Modalverb

See also: modal verb

German

Etymology

From modal +‎ Verb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈdaːlˌvɛʁp/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Mo‧dal‧verb

Noun

Modalverb n (mixed, genitive Modalverbes or Modalverbs, plural Modalverben)

1. modal verb, modal auxiliary (member of an open class of verbs typically expressing action, state, or other predicate meaning that includes all verbs except auxiliary verbs)

   Synonym: Modalverbum

   Coordinate terms: Auxiliarverb, Funktionsverb, Vollverb

Declension

Declension of Modalverb [neuter, mixed]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Modalverb	die	Modalverben
genitive	eines	des	Modalverbes, Modalverbs	der	Modalverben
dative	einem	dem	Modalverb, Modalverbe1	den	Modalverben
accusative	ein	das	Modalverb	die	Modalverben

¹Now rare, see notes.

Further reading

• “Modalverb” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Modalverb” in Duden online
• “Modalverb”, in Online-Wortschatz-Informationssystem Deutsch (in German), Mannheim: Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, 2008–
• “Modalverb” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon