mogen

May/Be Allowed

Level 1

Mogen is a modal verb used for permission ('May I?') and prohibition ('You may not'). It is also used to express liking a person.

How It Works

The verb mogen is essential for navigating social rules and polite requests in Dutch.

1. Expressing Permission
Its primary use is to indicate that something is allowed. In questions, it is the polite way to ask for something.

  • Mag ik hier zitten? (May I sit here?)

2. Prohibition (Negation)
When you use niet with mogen, it indicates a strict prohibition. This is equivalent to 'must not' in English.

  • Je mag hier niet roken. (You are not allowed to smoke here.)

3. Conjugation
Mogen is a 'preterite-present' verb, meaning its singular forms do not take the usual -t ending.

  • Present: Ik/jij/hij mag, wij/jullie/zij mogen.
  • Past: Ik/jij/hij mocht, wij/jullie/zij mochten.

4. Word Order and Ellipsis
Like other modals, mogen takes the second position, while the main action verb goes to the end in its infinitive form. However, in short requests like "Mag ik een koffie?", the verb (like 'hebben') is often omitted because the meaning is clear.

5. Perfect Tense (IPP vs. Participle)
When used for permission in the perfect tense, Dutch uses the double infinitive (e.g., ik heb mogen gaan). If you use mogen to mean "liking a person," the past participle is gemogen (e.g., ik heb hem nooit gemogen).

6. Liking People
A common use of mogen is to say you like someone personally. It is often used with the particle wel.

  • Ik mag hem wel. (I quite like him.)

Examples (6)

  1. Mag ik hier zitten?

    May I sit here?

    Word by Word: May I here sit?

    A standard polite request for permission using the 'mag ik' construction.

  2. Kinderen mogen gratis naar binnen.

    Children are allowed inside for free.

    Word by Word: Children may free to inside.

    Shows 'mogen' expressing a rule or allowance.

  3. Je mag daar niet parkeren.

    You are not allowed to park there.

    Word by Word: You may there not park.

    Using 'niet' with 'mogen' creates a prohibition (you must not).

  4. Ik mag mijn nieuwe buurman wel.

    I quite like my new neighbor.

    Word by Word: I like my new neighbor indeed.

    Demonstrates the use of 'mogen' to express liking a person.

  5. Mogen wij vanavond televisie kijken?

    Are we allowed to watch television tonight?

    Word by Word: May we tonight television watch?

    The plural form 'mogen' used in a question with the main verb at the end.

  6. Ik mocht gisteren niet uitgaan.

    I was not allowed to go out yesterday.

    Word by Word: I was-allowed yesterday not out-go

    Demonstrates the past tense 'mocht' to express permission in the past.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a -t to the third person singular.

    Hij magt hier niet zijn.
    Hij mag hier niet zijn.

    Unlike regular verbs, 'mogen' does not take a -t for 'hij', 'zij', or 'u'. It remains 'mag'.

  • Using 'te' before the infinitive.

    Ik mag hier niet te roken.
    Ik mag hier niet roken.

    Modal verbs like 'mogen' are followed by a bare infinitive. You should never use 'te' with them.

  • Using 'niet mogen' when you mean 'niet hoeven'.

    Different MeaningJe mag niet komen als je niet wilt.
    Je hoeft niet te komen als je niet wilt.

    The wrong sentence is grammatical, but 'Je mag niet komen' means you are not allowed to come. If you mean it is not necessary to come, use 'hoeven niet te'.

How It Connects

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mogenLevel 1May/Be Allowed

Learn This First

To learn 'mogen', you need to be familiar with subject pronouns to apply the correct verb forms, and have a basic understanding of how Dutch verbs are structured in the present tense.

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mogen