📘 Modal Verbs – Full Grammar Notes (English → Hindi)
1. What Are Modal Verbs? (Modal Verbs क्या हैं?)
Modal verbs are helping verbs used to express ability, possibility, permission, obligation, advice, etc.
Hindi Meaning:
Modal verbs वे सहायक क्रियाएँ हैं जो क्षमता, अनुमति, सुझाव, आवश्यकता, संभावना आदि बताती हैं।
Common Modals:
can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, ought to, need, dare
2. CAN / COULD
CAN → ability / permission / possibility
(सकता हूँ / अनुमति / संभावना)
Examples:
- I can swim. (मैं तैर सकता हूँ)
- Can I come in? (क्या मैं अंदर आ सकता हूँ?)
COULD → past ability / polite request
Examples:
- I could swim when I was 5.
- Could you help me? (विनम्र अनुरोध)
3. MAY / MIGHT
MAY → strong possibility / permission
Examples:
- It may rain today. (शायद बारिश हो)
- May I go now? (अनुमति)
MIGHT → weak possibility
Example:
- He might come. (शायद आए)
4. MUST
✔ Strong obligation (कड़ी आवश्यकता)
✔ Strict rule (कड़ा नियम)
✔ Logical deduction (निष्कर्ष)
Examples:
- You must study. (जरूरी है)
- She must be tired. (शायद वह थकी हो)
5. SHOULD / OUGHT TO
✔ Advice / suggestion (सलाह)
✔ Moral duty (नैतिक कर्तव्य)
SHOULD
- You should work hard.
OUGHT TO
- You ought to respect elders.
6. WILL / WOULD / SHALL
WILL → future / promise / decision
- I will call you. (मैं फोन करूँगा)
WOULD → past habit / polite request
- When I was young, I would play cricket.
- Would you like tea?
SHALL → suggestion (formal)
- Shall we start?
7. NEED / DARE
NEED → necessity
- You need not go. (तुम्हें जाने की जरूरत नहीं)
DARE → challenge
- How dare you talk like this?
8. Important Rules of Modal Verbs
✔ Modal verb always takes V1 (base form).
Example:
❌ He can goes
✔ He can go
✔ Modals do NOT change with tense.
CAN → could
WILL → would
✔ No “to” after modal (except *ought to*).
Example:
✔ You must go.
✘ You must to go.
✔ Modals are same for all subjects.
I can, You can, He can, They can
9. Common Mistakes (आम गलतियाँ)
❌ He can to swim.
✔ He can swim.
❌ You should to listen.
✔ You should listen.
❌ It will rains.
✔ It will rain.
❌ He musts go.
✔ He must go.