Modal verbs are short auxiliary verbs that show ability, permission, necessity, or other attitudes. They help shape meaning and tone in quick, natural ways.
Key Modals
Key modals include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, and ought to. Each one adds a specific flavor like ability, likelihood, or advice.
Can / Could
Can expresses ability or permission, while could is the polite or past form and also signals possibility. Use can for straightforward situations and could for softer or more tentative ones.
I am able to swim long distances underwater.
May / Might
May and might both show possibility; may sounds slightly more formal or certain, while might is more tentative. Use them to talk about things that could happen.
Must / Have to
Must shows strong necessity or internal obligation, whereas have to signals external requirement. Use must for rules you feel apply and have to for ones imposed by others.
Should / Ought to
Should and ought to give advice or recommendations. Ought to is a bit more formal or emphatic. Use them to suggest the best or expected action.
Will / Would
Will marks future actions or strong intentions, and would is the polite form for requests or imagined situations. Use would to soften asks and will to state plans.
Vocabulary
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| can | be able to | |
| could | be allowed to | |
| may | be permitted to | |
| might | possibly | |
| must | have got to | |
| shall | will | |
| should | ought to | |
| will | be going to | |
| would | want to | |
| ought to | should |
| English Word | English Sentence | Spanish Sentence | French Sentence | German Sentence | Chinese Sentence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| can | I can fix the leaky faucet. | 🛠️ Puedo arreglar el grifo que gotea. | 🛠️ Je peux réparer le robinet qui fuit. | 🛠️ Ich kann den tropfenden Wasserhahn reparieren. | 🛠️ 我可以修理漏水的水龙头。 | |
| could | Could you help me hang the shelf? | 🧰 ¿Podrías ayudarme a colgar la estantería? | 🧰 Pourriez-vous m'aider à accrocher l'étagère ? | 🧰 Könntest du mir helfen, das Regal aufzuhängen? | 🧰 你能帮我挂一下架子吗？ | |
| may | May I use your drill? | 🔩 ¿Puedo usar tu taladro? | 🔩 Puis-je utiliser ta perceuse ? | 🔩 Darf ich deinen Bohrer benutzen? | 🔩 我可以用你的电钻吗？ | |
| might | It might rain; bring a tarp. | 🌧️ Podría llover; lleva una lona. | 🌧️ Il pourrait pleuvoir ; apporte une bâche. | 🌧️ Es könnte regnen; bring eine Plane mit. | 🌧️ 可能会下雨；带上防水布。 | |
| must | You must wear gloves when sanding. | 🧤 Debes usar guantes al lijar. | 🧤 Tu dois porter des gants en ponçant. | 🧤 Du musst Handschuhe beim Schleifen tragen. | 🧤 打磨时必须戴手套。 | |
| have to | I have to buy new screws. | 🛒 Tengo que comprar tornillos nuevos. | 🛒 Je dois acheter de nouvelles vis. | 🛒 Ich muss neue Schrauben kaufen. | 🛒 我得买新的螺丝。 | |
| should | You should level the shelf before mounting. | 📏 Deberías nivelar la estantería antes de montarla. | 📏 Tu devrais niveler l'étagère avant de la monter. | 📏 Du solltest das Regal vor dem Montieren ausrichten. | 📏 安装前应先使架子水平。 | |
| ought to | We ought to check the wall studs. | 🧱 Deberíamos revisar los montantes de la pared. | 🧱 Nous devrions vérifier les montants du mur. | 🧱 Wir sollten die Wandpfosten überprüfen. | 🧱 我们应该检查墙梁。 | |
| will | I will sand the wood tomorrow. | 🪵 Lijaré la madera mañana. | 🪵 Je vais poncer le bois demain. | 🪵 Ich werde das Holz morgen schleifen. | 🪵 我明天会打磨木头。 | |
| would | Would you hold this board for a moment? | 🪚 ¿Podrías sostener esta tabla un momento? | 🪚 Pourriez-vous tenir cette planche un instant ? | 🪚 Würdest du dieses Brett kurz halten? | 🪚 你能帮我扶一下这块板吗？ |
Summary
Modal verbs are quick helpers that show ability, permission, necessity, and more. Learn the small differences so you can sound natural and clear when expressing attitudes and plans.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025