Typical verbs refer to actions or states like running or standing. They can easily be illustrated in a photograph or portrayed in a video because they are real and true of the now. Modal verbs, on the other hand, are used to refer to actions and states that are not real at the moment – ”the moment” usually referring to the time of speech. Modal verbs are used together with regular verbs to describe various types of possible scenarioes which we can imagine, but which have yet to take place. Examples are:
”Can you play the guitar?” (ability)
”Can I have your number?” (permission)
”Will your friend be joining us?” (prediction)
”Will you let him know?” (intention)
”May I see your ticket, please?” (permission)
”May he have mercy on our souls” (hope)
”Should we invite them as well?” (moral obligation)
The trouble is, that while Danish has modal verbs just like English, and in fact many of them look and sound the same, they are not used in the same way. That is, Danish and English often use different modal verbs for the same purposes.
An example is Danish ”kan” and English ”can”. In English, ”can” expresses permission, ability and possiblity, but in Danish ”kan” expresses only ability and possiblity. So many learners will say something like (1a) intending the meaning in (1b). But what (1a) actually means, is (1c).
(1a) kan biler køre over 110 km/t på motorvejen?
(1b) are cars allowed to drive over 110 km/h on the freeway?
(1c) are cars able to drive over 110 km/h on the freeway?
In the same way, we can compare Danish ’vil’ and English ’will’. In English, ’will’ may be used to express simple future, plans, predictions and sometimes desire, while Danish ’vil’ has all the same uses except that it is rarely used for the simple future. So many learners will say something like (2a), while intending the meaning in (2b), but what (2b) actually means is (2c).
(2a) jeg vil spise aftensmad på restaurant i dag
(2b) I’ll eat dinner at a restaurant today
(2c) I want to eat dinner at a restaurant today
It’s important to stress, that these are not rare cases of mismatches, that I have dug out for the purpose of illustrating differences between English and Danish. Using Danish modal verbs with the intended meanings of their English equivalents will result in errors more often than not.
As in English, Danish modal verbs are followed by a regular verb in the bare infinitive form, which is the form that you find in the dictionary, not the ”to-infinitive” the Danish equivalent being ”at-infinitiv”, e.g. (3a-d).
(3a) min søster kan spille guitar
(3b) my sister can play the guitar
(3c) vi vil købe et piano
(3d) we want to buy a piano
Contrast the above examples with (4a-d) using “at-infinitiv”.
(4a) min søster begynder at spille guitar
(4b) my sister begins to play the guitar
(4c) vi elsker at danse
(4d) we love to dance
Modal verbs in Danish and English
It is important to stress, that the below chart and description of usage does not apply to conversation where speakers are applying intentional (illocutionary) force. This means, in short, that modal verbs can be used more freely and with more variation in conversation when e.g. ordering, suggesting, convincing, offering something to someone etc. The description applies more strictly to text or conversation that conveys information in a more neutral (locutionary) way. As an example of this distinction, consider the following example in (5a) which amounts to a neutral description of the girl’s abilities.
(5a) den lille pige kan gå
(5b) the little girl can walk
Now contrast that with (6a-b) which constitute polite orders, given to a child by an adult.
(6a) kan du gå udenfor?
(6b) vil du gå udenfor?
(6c) can/will you go outside (please)?
There is absolutely no difference in content nor intention between the two examples in (6a-b) despite the difference in choice of modal verb.
| Danish | Use | English | Use |
| kan / kunne | ability possibility | can / could | ability possibility permission |
| vil / ville | desire plan prediction | will / would | future plan prediction |
| skal / skulle | plan obligation | shall/should | obligation recommendation |
| må / måtte | permission obligation inference | may / might | permission possibility |