someone’s instructions, the order established by someone, etc.)

Du sollst die Prüfung am 5. Januar ablegen. - You must take this exam on January 5th.

Der Zug soll in 3 Minuten ankommen. - The train should arrive in 3 minutes.

wollen(want, wish, often with a connotation of “intend to do something”)

Wir wollen diese Ausstellung besuchen. - We want to visit this exhibition.

The verb wollen can also be used to express the future tense, in which case it is not translated into Russian.

lassen(command, instruct, force, command)

Er ließ uns diese Regel gründlich wiederholen. - He ordered us (forced us) to repeat this rule thoroughly.

Bei gutem Wetter ließ er mich selbst das Auto fahren. - If the weather was good, he allowed me to drive the car myself.

The verb lassen in the imperative mood can also express an invitation, a call:

Lasst uns heute einen Ausflug machen! - Let's take a walk today!

The construction is quite often used lassen sich+ infinitive I. It usually has a passive meaning with a connotation of possibility and is translated into Russian by combining “mozhno” with the infinitive of the main verb or a verb in -sya (with a passive meaning):

Die Bedeutung dieser Experimente lässt sich leicht erklären. - The meaning of these experiments can be easily explained (... easily explained; easily explained...).

Turnover es lässt sich with negation is used in the sense of impracticability, the impossibility of one or another action and is translated by combining “impossible” with the infinitive of the main verb:

Es lässt sich nicht beweisen. - This cannot be proven.

Verb lassen when used independently it means “to leave”, “to leave”:

Wir lassen ihn nicht allein. - We don't leave him alone.

Modal verbs in German are usually used in combination with the infinitive of other verbs that denote action and perform the function of a complex predicate in a sentence:

Wir wollen noch eine Fremdsprache beherrschen. - We want to master another foreign language.

Verbs brauchen(need), scheinen(seem), glauben(to believe) when used with the infinitive of another (main) verb acquire the meaning of modality. The verb brauchen with the negation nicht means “one should not, does not need, does not need to do anything”:

Er braucht diese Regel nicht zu wiederholen. - He does not need (should not) repeat this rule.

Verbs scheinen And glauben express an assumption; when translating them into Russian, the words “apparently, it seems (as it seems, as it seems)” are used:

Sie scheint glücklich zu sein. - She seems (apparently) to be happy.

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The meaning of modal verbs. Modal are called such verbs that express not the action itself, but only attitude to action(Wed.: We we want study well. We Can study well. We should study well). Therefore, modal verbs in German are usually not used independently, i.e. without a second verb, which expresses the desired, possible or necessary action itself. This second verb always answers the question “what to do?” and stands in the infinitive, as in Russian ( Wed.: We want - what to do? - study well). Basic modal verbs in German: können(to be able), mussen(should) wollen(want). They are very common, without them it is often impossible to express a thought.

In Russian, opportunity, necessity, and desire can be expressed in two ways:

Possibility 1. We Can. = 2. Us Can.

Obligation 1. We should. = 2. Us need (must).

Desire 1. We we want. = 2. Us I want to.

In German, only the first method is used.

Wed:
They can(can) ( they can) work in the laboratory. Sie können im Labor arbeiten.

Except können, müssen, wollen modal verbs are also often used sollen And durfen.

Verb sollen close in value to mussen.

Wed.:
You want (you want) to visit the museum. Sie wollen das Museum be suchen.
Wir müssen (Wir sollen) jetzt viel arbeiten. We must (forced, we have to), we must (obliged, we should) work hard now.

Verb durfen close in value to können:

Wir können (Wir dürfen) dieses Buch in der Bibliothek bekommen. We can (=have the opportunity)
We can (=have the right, permission) to get this book from the library.

In most cases the differences in meaning between mussen And sollen(to be forced and to be obliged), between können And durfen(to have the opportunity and to have permission) are not very significant, they can be ignored and only the verbs können (to be able) and müssen (to have to) can be used in speech.

Task 1. Indicate which modal verbs should be used to say in German:

1. We need to finish work tomorrow. 2. Who should make a presentation at the seminar? 3. I want to take the exam in December. 4. Misha wants to play sports. 5. You can borrow foreign journals from the department or the library. 6. We can work in the reading room until seven o’clock in the evening.

Conjugation of modal verbs in the present

In present, all modal verbs have special singular forms (plural forms are formed according to the general rule):

As can be seen from the table, the peculiarity of their conjugation is that they do not have personal endings in the 1st and 3rd person singular. numbers (these forms are the same), and also all (except sollen) change the root vowel into singular. number (these forms need to be remembered).

Task 2. Indicate which forms of the modal verbs given in brackets should be used instead of gaps in the following sentences:

1…. er den Text ohne Wörterbuch übersetzen? (können) 2. Ich... heute meinen kranken Freund besuchen. (wollen) 3. Welches Thema... du zum Seminar vorbereiten? (sollen) 4. Mein Freund… seinen Eltern helfen. (mussen)

Word order in a sentence with a modal verb

As can be seen from the examples above, in a German sentence the modal verb takes the place of the predicate (i.e. 2nd or 1st), and the verb in the infinitive, expressing the action itself, is used (unlike the Russian language) not immediately after the modal , but at the very end of the sentence.

The negation nicht with modal verbs (unlike all others) can be used immediately after the modal verb (but can also be used before the infinitive).

Task 3. Indicate in what order the German words should be used to say:

1. Tomorrow I want to visit my school friend. besuchen; morgen; will; meinen Schulfreund; ich.
2. When do you need to write a test? die Kontrollarbeit; wann; musst; schreiben; du?
3. Can you help me with German? du; in Germany; kannst; helfen; mir?
4. She can have good grades in all subjects. gute Noten; kann; haben; sie; in Allen Fachern.
5. Today we cannot work in the reading room. wir; im Lesesaal; arbeiten; heute; nicht; können.
6. He should be at home in the evening. er; muss; zu Hause; sein; am Abend.
7. I can't read English. ich; kann, nicht; Englisch; lesen.

Man with modal verbs müssen and können

When they want to say that some action must or can be performed without indicating who exactly, they use a combination of man with modal verbs:

necessary, necessary - man muss (man soll)
you can - man kann (man darf)

You need to read a lot. (not specified to whom) Man muss viel lesen.
He needs to read a lot. (person indicated) Er muss viel lesen.
Can I finish my work today? (not specified to whom) Kann man die Arbeit heute beenden?
Can I finish my work today? (person indicated) Kann ich die Arbeit heute beenden?

As can be seen from these examples, man and the modal verb change places so that the modal verb always ends up in the place of the predicate, that is, in 2nd or 1st place.

If they want to say that this or that action is not necessary or cannot be performed, then they add the negation nicht:

not necessary, not necessary - man muss (soll) nicht impossible - man kann (darf) nicht

For example:

You don't need to finish work today. Man muss nicht die Arbeit heute beenden.
You can't work in peace here. Hier kann man nicht ruhig arbeiten.

Task 4. Indicate which of the following sentences should be translated using the combination man muss or man kann:

1. He needs to prepare a report. 2. I can go home for three days. 3. Special literature should be read without a dictionary. 4. Can I take books home from the reading room? 5. Can I come to you in the evening?

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