kunne/skulle/måtte have

Could / Should / Might Have

Level 3

Kunne/skulle/måtte have + past participle can describe missed possibilities, past expectations or necessities, or uncertain inferences. Whether the event happened depends on the modal and context.

How It Works

In Danish, to discuss past possibilities, missed obligations, or logical deductions, you combine a modal verb with a perfect infinitive (have/være + participle):

1. Kunne have (Could have)
Often expresses an unrealized possibility or ability. Context can also leave open whether something happened, rather than asserting that it did not.
Jeg kunne have vundet. (I could have won).

2. Skulle / Burde have (Should have)
Used for missed obligations. Skulle often implies an expectation or plan, while burde implies a moral or logical 'ought to'.
Du burde have ringet. (You should have called).

3. Ville have (Would have)
Used for hypothetical intentions or results in the past.
Jeg ville have gjort det. (I would have done it).

4. Må / Måtte have (Must have)
Used for logical deductions. Use må have for a deduction you are making right now about the past. Use måtte have when the deduction itself took place in the past (common in narratives).
Han må have glemt det. (He must have forgotten it).

Auxiliary Choice:
Danish uses være instead of have when the main verb takes være for its relevant meaning (e.g., Han kunne være gået).

A past modal plus perfect infinitive does not always deny the event. Han skulle have sendt brevet can express a missed obligation or report that he is said to have sent it. The surrounding context selects the reading.

Examples (6)

  1. Jeg kunne have købt bilen, men jeg valgte at lade være.

    I could have bought the car, but I chose not to.

    Word by Word: I could have bought car-the, but I chose to let be.

    Uses 'kunne have' to show a past possibility that was not realized.

  2. Vi burde have spurgt om vej.

    We should have asked for directions.

    Word by Word: We ought-to have asked about way.

    'Burde have' expresses a moral obligation or the most sensible course of action that was missed.

  3. Han må have glemt vores aftale.

    He must have forgotten our appointment.

    Word by Word: He must have forgotten our appointment.

    'Må have' is used for a logical deduction made now about a past event.

  4. Jeg ville have hjulpet dig, hvis du havde spurgt.

    I would have helped you if you had asked.

    Word by Word: I would have helped you, if you had asked.

    'Ville have' is used for unrealized intentions or hypothetical results in the past.

  5. Du kunne være kommet til skade!

    You could have been hurt!

    Word by Word: You could be come to injury!

    Komme til skade uses være in the perfect infinitive. Auxiliary choice follows the verb and meaning, not every instance of motion.

  6. Han måtte have vidst det hele tiden.

    He must have known it all along.

    Word by Word: He must have known it all time-the.

    'Måtte have' is used for deductions made from a past perspective, often in storytelling.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present modal instead of the past modal for counterfactuals.

    Different MeaningJeg kan have gjort det.
    Jeg kunne have gjort det.

    Kan have expresses a present assessment that an earlier event is possible. Kunne have can express an unrealized opportunity, but can also express uncertainty or a possibility viewed from the past. The sentences are grammatical; context determines whether the event happened.

  • Forgetting to use 'være' for verbs of motion.

    Han skulle have gået hjem.
    Han skulle være gået hjem.

    Gå hjem with focus on departure takes være, including after a modal. Activity-focused walking takes have: Han kunne have gået i en time. Motion alone does not determine the auxiliary.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

kunne/skulle/måtte haveLevel 3Could / Should / Might Have

Learn This First

To understand 'kunne/skulle/måtte have', you need to be familiar with the past tense forms of modal verbs and how they combine with the infinitive 'have' and a past participle to express counterfactuals or past possibilities.

Words in This Pattern

skullekunnemåttehave