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Modal Verbs Perfekt Tense

What's good to Know

Let's take a look at the modal verbs in all relevant tenses:

  1. Ich kann dich anrufen. --- PRÄSENS
  2. Ich konnte dich anrufen. --- PRÄTERITUM*
  3. Ich habe dich anrufen können. --- PERFEKT*

The translation for these would be:

  1. I am able to call you.
  2. I was able to call you.*
  3. I have been able to call you.*

*REMINDER: Sentence 02 and 03 mean absolutely the same in DE!

The Perfekt of any modal verb is built as follows:
HABEN+INFINITIVE MODAL VERB

And that's honestly IT.

Well, just for the sake of completion but not for you to learn consciously:
If the modal verb is the main (and only) verb in a sentence you apply the classic past participle. One example for each modal verb:

A: Ich darf nicht. - Ich habe nicht gedurft. >>> I wasn't allowed to.
B: Ich kann nicht. - Ich habe nicht gekonnt. >>> mostly meaning: I don't have time.
C: Ich möchte das nicht. - Ich habe das nicht gewollt. >>> I didn't want that.
D: Ich muss nicht. - Ich habe nicht gemusst. >>> Usually meaning: I don't have to pee.
E: Ich soll nicht. - Ich habe nicht gesollt. >>> I wasn't supposed to. I have never used such a sentence in 46 years.
F: Ich will das nicht. - Ich habe das nicht gewollt. >>> I didn't want that.


NOTES

  • C and F are identical in the past. That's no mistake of mine.
  • E is never used in the short-form.

In the following exercises / preaching you'll only practice the infinitive version of the past of modal verbs as that form is the only relevant form for B2.

This topic is covered in:  B2-L15