You likely already know the modal verb mögen as a way to express liking something. However, it has another very common use: expressing concession.
Expressing Concession
When you use mag (or the plural mögen) in a subjective way, it translates to "may" in the sense of conceding a point—as in, "That may be true, but...".
| may (concessive) | mögen |
Sentence Structure with "aber"
Even though its meaning shifts, mag still acts exactly like a normal modal verb. It takes the conjugated position in the sentence and pushes the main action verb (often sein) to the very end as an infinitive.
Because this form is used to contrast two ideas, you will almost always see it paired with a second clause starting with aber (but). This is incredibly useful for comparing rivals and competitors.
| The rival may be strong, but we have an advantage. | Der Rivale mag stark sein, aber wir haben einen Vorteil. |
| The new competitor may be brilliant, but he underestimates us. | Der neue Konkurrent mag brillant sein, aber er unterschätzt uns. |
Emphasizing with "zwar"
To make the concession even clearer, German speakers frequently add the word zwar (indeed / admittedly) after the modal verb. This acts as a signal that a counter-point is coming.
| The competitor may indeed be innovative, but the product is too expensive. | Der Konkurrent mag zwar innovativ sein, aber das Produkt ist zu teuer. |
Using "mag" in Dependent Clauses
If you want to express your contrast using a subordinating conjunction like während (while), the grammatical rules of dependent clauses still apply. The modal verb mag gets pushed all the way to the very end of the dependent clause, right after the infinitive.
| While the competitor may be aggressive, our tactic is innovative. | Während der Konkurrent aggressiv sein mag, ist unsere Taktik innovativ. |