Modal Verbs - Owzer

Modal Verbs[chapterheader]

What is it?

Modal verbs are verbs that express will, wish, determination etc. like: I really should go to work.

kunnebe able to

v inf

	Infinitive	Present	Past	Present Perfect
DA	kunne	kan	kunne	har kunnet
EN	be able to	can	could	has been able to

gramto be able to

gram

to be able to

burdeought to

v inf

…

	Infinitive	Present
DA	burde	bør
EN	ought to	should

gramto do what is right

gram

to do what is right

skulleshall

v inf

gramduty / ordered to / future tense

gram

duty / ordered to / future tense

turdedare

v inf

gramcourage

gram

courage

villewill

v inf

gramto express will / future tense

gram

to express will / future tense

måttemay

v inf

gramnecessity / to be allowed

gram

necessity / to be allowed

The Examples

Da
Kunne
		Kan du komme i morgen?Can you come tomorrow?	to be able to
to be able to
		Kunne* jeg få den?Could I have it?	to ask permission to do something
to ask permission to do something
Burde
	p	Jeg burde** gå i skole i morgenI should go to school tomorrow	to do what is right
to do what is right
Skulle
		Du skal vaske op i aftenYou are doing the dishes tonight	future tense
future tense
		Du skal vaske op i aftenYou have to do the dishes tonight	duty
duty
Turde
		Jeg tør ikke gøre detI don't dare do it / I'm afraid to do it	courage
courage
Ville
		Jeg vil købe ind i morgenI'll do the shopping tomorrow	future tense
future tense
		Jeg vil ikke medI don't want to come	expressing will
expressing will
Måtte
		Må jeg godt få den?Can I have that? / Am I allowed to have that?	to be allowed to
to be allowed to
	p	Du må bare gøre det igenYou just have to do it again	necessity
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.