noun
modal auxiliary verb
A grammatical term used in linguistics and language study to refer to auxiliary verbs that express modality, such as possibility, necessity, or obligation.
英語の「can」や「must」は法助動詞に分類される。
English 'can' and 'must' are classified as modal auxiliary verbs.
助動詞 is a broader term for auxiliary verbs in general, while 法助動詞 specifically refers to modal auxiliaries that express modality.
A compound of 法 (ほう, 'modality' or 'mood') and 助動詞 (じょどうし, 'auxiliary verb'), likely a calque from Western grammatical terminology.