Modal Verb Construction
In Dutch, modal verbs (can, must, want, etc.) are conjugated in the second position of a sentence, while the main action verb moves to the very end in its full 'infinitive' form.
How It Works
Put the Modal First:
Conjugate the modal for the subject. Put the other verb in its infinitive form near the end: Ik kan goed zwemmen (I can swim well), We willen vandaag koken (We want to cook today). Objects normally come before that final verb: Ik wil een boek lezen.
Common Modals:
Kunnen expresses ability or possibility; moeten necessity; mogen permission; willen a wish; and zullen often a future action or suggestion. These take a bare infinitive: Je mag hier zitten, without te.
Hoeven and Durven:
In an ordinary finite construction, hoeven takes te: Je hoeft niet te komen (You do not have to come). It commonly occurs with a negative or a limiting expression, such as alleen. Durven can occur with or without te: Ik durf (te) vragen (I dare to ask). Learn these separately from the bare-infinitive modals.
Subject and Questions:
Learn the modal’s own forms: ik kan, hij kan, wij kunnen. Do not add an ordinary third-person -t to kan, mag, wil or zal. In a yes/no question, move the finite modal before the subject: Kun je zwemmen?
Useful Contrast:
Je moet betalen says payment is necessary. Je hoeft niet te betalen says payment is unnecessary. The meaning of niet moeten can vary with context and region, so hoeven niet is the clear beginner form for “do not have to”.
Past-tense verb clusters are a later topic: see Double Infinitive. For this entry, practice a finite modal followed by one infinitive.
Examples (6)
- Ik kan goed zwemmen.
I can swim well.
Word by Word: I can well swim.
The modal 'kan' is in the second position, and the infinitive 'zwemmen' is at the end.
- Je moet je huiswerk maken.
You must do your homework.
Word by Word: You must your homework make.
Notice how 'huiswerk' sits between the modal 'moet' and the infinitive 'maken'.
- We willen een appel eten.
We want to eat an apple.
Word by Word: We want an apple eat.
Even though English uses 'to eat', Dutch uses the bare infinitive 'eten' without 'te'.
- Mag ik hier zitten?
May I sit here?
Word by Word: May I here sit?
In a question, the modal moves to the first position, but the infinitive 'zitten' still stays at the end.
- Wij mogen hier wachten.
We are allowed to wait here.
Mogen expresses permission and takes the bare infinitive wachten.
- Je hoeft niet te werken.
You don't have to work.
Word by Word: You need not to work.
The verb 'hoeven' is the negative counterpart to 'moeten' and is the main exception that requires 'te'.
Common Mistakes
Adding te after kunnen in this modal construction.
Ik kan te zwemmen.Ik kan zwemmen.Kunnen takes a bare infinitive: zwemmen, without te.
Using 'hoeven' in an affirmative sentence without a negative or limiting word.
Ik hoef te werken.Ik hoef niet te werken.Hoeven is a 'negative polarity item', meaning it almost always requires a negative word like niet or geen, or a limiting word like 'alleen maar' (only).
Placing the infinitive immediately after the modal (English word order).
Ik wil drinken een biertje.Ik wil een biertje drinken.In this neutral sentence, put the object een biertje before the final infinitive drinken.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use modal verb constructions, you need to understand how to conjugate the modal verb itself in the present tense and where to place the accompanying infinitive within the Dutch sentence structure.
- Word Order Basics
Understanding the basic position of the finite verb is necessary to grasp why the infinitive is placed at the end of the sentence in modal constructions.
Foundations - -t/-en Endings
Modal verbs are conjugated in the present tense as the finite verb, requiring knowledge of how verbs change based on the subject.
Level 1 - kunnenCan/Be Able to
The modal verb 'kunnen' (can) is a primary component of this construction and serves as the functional base for the pattern.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- moetenMust/Have to
A primary modal verb used to express necessity or obligation.
Level 1 - hoeven + te + InfinitiveHoeven Construction
The negative counterpart to 'moeten' (don't have to), which unlike pure modals, requires 'te'.
Level 3 - Verb-second Rule
Explains why the conjugated modal verb moves when the sentence starts with something other than the subject.
Level 3 - Verbs That Take a Bare Infinitive
The grammatical term for using an infinitive without the particle 'te'; this 'te-less' form is what modals use.
Level 3 - zullen + InfinitiveFuture with Zullen
Specific usage of the modal 'zullen' to indicate future events.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- gaan + InfinitiveGoing to (Future)Level 2
- laten weLet'sLevel 2
- zou/zoudenWould (Conditional)Level 2
- zullen weShall We?Level 2
- laten + InfinitiveLet/Have Someone DoLevel 3
- maar (partikel)Maar as a ParticleLevel 3
- om te + InfinitiveIn Order toLevel 3
- Multiple Verbs at EndLevel 3
And 2 more in the full list.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Modal Verb Construction in Bubblegum
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