Perfective-Forms Idioms with Modal Verbs

1. hätte...(machen) sollen: should have (done)

hätte...(gehen) sollen: should have (gone)

The event in the past is treated as hypothetical; it is presented as though it didn't actually occur. Hence the subjunctive hätte.

Gestern war der Geburtstag meiner Mutter! Ich hätte ihr eine Karte kaufen sollen. Yesterday was my mother's birthday! I should have bought her a card.

Warum weinst du hier allein? Du hättest mit den anderen zur Party gehen sollen. Why are you crying here by yourself? You should have gone to the party with the others.

2. soll...(gemacht) haben: is supposed to have (done), supposedly (did)

soll...(gegangen) sein: is supposed to have (gone), supposedly (went)

This is the normal use of sollen in either of its senses, "is supposed to," or, "it is said/people claim." Here sollen is used with the infinitive of the perfect, instead of the present infinitive. Don't use the "should have" translation for these constructions.

Napoleon soll auch sehr gut Basketball gespielt haben, aber ich glaube es nicht. Napoleon supposedly played basketball very well, too, but I don't think so.

Nach einer alten Familiengeschichte sollen die beiden Großmütter in Frankreich geboren sein. According to an old family story both grandmothers are supposed to have been born in France.

3. hätte...(machen) können: could have (done), would/could/might/should have been able to (do)

hätte...(gehen) können: could have (gone), would/could/might/should have been able to (go)

The event in the past is treated as hypothetical; it is presented as though it didn't actually occur. Hence the subjunctive hätte. (Compare #1 above.)

Wären sie länger bei uns gewesen, hätte ich mehr von ihnen lernen können. If they had been at our house longer, I could have learned more from them.

Du hättest nicht so hoch kommen können. Regelmäßig ist das Wetter nicht so gut. You shouldn't have been able to get so far up. Normally the weather isn't that good.

4. kann...(gemacht) haben: could have (done), can have (done)

kann...(gegangen) sein: could have (gone), can have (gone)

The event in the past is treated as factual; the issue is the subject's ability to do or to have done the event. The English "could" is past tense indicative, probably not subjunctive. The German kann is present tense indicative.

Das ist nicht zu ertragen. Wer kann so etwas gesagt haben? That is intolerable. Who could have said such a thing?

Ich habe es vor einem Monat verboten. Nur Lena und Ute, die damals nicht hier waren, können ins Zimmer gegangen sein. I prohibited it a month ago. Only Lena and Ute, who weren't here then, could have gone into the room.

5a. muß...(gemacht) haben: must have (done), has to have (done)

muß...(gegangen) sein: must have (gone), has to have (gone)

5b. mußte...(gemacht) haben: had to have (done), must have (done)

mußte...(gegangen) sein: had to have (gone), must have (gone)

The event in the past is treated as factual; the issue is the subject's likelihood to do or to have done the event. English has no past tense for "must;" the required substitute is "had to."

Ingrid ist immer noch da. Sie muß es ja gesehen haben. Ingrid's still there. She must have seen it.

Ingrid war damals da gewesen. Sie mußte es gesehen haben. Ingrid had been there then. She had to have seen it.

Die Arbeiter wissen nicht, was geschehen ist. Sie müssen nicht in die Stadt gefahren sein. The workers don't know what happened. They must not have gone into the city.

Die Arbeiter wußten nicht, was geschehen war. Sie mußten nicht in die Stadt gefahren sein. The workers didn't know what had happened. They must not have gone into the city.

6. werde...(gemacht) haben: will have (done); probably (did)

werde...(gegangen) sein: will have (gone); probably (went)

(Note: This form is called "future perfect;" werden is not a modal verb, but is included here as an idiomatic use of the perfect.)

This is the normal use of werden + infinitive marking the future, here used with the perfect infinitive, rather than the present infinitive. The action will be completed (or may already be completed)‑‑or the state of affairs will be so (or may already be so)‑‑in the present or the future, based on some prior action or state, even if that prior action or state was already past. Often this form is used to express confidence or virtual certainty, even if the facts are not actually known.

Man wird die Arbeit bis fünf fertiggemacht haben. They'll have finished the work by five.

In drei Monaten werde ich schon zwanzig Jahre bei dieser Firma verbracht haben. In three months I will have spent twenty years at this company.

Es wurde an der Tür geklopft. Das wird wohl mein Bruder gewesen sein. Somebody knocked on the door. That was most likely my brother.