Modal verbs: want, must, should, have to, can - Cokdybysme.net

Necessity: musetThe verb muset means must, have to.já musím my musímety musíš vy musíte Past tense: musel, musela, museli, muselyon/ona musí oni/ony musí/musejíThe necessity evoked by muset is dictated by an external force or authority: there isoften no choice but to comply or there is an ethical imperative to do something.Romové musejí dostat šanci.To musíš vědět.Musíme si pomáhat.Musel jsi zavolat sanitku?The Roma must have a chance.You have to know this.We have to help each other.Did you have to call an ambulance?Obligation: mítThe verb mít means to have, but it can be used modally and followed by an infinitiveto indicate obligation. The modal meaning is should, ought to, have to. It differs frommuset in that the obligation is more attenuated or less external and more internal.In its modal usage and its have usage, mít has exactly the same conjugation. In its modalusage, it often occurs in the conditional (měl bych, měl bys…).Co bych měl vědět?Co máme dělat?Máš si najít jiného.What should I know?What should we do?You should find someone else.Permission: smětThe verb smět means to be allowed to; its opposite (to be prohibited) is nesmět.já smím my smímety smíš vy smíte Past tense: směl, směla, směli, smělyon/ona smí oni/ony smějíEnglish doesn’t have a good equivalent for the economic and efficient smět, andtranslations vary.Smím tady kouřit?Nesměli jsme si sednout.To se nesmí a pes to ví!Can I smoke here? (Am I allowed to smoke here?)We weren’t permitted to sit down.That is not allowed and the dog knows it!3