VerbA2

dürfen

to be allowed to, may · may (in polite questions)

Dürfen means 'to be allowed to' or 'may'. It expresses permission, often in questions asking for permission or in statements about rules. It is a modal verb, so it is usually used with another verb in the infinitive.

What dürfen means

  1. to be allowed to, may — expressing permission or prohibition
  2. may (in polite questions) — asking for permission politely

Heard in real German videos

Lines where dürfen was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.

  • Darf ich bitte auch mal fahren?Can I please drive too?
  • Darf ich im Gästezimmer schlafen?May I sleep in the guest room?
  • Darf ich euch jemanden vorstellen?May I introduce someone to you?

Example sentences

  • Darf ich das Fenster öffnen?May I open the window?
  • Hier darf man nicht rauchen.You are not allowed to smoke here.
  • Die Kinder dürfen heute länger aufbleiben.The children are allowed to stay up longer today.
  • Du darfst das nicht vergessen.You must not forget that.

Grammar

Present (ich/du/er)darf / darfst / darf
Simple pastdurfte
Perfecthat gedurft (with infinitive: hat ... dürfen)
Separableno
Case it takesmodal verb, used with infinitive

As a modal verb, dürfen is used with an infinitive at the end of the clause. In the perfect tense, if there is another infinitive, use 'dürfen' instead of 'gedurft' (Er hat gehen dürfen).

Common phrases

  • Darf ich?May I?
  • wenn ich fragen darfif I may ask
  • das darfst du nichtyou must not do that

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers often confuse 'dürfen' with 'müssen'. 'Dürfen' means 'to be allowed to', while 'müssen' means 'to have to'. For example, 'Du darfst nicht' means 'You are not allowed to', not 'You don't have to' (which is 'Du musst nicht').

Don’t confuse it with

  • müssen — Müssen expresses necessity or obligation, while dürfen expresses permission.
  • können — Können expresses ability or possibility, while dürfen expresses permission.

Questions learners ask

What is the difference between 'dürfen' and 'müssen'?

'Dürfen' means 'to be allowed to' and 'müssen' means 'to have to'. 'Du darfst nicht' means 'You are not allowed to', while 'Du musst nicht' means 'You don't have to'.

How do you conjugate 'dürfen' in the present tense?

ich darf, du darfst, er/sie/es darf, wir dürfen, ihr dürft, sie/Sie dürfen.

What is the past tense of 'dürfen'?

The simple past is 'durfte' and the perfect is 'hat gedurft' (or 'hat ... dürfen' with an infinitive).

Related words

müssenkönnenwollensollenmögen