Verbos modales en inglés: guía completa con ejemplos
Los verbos modales son cortos pero poderosos. Una sola palabra transforma una oración de hecho en posibilidad, petición educada u obligación firme. Esta guía cubre todos los modales principales agrupados por función. Busca o filtra por categoría a continuación.
48 items · 6 topics
"I can swim"
I know how to swim (present ability)
"I can swim across the lake without stopping."
"She could read at age four"
She had the ability to read in the past
"My sister could read at age four — she was gifted."
"He can't drive"
He does not have the skill to drive
"He can't drive, so he takes the bus everywhere."
"Could you run faster?"
Were you able to run faster (in the past)?
"Could you run faster when you were younger?"
"I can't believe it"
I am unable to accept or process this
"I can't believe she finished the marathon in under three hours."
"We could do better"
We have the potential to improve
"We could do better if we had more time to prepare."
"Can you hear me?"
Are you able to hear what I am saying?
"Can you hear me at the back of the room?"
"She can speak four languages"
She has the skill to communicate in four languages
"She can speak four languages fluently, including Japanese."
"It may rain later"
There is a chance it will rain
"It may rain later, so bring an umbrella just in case."
"That might be true"
It is possible that this is true
"That might be true — I haven't checked the facts yet."
"She may not come"
It is possible she will not attend
"She may not come to the party if she's feeling tired."
"It could be dangerous"
There is a possibility of danger
"It could be dangerous to hike without the proper gear."
"They might have missed the train"
It is possible they did not catch the train
"They might have missed the train — they left very late."
"Can this be right?"
Is it possible this is correct?
"Can this be right? The price seems far too low."
"It could snow tonight"
Snow is a possibility tonight
"It could snow tonight — the temperature is dropping fast."
"You may be right"
It is possible that you are correct
"You may be right about the deadline — let me double-check."
"May I leave early?"
Do I have permission to leave before the usual time?
"May I leave early today? I have a doctor's appointment."
"You can use my laptop"
I give you permission to use my laptop
"You can use my laptop while yours is being repaired."
"Could I ask a question?"
Do I have your permission to ask?
"Could I ask a question about the assignment?"
"You may not enter"
You do not have permission to enter
"You may not enter the restricted area without a badge."
"Can I open the window?"
Do you mind if I open the window?
"Can I open the window? It's very warm in here."
"Students may use dictionaries"
Students are allowed to use dictionaries during the exam
"Students may use dictionaries during the reading test."
"You can't park here"
Parking is not permitted in this location
"You can't park here — it's a fire lane."
"May we sit here?"
Do you allow us to sit in this place?
"May we sit here, or is this table reserved?"
"You must wear a seatbelt"
Wearing a seatbelt is required by law
"You must wear a seatbelt in the front seat at all times."
"She has to finish the report"
She is required to complete the report
"She has to finish the report before the meeting tomorrow."
"You should apologise"
Apologising is the right or expected thing to do
"You should apologise to her — what you said was hurtful."
"Must I attend?"
Am I obligated to be present?
"Must I attend the entire conference, or just the opening session?"
"You ought to call your parents"
It would be right and proper for you to call
"You ought to call your parents — they haven't heard from you in weeks."
"Employees must sign in"
Signing in is a required procedure for employees
"Employees must sign in at reception every morning."
"You don't have to come"
Attending is not required; it is optional
"You don't have to come if you're not feeling well."
"Should I bring anything?"
Is it expected or advisable that I bring something?
"Should I bring anything to the dinner party on Saturday?"
"She must be tired"
I am almost certain she is tired based on evidence
"She must be tired — she's been working since 6 a.m."
"That can't be right"
I am almost certain that is incorrect
"That can't be right — he left an hour ago, so he should be there by now."
"He must have left already"
I am fairly certain he departed before now
"He must have left already — his coat is gone."
"She can't have known"
It is almost impossible that she was aware
"She can't have known about the plan — she looked genuinely surprised."
"They might have taken the wrong road"
It is possible they made a navigation error
"They might have taken the wrong road — they're half an hour late."
"He could be lying"
There is a possibility he is not telling the truth
"He could be lying — his story keeps changing."
"It must have been expensive"
I am quite sure it cost a lot of money
"It must have been expensive — it's a designer watch."
"This could be the answer"
It is possible this is the correct solution
"This could be the answer — let's test it and see."
"You should see a doctor"
My advice is to visit a medical professional
"You should see a doctor about that cough — it's been going on for weeks."
"You ought to save money"
It would be wise and proper to put money aside
"You ought to save money before you quit your job."
"You shouldn't eat so much sugar"
My advice is to reduce your sugar intake
"You shouldn't eat so much sugar if you want more energy."
"You had better hurry"
It is strongly advisable to move faster or there will be consequences
"You had better hurry — the train leaves in five minutes."
"Should I take the job?"
What is your advice — is taking this job a good idea?
"Should I take the job offer even though it means relocating?"
"You could try meditating"
Meditating is a suggestion worth considering
"You could try meditating — it really helps with stress."
"You should back up your files"
My recommendation is to make copies of your files
"You should back up your files before updating the system."
"You had better not be late"
A strong warning that being late will have negative consequences
"You had better not be late — the boss is already annoyed."
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Qué son los verbos modales en inglés?
Los verbos modales son verbos auxiliares que expresan necesidad, posibilidad, permiso, habilidad o consejo. Los principales son: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would y ought to. Van seguidos del infinitivo sin "to" del verbo principal (por ejemplo, "You must go", no "You must to go").
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre "must" y "have to"?
"Must" expresa generalmente una obligación personal o una recomendación firme del hablante ("I must finish this today"). "Have to" indica una norma o requisito externo ("I have to wear a uniform at work"). En negativas difieren notablemente: "mustn't" significa que está prohibido, mientras que "don't have to" significa que no es necesario.
¿Cuándo se usa "may" frente a "might"?
"May" expresa un grado de posibilidad más alto (cerca del 50%), mientras que "might" sugiere una posibilidad menor. En inglés formal, "may" es también la forma preferida para pedir o dar permiso ("May I come in?"). En el habla cotidiana muchos hablantes nativos los usan indistintamente para expresar posibilidad.
¿Cómo funcionan los verbos modales en el pasado?
Los modales forman significados de pasado con "have + participio". Por ejemplo: "She must have left" (deducción casi segura sobre el pasado), "He could have told me" (habilidad pasada o reproche), "They might have missed the flight" (posibilidad pasada). Esta estructura es muy frecuente en el inglés hablado.
¿Tengo que aprender todos los verbos modales a la vez?
No. El enfoque más eficaz es aprenderlos por función: empieza con la habilidad (can/could), luego la posibilidad (may/might), y después la obligación (must/have to). Escuchar los modales en vídeos y podcasts auténticos es mucho más efectivo que estudiar tablas gramaticales por tu cuenta.
Escuchar los modales en conversaciones auténticas es la forma más rápida de hacerlos sentir naturales.
Practica con videos reales →