willen

Want to

Level 1

Dutch 'willen' means 'to want'. It is a modal verb, meaning it usually works with another verb at the end of the sentence.

How It Works

The verb willen is one of the most important verbs in Dutch. It is a modal verb, which means it changes the mood of the sentence to express a wish.

1. Conjugation (Present Tense)
The conjugation of willen is slightly irregular:

  • ik wil (no -t)
  • jij/u wilt (or jij wil in informal speech)
  • hij/zij/het wil (no -t)
  • wij/jullie/zij willen

2. The Inversion Rule
When you ask a question and the subject je or jij comes after the verb, the standard modern form is to drop the -t. This is known as jij inversion. For example: Wil je?

3. Past Tense
In the past tense, willen has two forms. Wilde (plural: wilden) is the standard form used in writing. Wou (plural: wouden) is very common in informal, spoken Dutch.

4. The Double Infinitive (IPP)
When using willen in the perfect tense along with another action verb, Dutch uses the double infinitive rule. Instead of a past participle (gewild), you must use the infinitive form: Ik heb het niet willen doen (I did not want to do it).

5. Word Order
In a standard sentence, willen takes the second position, and the action you want to do (the infinitive) goes to the very end of the sentence. This is a key part of Dutch word order.

Examples (6)

  1. Ik wil een appel eten.

    I want to eat an apple.

    Word by Word: I want an apple eat.

    Notice how 'wil' is in the second position and 'eten' is at the very end.

  2. Wat wil je drinken?

    What do you want to drink?

    Word by Word: What want you drink?

    In this question, the -t is dropped from 'wil' because 'je' follows the verb.

  3. Wij willen naar huis gaan.

    We want to go home.

    Word by Word: We want to house go.

    For plural subjects, we use the full infinitive form 'willen'.

  4. Wilt u koffie?

    Would you like coffee?

    Word by Word: Want you coffee?

    Using 'wilt' with the formal 'u' is a common way to offer something politely.

  5. Zij wilde gisteren niet werken.

    She did not want to work yesterday.

    Word by Word: She wanted yesterday not work.

    The past tense 'wilde' is the standard form used in writing and formal speech.

  6. Hij heeft niet willen komen.

    He did not want to come.

    Word by Word: He has not want come.

    In the perfect tense, when combined with another verb, we use the infinitive 'willen' instead of a past participle.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'willen' to express the future (here: 'I will go'), when it means 'want to'.

    Different MeaningIk wil morgen naar Amsterdam gaan.
    Ik zal morgen naar Amsterdam gaan. / Ik ga morgen naar Amsterdam.

    'Ik wil morgen naar Amsterdam gaan' is fine, but it means 'I want to go to Amsterdam tomorrow'. For a plain future ('I will go'), use zullen or the present tense.

  • Adding a -t to the third person singular (hij/zij/het).

    Hij wilt een koekje.
    Hij wil een koekje.

    Unlike regular verbs in the present tense, 'willen' does not take a -t for 'hij', 'zij', or 'het'.

  • Incorrect word order with the second verb.

    Ik wil eten een appel.
    Ik wil een appel eten.

    In Dutch, the second verb (the infinitive) must go to the very end of the sentence clause.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

willenLevel 1Want to

Learn This First

To learn 'willen', you need to know singular subject pronouns for conjugation and have a basic grasp of how verbs are positioned in a sentence, as modal verbs often change the standard word order.

Words in This Pattern

willen