Modal Verbs
இயலுமை வினைச்சொற்கள் (முடியும், வேண்டும்...)
German modal verbs like können ('can') and müssen ('must') push the main verb all the way to the end of the sentence — which, for once, makes German line up almost exactly with Tamil word order.
Grammar Comparison
இலக்கண ஒப்பீடு
Modal + infinitive-at-the-end ≈ Tamil's verb-final ability construction
Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. (I can German speak — sprechen goes last)
எனக்கு ஜெர்மன் பேசத் தெரியும். (to-me German to-speak known — the ability verb also comes last)
This is one of the strongest word-order matches on this entire site. German modal verbs (können, müssen, wollen, möchten, dürfen) sit in the normal verb-second slot, but they push the main action verb — in its infinitive form — all the way to the end of the clause. Tamil expresses ability with a similar shape: the 'known/possible' element comes at the very end, after the action verb. Both languages end up saying, in effect, 'I German speak-can' rather than English's 'I can speak German' — trust this word order, it's a place your Tamil instinct genuinely helps in German.
Vocabulary
சொற்கள்
| German | Pronunciation | Tamil | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich kann | ikh kahn | என்னால் முடியும்eṉṉāl muḍiyum | I can |
| ich muss | ikh moos | நான் ...வேண்டும்nān ...vēṇḍum | I must |
| ich will | ikh vil | எனக்கு வேண்டும்enakku vēṇḍum | I want to |
| ich möchte | ikh MERKH-teh | எனக்கு வேண்டும் (மரியாதையாக)enakku vēṇḍum (respectful) | I would like to |
| ich darf | ikh dahrf | எனக்கு அனுமதி உண்டுenakku aṉumadhi uṇḍu | I may / am allowed to |