Vim has a limited number of "modes" -- insert, normal, command and visual. These are not analogous to Emacs modes AFAICT. A vim package/plugin typically modifies/enhances behaviour in these modes. Where they can, useful operations are bound to a key combination.

You spend most of your time in Vim (when editing) in normal mode, executing deft movements and register usage to behave as a surgeon upon the text, as it were. Vim's noun/verb with multipliers make this an effective editing paradigm. Enlightened users have reported "thinking in Vim."

Vanilla Emacs to a vim user feels like you're always in "insert" mode. Chording everything felt a little weird, and I gave up on evil-mode because it wasn't vim enough for me.