må

May / Must (Må)

Level 2

Må is a versatile modal verb that covers two main areas: permission (May I?) and logical necessity (It must be...). It is always followed by a bare infinitive.

How It Works

1. Permission ('May')
When asking for or giving permission, må is the standard choice. When granting permission, Danes almost always add the adverb gerne to sound polite. In questions, the bare verb or the adverb godt is more common.

  • Må jeg låne din pen? (May I borrow your pen?)
  • Du må gerne sidde her. (You may sit here / You are welcome to sit here.)

2. Necessity and Logic ('Must')
må expresses a high degree of certainty based on evidence or a strong internal urge. While skal often implies an external command or rule, må feels more like a logical 'must.'

  • Det må være sandt. (That must be true.)
  • Jeg må gå nu. (I must go now / I have to leave.)

3. Past Obligation ('Had to')
The past tense form måtte is the standard way to express 'had to' in Danish. While skulle can also mean 'had to', måtte specifically emphasizes that there was no other choice or that one was forced by circumstances.

  • Jeg måtte vente i to timer. (I had to wait for two hours.)

4. Prohibition ('Must Not')
The negative form må ikke is used for strict prohibitions. It is much stronger than 'don't have to.'

  • Man må ikke ryge her. (One must not smoke here.)

5. Conjugation
As a modal verb, it does not change based on the subject and is followed by a verb without at.

  • Present: må
  • Past: måtte
  • Perfect Participle: måttet
  • Infinitive: måtte

Examples (5)

  1. Må jeg gerne få et glas vand?

    May I please have a glass of water?

    Word by Word: May I gladly get a glass water?

    Using 'må' with 'gerne' is the standard polite way to ask for something.

  2. Du må ikke parkere her.

    You must not park here.

    Word by Word: You may not park here.

    'Må ikke' indicates a prohibition or a rule.

  3. Han må være meget træt.

    He must be very tired.

    Word by Word: He must be very tired.

    Here, 'må' expresses a logical conclusion based on observation.

  4. Jeg må hellere se at komme hjem.

    I had better see about getting home.

    Word by Word: I must better see to come home.

    A common idiomatic way to express that you need to leave soon.

  5. Vi måtte vente i to timer.

    We had to wait for two hours.

    Word by Word: We must-ed wait in two hours.

    'Måtte' is the past tense form, used here to show a situational necessity.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'må ikke' to mean 'don't have to'.

    Du må ikke vaske op, hvis du ikke vil.
    Du behøver ikke vaske op, hvis du ikke vil.

    'Må ikke' means you are forbidden from doing it. To say it's not necessary, use 'behøver ikke'.

  • Using 'at' after 'må'.

    Jeg må at gå nu.
    Jeg må gå nu.

    Modal verbs in Danish are followed by the bare infinitive, never the particle 'at'.

  • Using 'kan' to ask permission when 'må' asks it more explicitly.

    Different MeaningKan jeg låne din telefon?
    Må jeg låne din telefon?

    'Kan jeg låne din telefon?' is natural, common Danish. 'Må jeg ...?' asks for permission more explicitly and sounds a little more polite. 'Kan' also covers ability: Kan du svømme?

How It Connects

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måLevel 2May / Must (Må)

Learn This First

To use 'må' correctly, you need to understand how to form basic sentences with subject pronouns. You also need to know how to use 'ikke' to express what is not allowed, and the particle 'gerne' which often accompanies 'må' to soften requests or clarify permission.

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måtte