To Come and to Go

Modal Verbs

German has 6 of them.  They express an attitude about an action or condition described by the main verb.  The modal auxiliary is conjugated and placed where the verb should be.  The main verb is in the infinitive form and at the end of the sentence.  

Ich kann eine Fahrkarte kaufen. ( I can buy a ticket)  Kann is the conjugated auxiliary verb and kaufen is the main verb in infinitive form.

Note:  Nicht müssen translates to do not have to or do not need to.  Nicht dürfen translates to must not.  Du mußt es nicht machen is you don't have to do it.  Du darfst es nicht machen is you must not (or are not allowed) to do it.

Note:  This subjunctive of mögen expresses would like to and is used more often than the indicative of mögen.  Ich möchte eine Fahrkarte kaufen means I would like to buy a ticket.

Conjugating Regular Verbs

To conjugate means to give the different forms of a verb depending on the subject.  English only has two regular conjugations in the present tense, no ending and -s ending (I, you, we, they run vs. he/she/it runs).  Refer back to the subject pronouns and the conjugations of to be and to have.  The following table is in the same format.  To form regular verbs in German, take off the -en ending and add these endings:

English has three ways of expressing the present tense, such as I run, I am running, I do run.  All three of these tenses are translated as one tense in German (ich laufe.)  However, you can add gerade after the verb to indicate the progressive form.  Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben can be translated as I do my homework or I'm doing my homework.  Ich mache gerade meine Hausaufgaben is translated as I'm doing my homework.