German Modal Verbs Made Easy: Können, Müssen, Wollen

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Modal verbs are essential for building useful German sentences. At the A1 level, the most common are können (can), müssen (must), and wollen (want). They help you express ability, necessity, and desire. This guide explains how to use them with simple rules and examples.

How Modal Verbs Work

A modal verb is combined with another verb in the infinitive.
Rule: Modal verb is conjugated, main verb goes to the end.

Example:

• Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. (I can speak German.)

Conjugation of Modal Verbs (Present Tense)

Können (can) — Ability or Possibility

Examples:

• Ich kann schwimmen. (I can swim.)
• Er kann gut kochen. (He can cook well.)
• Wir können morgen kommen. (We can come tomorrow.)

Müssen (must) — Necessity or Obligation

Examples:

• Ich muss arbeiten. (I must work.)
• Du musst das Buch lesen. (You have to read the book.)
• Wir müssen früh aufstehen. (We must get up early.)

Wollen (want) — Desire or Intention

Examples:

• Ich will Pizza essen. (I want to eat pizza.)
• Sie will Deutsch lernen. (She wants to learn German.)
• Wir wollen ins Kino gehen. (We want to go to the cinema.)

Common Mistakes — and How to Fix Them

• ❌ Ich kann Deutsch.
  ✔️ Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. (main verb is required)
• ❌ Ich muss zur Schule gehen muss.
  ✔️ Ich muss zur Schule gehen. (verb only once)
• ❌ Ich will gehe nach Hause.
  ✔️ Ich will nach Hause gehen. (main verb in infinitive)

FAQ: German Modal Verbs

Q: Can modal verbs stand alone?
Rarely. Normally, they need another verb in the infinitive.

Q: Do modal verbs change in the past tense?
Yes — they can be used with haben in Perfekt, but beginners should focus on the present tense first.

Q: Are wollen and möchten the same?
Wollen = want (direct), möchten = would like (polite).

Final Note

Modal verbs are key to expressing yourself in German. With können, müssen, and wollen, you can already create hundreds of practical sentences.

👉 For a deeper look at how modal verbs reflect meaning and choice, see Tymur Levitin’s Author’s Column.

📚 Related Articles

• Sein vs. Haben: How to Use Them Correctly in German
• Perfekt vs. Präteritum: What’s the Real Difference?

👨‍🏫 Author: Tymur Levitin — founder, director, and senior teacher at Levitin Language School | Start Language School by Tymur Levitin.
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© Tymur Levitin | Category: German Grammar for Beginners