Verbs according to function 4
- Lecture1.1
  
  Main verbs 10 min
- Lecture1.2
  
  Auxiliary verbs 45 min
- Lecture1.3
  
  Copular verbs 20 min
- Lecture1.4
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to function 10 min
Verbs according to meaning 7
- Lecture2.1
  
  Transitive and intransitive verbs 10 min
- Lecture2.2
  
  Reflexive verbs 30 min
- Lecture2.3
  
  Modal verbs 45 min
- Lecture2.4
  
  Modal verbs: zou 30 min
- Lecture2.5
  
  Modal verbs: hoeven te 30 min
- Lecture2.6
  
  Position verbs 30 min
- Lecture2.7
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to meaning 45 min
Verbs according to form 3
- Lecture3.1
  
  Separable verbs 30 min
- Lecture3.2
  
  Phrasal verbs 15 min
- Lecture3.3
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to form 30 min
Verbs according to conjugation 6

For purposes of conjugation Dutch verbs can be divided into regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs follow a certain pattern in the way they are conjugated, whereas irregular verbs do not follow a pattern at all. The group of regular verbs is the largest, and this group can be divided further into weak verbs and strong verbs. The conjugation of a new verb (e.g. a verb borrowed from English) normally follows the rules of weak verbs.
- Lecture4.1
  
  Weak verbs 30 min
- Lecture4.2
  
  Strong verbs 20 min
- Lecture4.3
  
  Irregular verbs 30 min
- Lecture4.4
  
  Conjugation of new verbs 20 min
- Lecture4.5
  
  List of strong and irregular verbs 40 min
- Lecture4.6
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to conjugation 30 min
Tenses 9
- Lecture5.1
  
  Infinitives and finite verbs 15 min
- Lecture5.2
  
  Present tense 01 hour
- Lecture5.3
  
  Past tense (imperfect) 30 min
- Lecture5.4
  
  Perfect tense 01 hour
- Lecture5.5
  
  Perfect or imperfect? 30 min
- Lecture5.6
  
  Pluperfect 10 min
- Lecture5.7
  
  Durative aspect 45 min
- Lecture5.8
  
  Future aspect 50 min
- Lecture5.9
  
  Verb exercises: tenses
Revision exercises: verbs 1
- Lecture6.1
  
  Revision exercises

Modal verbs

Introduction

The modal verbs form a special category of Dutch verbs. They verbs are usually used with the infinitive of another verb to express ability or possibility (kunnen), obligation (moeten), permission (mogen) or volition (willen). The verb zullen (‘shall’) can also be seen as a modal verb. However, it is dealt with separately under:

Hoeven te is also a modal verb, but is a special case because it is always accompanied by a negative element. It is dealt with separately under:

Modal verbs: hoeven te

All modal verbs are irregular, but moeten is only irregular in the past tense and willen only in the present tense.

Modal verbs can be used independently, i.e. without the infinitive of another verb. However, in those cases, an infinitive can usually be added.

Wil je een ijsje?
Do you want an ice cream?

Wil je een ijsje hebben?
Do you want to have an ice cream?

When the infinitive of another verb is used along with the modal verb, the infinitive takes the last or penultimate place (see Sentence structure) in the clause.

Kunnen

The verb kunnen expresses ability or possibility, and can be translated with ‘to be able to’ and ‘can’.

Je kan bij de Erasmus Universiteit alleen sporten met een sportkaart.
You are only able to do sports at the Erasmus University with a sports card.

Kun je de kaas snijden?
Can you cut the cheese?

Kunnen we helpen?
Can we help?

Kunnen is irregular in the present tense:

ik	kan	I can
jij	kunt/kan	you (informal) can
u	kunt/kan	you (formal) can
hij/zij	kan	he/she can
wij	kunnen	we can
jullie	kunnen	you (informal) can
u	kunt/kan	you (formal) can
zij	kunnen	they can

The choice between kan or kunt (for jij and u) is arbitrary and depends on personal or even contextual choice. However, some people consider kunt to be more formal than kan and will restrict the use of kan to spoken language.

Moeten

The verb moeten expresses obligation, and can be translated with ‘to have to’ or ‘must’.

Je moet de Belgische frieten eens proberen.
You have to try the Belgian chips.

Alan en Simone moeten eerst een baan reserveren.
Alan and Simone have to book a tennis court first.

Moeten is regular in the present tense.

Mogen

The verb mogen expresses permission, and can be translated with ‘to be allowed to’ or ‘may’.

Luuk mag vanavond om negen uur naar bed.
Luuk is allowed to go to bed at nine o’clock tonight.

Mogen we jouw strippenkaart lenen?
May we borrow your bus ticket?

Mogen is irregular in the present tense:

ik	mag	I may
jij	mag	you (informal) may
u	mag	you (formal) may
hij/zij	mag	he/she may
wij	mogen	we may
jullie	mogen	you (informal) may
u	mag	you (formal) may
zij	mogen	they may

Willen

The verb willen expresses volition, and can be translated with ‘to want to’. Note that willen cannot be translated with ‘will’.

Alan wil met Simone tennissen.
Alan wants to play tennis with Simone.

Wat willen jullie drinken?
What do you want to drink?

Willen is irregular in the present tense:

ik	wil	I want to
jij	wilt/wil	you (informal) want to
u	wilt/wil	you (formal) want to
hij/zij	wil	he/she wants to
wij	willen	we want to
jullie	willen	you (informal) want to
u	wilt/wil	you (formal) want to
zij	willen	they want to

The choice between wil or wilt (for jij and u) is arbitrary and depends on personal or even contextual choice. However, some people consider wilt to be more formal than wil and restrict the use of wil to spoken language.

Perfect tense of modal verbs

Dutch has two different structures for modal verbs in the perfect tense, where English only has one. This is because it is possible to use Dutch modals independently, without an infinitive. In that case the perfect tense is made with the past participle of the modal verb (in red in every first sentence below; see also modals used independently). Some modal past participles are irregular (see also perfect tense). When the infinitive is used, the modal verb is not a past participle but an infinitive (underlined in every second sentence below; see also: auxiliary verbs). The perfect tense auxiliary with modal verbs is always hebben.

kunnen

Ik heb nooit goed Frans gekund.
Ik heb nooit goed Frans kunnen spreken.
I could never speak French very well.

moeten

Zijn groenten opeten, dat heeft hij altijd gemoeten.
Hij heeft altijd zijn groenten moeten opeten.
He’s always had to finish his vegetables.

mogen

Alcohol drinken heb ik nooit gemogen.
Ik heb nooit alcohol mogen drinken.
I have never been allowed to drink alcohol.

willen

Zij hebben altijd graag kinderen gewild.
Zij hebben altijd graag kinderen willen hebben.
They have always wanted to have children.

Note that zullen has no participle. For more information on the use of zullen, see Modal verbs: zou.

Past tense of modal verbs

The modal verbs kunnen, moeten and mogen are irregular in the past tense.

kunnen

ik	kon	I could
jij	kon	you could
u	kon	you (formal) could
hij/zij	kon	he/she could
wij	konden	we could
jullie	konden	you (informal) could
u	kon	you (formal) could
zij	konden	they could

mogen

ik	moest	I had to
jij	moest	you (informal) had to
u	moest	you (formal) had to
hij/zij	moest	he/she had to
wij	moesten	we had to
jullie	moesten	you (informal) had to
u	moest	you (formal) had to
zij	moesten	they had to

moeten

ik	mocht	I could / was allowed to
jij	mocht	you (informal) could / were allowed to
u	mocht	you (formal) could / were allowed to
hij/zij	mocht	he/she could / was allowed to
wij	mochten	we could / were allowed to
jullie	mochten	you (informal) could / were allowed to
u	mocht	you (formal) could / were allowed to
zij	mochten	they could / were allowed to

Prev Reflexive verbs

Next Modal verbs: zou

Verbs according to function 4

Verbs according to meaning 7

Verbs according to form 3

Verbs according to conjugation 6

Tenses 9

Revision exercises: verbs 1

Modal verbs

Introduction

Kunnen

Moeten

Mogen

Willen

Perfect tense of modal verbs

kunnen

moeten

mogen

willen

Past tense of modal verbs

kunnen

mogen

moeten