German Grammar Basics
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goslugs12German Grammar Basics
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goslugs12Grammar Pages (2) Possessive Adjectives and Modal Verbs:
A. Possessive Adjectives
Review: We used “mein” und “meine” to express “my”. We use “mein” with masculine and neuter nouns and “meine” with feminine or plural nouns.
Usage: The possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her…) is used to express ownership (e.g. my shoes, your pencil, his daughter…)
Form: Just like an article, the possessive adjectives change their forms depending on the gender or number of the noun for which they express
possession.
Possessive Adjectives for Subject Nouns (additional -e for fem. and pl nouns):
Pers. Pronoun Pos. Adj. base form Masculine Neuter Feminine Plural
Example: Example: Example: Example:
der Ring das Auto die Kette die Stifte
ich (I) mein (my) mein mein meine meine
du/Sie (you) dein/Ihr (your) dein/Ihr dein/Ihr deine/Ihre deine/Ihre
er (he) sein (his) sein sein seine seine
sie (she) ihr (her) ihr ihr ihre ihre
es (it) sein (its) sein sein seine seine
wir (we) unser (our) unser unser unsere unsere
ihr/Sie (you) euer/Ihr (your) euer/Ihr euer/Ihr eure/Ihre eure/Ihre
sie (they) ihr (their) ihr ihr ihre ihre
B. Modal Verbs: können, wollen, möchten, müssen, sollen, dürfen
Review: 1. The verb “möchten” is a form of “mögen” and expresses “would like [to have]”; e.g. “Ich möchte ein Auto” (I would like a car)
2. “Möchte” in conjunction with a main verb expresses “would like to do”; e.g. “Ich möchte ein Auto kaufen” (I would like to buy a car)
3. In conjunction with a main verb, a verb like “möchten” becomes a modal verb (it modifies the meaning of the main verb)
4. In a sentence, the modal verb is conjugated and the 2nd element in a statement and information question and the first element in a yes/no question
5. With a modal verb, the main verb is placed at the end of a sentence in the infinitive form (no form-ending! No est 10 10!)
Models: “Ich möchte ein Auto kaufen” modifies “kaufen” as it expresses that the action “kaufen” is a wish rather than an actual act; “kaufen” could also be an
obligation (should buy), a necessity (must buy), an option/ability (could buy), etc. Thus, the modal verb changes or modifies the main verb’s meaning.
Conjugating modal verbs: no ending in ich-, er/sie/es-form; differing stem vowel in plural (+formal you) and singular forms
können wollen mögen müssen sollen dürfen
(can, to be able to, (to want to)[ similar (to like) (to have to) (to be supposed to) (may)
know how to) to “möchten]
meaning espresses ability, expresses desire, expresses a expresses expresses an Indicates permission
talent and asking intention to do liking/preference necessity to do obligation or or asking politely for
permission something something suggestion permission
ich kann will mag muss soll darf
du / Sie kannst / können willst / wollen magst / mögen musst / müssen sollst / sollen darfst / dürfen
er/sie/es kann will mag muss soll darf
wir können wollen mögen müssen sollen dürfen
ihr / Sie könnt / können wollt / wollen mögt / mögen müsst / müssen sollt / sollen dürft / dürfen
sie können wollen mögen müssen sollen dürfen
Note:
“not have to” implies that there no need to do something and means in German “nicht müssen”; e.g. “Ich muss nicht lernen” (I don’t have to study)
“must not” implies a strong warning not to do something and is expressed with “nicht dürfen”; e.g. “Ich darf nicht fernsehen” (I may/must not watch TV)
