däerfen
May: Däerfen
däerfen = may, to be allowed to: Däerf ech eppes froen? · net däerfen = must not: Hei däerf een net fëmmen.
How It Works
Forms
- ech däerf, du däerfs, hien/si/hatt/et däerf
- mir däerfen, dir/Dir däerft, si däerfen
The hien form is däerf, without -t, just like kann and muss. By the n-rule, däerfen becomes däerfe before most consonants: Mir däerfe mat an de Kino goen.
Permission
With an infinitive at the end (see modal + infinitive):
- Däerf ech eppes froen? (May I ask something?)
- D’Kanner däerfen haut méi laang opbleiwen. (The children may stay up later today.)
In everyday speech Kann ech …? is also used to ask permission, but Däerf ech …? is the clearer and more polite choice. For an even softer request, use the conditional Däerft ech Iech eppes froen? (see conditional modals).
Net däerfen – must not
A rule or a strong warning:
- Hei däerf een net fëmmen. (You are not allowed to smoke here.)
- Du däerfs dat net vergiessen! (You mustn’t forget that!)
Do not use net mussen for this. Net mussen or net brauchen ze means do not have to: Du brauchs net ze kommen (You don’t have to come).
In the past
The simple past is duerft (see konnt/wollt/sollt/duerft): Mir duerften net laang bleiwen. (We were not allowed to stay long.)
Examples (6)
- Däerf ech eppes froen?
May I ask something?
Word by Word: May I something ask?
The infinitive froen goes to the end.
- Hei däerf een net fëmmen.
You are not allowed to smoke here.
Word by Word: Here may one not smoke.
Net däerfen means must not.
- D’Kanner däerfen haut méi laang opbleiwen.
The children may stay up later today.
Word by Word: The children may today longer stay up.
Däerfen keeps its n before h.
- Du däerfs dat net vergiessen!
You mustn’t forget that!
Word by Word: You may that not forget!
- Däerf ech d’Fënster opmaachen?
May I open the window?
Word by Word: May I the window open?
The separable verb opmaachen stays together at the end.
- Mir däerfen hei parken.
We are allowed to park here.
Word by Word: We may here park.
Common Mistakes
Adding -t to the hien form.
Hien däerft net kommen.Hien däerf net kommen.Like other modal verbs, däerfen has no -t in the hien, si and et form. Däerft is the dir form or the conditional.
Using net mussen for must not.
Hei muss een net fëmmen. (meant: smoking is forbidden)Hei däerf een net fëmmen.Net mussen means there is no need to. To forbid something, use net däerfen.
Leaving the infinitive in the middle of the sentence.
Däerf ech froen eppes?Däerf ech eppes froen?The modal comes first or second, and the infinitive goes to the very end.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before May: Däerfen, learn Modal Verb and Infinitive.
Related Patterns
- kënnenCan: Kënnen
Kënnen expresses ability and is also used informally to ask permission.
Level 1 - mussenMust: Mussen
Net mussen means do not have to, while net däerfen means must not.
Level 1 - net brauchen zeDon't Need to: Net Brauchen Ze
Net brauchen ze is the usual way to say do not have to.
Level 2 - Could, Should, Would Have To
Däerft ech …? is an even more polite request.
Level 3 - konnt / wollt / sollt / duerftSimple Past of Modal Verbs
Duerft is the simple past of däerfen.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice däerfen in Bubblegum
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