A2 Swedish GrammarModal Verbs
Master Swedish modal verbs to express ability, permission, necessity, and wishes. Learn how to use kan, måste, ska, vill, får, and bör with correct word order and meaning.
1Overview of Swedish Modal Verbs
Swedish modal verbs (modala hjälpverb) express ability, possibility, permission, obligation, or desire. They are always used with another verb in the infinitive form (without 'att'). Modal verbs follow the V2 rule in main clauses - they take the second position while the main verb goes to the end.
Swedish Modal Verbs
| Modal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kan | can, able to | Jag kan simma. |
| måste | must, have to | Du måste gå nu. |
| ska | shall, will | Vi ska resa imorgon. |
| vill | want to | Hon vill äta. |
| får | may, allowed to | Får jag fråga? |
| bör | should, ought to | Du bör vila. |
Examples
Jag kan tala svenska.
I can speak Swedish.
kan + infinitive (tala)
Du måste stanna hemma.
You must stay home.
måste + infinitive (stanna)
Vi ska träffas ikväll.
We will meet tonight.
ska + infinitive (träffas)
Hon vill lära sig svenska.
She wants to learn Swedish.
vill + infinitive (lära)
2Kan (Can/Able to)
'Kan' expresses ability (can do something) or possibility (might happen). It's one of the most frequently used modal verbs in Swedish. In questions, 'kan' is used for polite requests. 'Kunde' is the past tense and can also express politeness.
Kan - Present and Past
| Form | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Present | kan | can |
| Past | kunde | could |
| Present neg. | kan inte | cannot |
| Past neg. | kunde inte | could not |
Examples
Kan du hjälpa mig?
Can you help me?
Polite request
Jag kan inte komma ikväll.
I cannot come tonight.
Negation with 'inte'
Hon kunde inte sova.
She couldn't sleep.
Past tense: kunde
Det kan regna imorgon.
It might rain tomorrow.
kan = possibility
3Ska vs Vill (Will/Shall vs Want)
'Ska' expresses future intentions, plans, or what someone is going to do. It can also express strong determination or promises. 'Vill' expresses desire or wishes - what someone wants to do. Be careful not to confuse them!
Ska vs Vill
| Modal | Meaning | Past form |
|---|---|---|
| ska | shall, will, going to | skulle |
| vill | want to | ville |
Examples
Jag ska resa till Norge.
I'm going to travel to Norway.
ska = planned future
Jag vill resa till Norge.
I want to travel to Norway.
vill = desire
Hon skulle komma men kunde inte.
She was going to come but couldn't.
skulle = past of ska
Han ville inte äta middagen.
He didn't want to eat dinner.
ville = past of vill
4Måste, Får, Bör (Must, May, Should)
'Måste' expresses necessity or obligation - something you have to do. 'Får' expresses permission - what you are allowed to do. In negative, it means prohibition. 'Bör' expresses recommendation or advice - what you should do. Note: 'måste' has no past tense - use 'var tvungen att' instead.
Obligation and Permission
| Modal | Positive | Negative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| måste | måste | måste inte / behöver inte | must / don't have to |
| får | får | får inte | may / must not |
| bör | bör | bör inte | should / shouldn't |
'måste inte' = don't have to, 'får inte' = must not (prohibition)
Examples
Du måste betala skatten.
You must pay the tax.
måste = obligation
Du får inte röka här.
You may not smoke here.
får inte = prohibition
Du bör läsa mer.
You should read more.
bör = recommendation
Du behöver inte vänta.
You don't need to wait.
behöver inte = don't have to