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Mådesudsagnsord[chapterheader]
What is it?
Modal verbs are verbs that express will, wish, determination etc. like: I really should go to work.
| Da | En | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kunne | be able to | ||||
gram to be able to | |||||
| burde | ought to | ||||
gram to do what is right | |||||
| skulle | shall | ||||
gram duty / ordered to / future tense | |||||
| turde | dare | v inf | |||
gram courage | |||||
| ville | will | ||||
gram to express will / future tense | |||||
| måtte | may | ||||
gram necessity / to be allowed | |||||
The Examples
| Da | En | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kunne | |||||
| Kan du komme i morgen? | Can you come tomorrow? | ||||
| to be able to | |||||
| Kunne* jeg få den? | Could I have it? | ||||
| to ask permission to do something | |||||
| Burde | |||||
| p | Jeg burde** gå i skole i morgen | I should go to school tomorrow | |||
| to do what is right | |||||
| Skulle | |||||
| Du skal vaske op i aften | You are doing the dishes tonight | ||||
| future tense | |||||
| Du skal vaske op i aften | You have to do the dishes tonight | ||||
| duty | |||||
| Turde | |||||
| Jeg tør ikke gøre det | I don't dare do it / I'm afraid to do it | ||||
| courage | |||||
| Ville | |||||
| Jeg vil købe ind i morgen | I'll do the shopping tomorrow | ||||
| future tense | |||||
| Jeg vil ikke med | I don't want to come | ||||
| expressing will | |||||
| Måtte | |||||
| Må jeg godt få den? | Can I have that? / Am I allowed to have that? | ||||
| to be allowed to | |||||
| p | Du må bare gøre det igen | You just have to do it again | |||
| necessity | |||||
* Kunne in past tense takes a different meaning. In this Subjunctive Mood you ask permission for something in a polite way, just as in English Could I have.... See more examples in Ordering Food.
**Notice the use of past tense in burde even though we're referring to the future. Read more about the Subjunctive Mood here.
Read more about the Future Tense here.