Dürfen is a modal verb in German used to express permission or the possibility to do something, similar to "may" or "to be allowed" in English. It often appears in contexts involving rules, requests for permission, or expressing what is permitted.
Usage of Dürfen
The verb dürfen is commonly used to ask for permission or to grant permission. It can indicate whether someone is allowed to do something or whether an action is permitted by a rule or regulation. For example, "Darf ich hereinkommen?" means "May I come in?" and "Du darfst hier nicht rauchen" means "You are not allowed to smoke here."
Conjugation of Dürfen
Dürfen is an irregular modal verb, so its conjugation differs from regular verbs. It is important to learn the forms to use it properly in sentences. The conjugation table below shows the present tense forms used in everyday conversation.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | darf | may / am allowed to | Ich darf heute länger bleiben. | I may stay longer today. |
| du | darfst | may / are allowed to | Du darfst das nicht machen. | You may not do that. |
| er/sie/es | darf | may / is allowed to | Er darf Auto fahren. | He may drive a car. |
| wir | dürfen | may / are allowed to | Wir dürfen ins Kino gehen. | We may go to the cinema. |
| ihr | dürft | may / are allowed to | Ihr dürft hier spielen. | You (plural) may play here. |
| sie/Sie | dürfen | may / are allowed to | Sie dürfen das Buch lesen. | They / You (formal) may read the book. |
Sentence Structure with Dürfen
When dürfen is used in a sentence, it typically acts as a modal verb and is followed by an infinitive verb without "zu." The modal verb occupies the second position in main clauses, while the infinitive verb goes to the end of the sentence. For example: "Wir dürfen schwimmen gehen" translates to "We are allowed to go swimming."
Negative Forms and Questions
To make dürfen negative, simply add nicht after the conjugated verb: "Du darfst nicht rauchen" means "You are not allowed to smoke." To form questions, invert the subject and the conjugated verb: "Darf ich?" meaning "May I?"
Related Modal Verbs
Dürfen belongs to the group of modal verbs in German that also includes können (can), müssen (must), wollen (want), sollen (should), and mögen (like). Each serves a specific function in expressing ability, necessity, desire, obligation, and preference.
