Modal verbs
Modal verbs: kan, skal, vil, må, bør
Can use modal verbs correctly
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Jeg kan tale dansk, men jeg kan ikke skrive det.
I can speak Danish, but I can't write it.
Du må ikke ryge her, men du må gerne ryge udenfor.
You must not smoke here, but you may smoke outside.
Vi skal rejse til Berlin, og vi vil besøge museer.
We're going to travel to Berlin, and we want to visit museums.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
kan (can), skal (shall/must), vil (want), må (may/must), bør (should). No 'at' after modals.
Modal verbs take bare infinitive (no 'at'). 'Må ikke' means prohibition!
🇬🇧 English: can/shall/will/may are similar. BUT 'må ikke' = must not, NOT 'don't have to'!
🇷🇺 Russian: мочь/должен/хотеть. Dan
Common Error Patterns
Adding 'at' after a modal verb
No 'at' after modals! 'Jeg kan svømme', NOT *'Jeg kan at svømme'.
Interpreting 'må ikke' as 'don't have to' instead of 'must not'
'Må ikke' = MUST NOT (prohibition). 'Behøver ikke' = don't have to.
Jeg kan tale dansk, men jeg kan ikke skrive det.
I can speak Danish, but I can't write it.
'Kan' = can. 'Kan ikke' = cannot. Infinitive 'tale' and 'skrive' without 'at'!
Du må ikke ryge her, men du må gerne ryge udenfor.
You must not smoke here, but you may smoke outside.
'Må ikke' = must NOT (prohibition!). 'Må gerne' = may/is allowed to. Very important distinction!
Vi skal rejse til Berlin, og vi vil besøge museer.
We're going to travel to Berlin, and we want to visit museums.
'Skal' = going to (planned future). 'Vil' = want to. Both take infinitive without 'at'.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises