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Modal verbs
Müssen expresses a need or obligation; können expresses ability or possibility. In these statements, conjugate the modal in position two and put the main verb in its dictionary form at the end. With ich, use muss or kann. With wir, use müssen or können.
Who → modal → rest → infinitive
Ich muss heute arbeiten.
I have to work today.
Wir können morgen kommen.
We can come tomorrow.
Source & sentence patterns
- Verb position
- Who → verb → rest
- Time first
- Time → verb → who → rest
- Modal verbs
- Who → modal → rest → infinitive
- Separable verbs
- Who → verb stem → rest → prefix
- Sentence brackets
- First element → conjugated verb → middle → final verb part
- The spoken past
- Who → haben / sein → rest → past participle