modální

Modální is a term used in linguistics, often encountered in Czech and related languages, to refer to modality—the semantic category that expresses a speaker’s attitude toward the likelihood, necessity, permission, or obligation of a proposition. Modality can be realized in different ways across languages, including auxiliary verbs, particles, mood marks, or periphrastic constructions.

In linguistic analysis, modality is commonly divided into several broad types. Epistemic modality expresses likelihood or probability (for example, “She may be at home” or “They must be arriving soon”). Deontic modality concerns rules, permissions, and obligations (for example, “You must wear a helmet” or “May I leave?”). Dynamic or deontic modalities often cover ability, willingness, or permission related to the subject’s capabilities (for example, “I can swim” or “They can come if they want”). Some frameworks also distinguish evidential or counterfactual aspects of modality.

Most languages realize modality with modal expressions known as modal verbs or auxiliaries. In English, modals such as can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must are used with a bare infinitive (as in “She can swim”). Modality may also be expressed through perfect constructions (must have gone), particles, or verb inflections, depending on the language. Other languages rely on mood systems, suffixes, or particles rather than a distinct class of modal verbs.

Historically, modal systems often emerge from older verbs of desire or volition, gradually acquiring distinct temporal or modal meanings. The study of modální covers cross-linguistic variation in how languages encode possibility, obligation, and related attitudes, as well as how these forms interact with tense, aspect, and word order.