Мушу, магу, трэба, можна, варта, мець - the words for obligation and possibility, most of which are impersonal and put you in the dative.
I can express obligation, permission, ability and advice, choosing between the personal and impersonal patterns.
Schau dir diese Beispiele an. Kannst du das grammatische Muster erkennen?
Мне трэба было заехаць у аптэку.
I had to stop by the pharmacy.
Мушу прызнацца, што я памыліўся.
I have to admit I was wrong.
Цягнік мае прыйсці а трэцяй.
The train is due at three.
Варта было б спытаць у суседзяў.
It might have been worth asking the neighbours.
Achte auf die hervorgehobenen Teile. Was haben sie gemeinsam?
Some modal words conjugate and take a nominative subject; most do not, and put the person in the dative. Getting the shape right matters more than the meaning nuance.
| Word | Means | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| магу, можаш... | can, be able | personal: Я магу прыйсці. |
| мушу, мусіш... | must (strong) | personal: Я мушу ісці. |
| умею | know how to | personal: Я ўмею плаваць. |
| трэба | need to, must | impersonal: Мне трэба ісці. |
| можна | may, be allowed | impersonal: Тут можна курыць? |
| нельга | may not, cannot | impersonal: Тут нельга. |
| варта | be worth | impersonal: Варта паглядзець. |
| мае / маю | be due to | personal: Ён мае прыйсці а пятай. |
Two that a Russian speaker will not predict:
The impersonal ones take было and будзе for past and future, and the person stays in the dative throughout:
Adding бы makes any of them tentative: Варта было б спытаць, Трэба было б патэлефанаваць. This is the ordinary way to give advice without pressing.
Wende diese Grammatik in den Übungen des Kurses B2 an
ÜbungsaufgabenTypical errors: making the person the nominative subject of трэба or можна, and missing that мець plus infinitive means scheduled rather than possessed.
Using the nominative with трэба or можна
The person is dative: мне трэба, табе можна.
Reading мець plus infinitive as possession
It means scheduled to: цягнік мае прыйсці.
Leaving an impersonal modal tenseless
Было and будзе carry it: трэба было, можна будзе.
Using Russian modal words
Трэба, можна, нельга, варта, мушу.
Мне трэба было заехаць у аптэку.
I had to stop by the pharmacy.
Impersonal: the person is dative and <em>было</em> carries the tense.
Мушу прызнацца, што я памыліўся.
I have to admit I was wrong.
<em>Мусіць</em> is stronger than трэба - obligation with no way round it.
Цягнік мае прыйсці а трэцяй.
The train is due at three.
<em>Мець</em> plus infinitive for a scheduled event - not possession.
Варта было б спытаць у суседзяў.
It might have been worth asking the neighbours.
<em>Бы</em> turns advice into a suggestion.
Ён, мусіць, ужо дома.
He is probably home by now.
The same word as parenthesis means <em>probably</em>, not <em>must</em>.
Im Kurs üben
Wende diese Grammatik in den Übungen des Kurses B2 an