Dutch modal verbs: kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen, zullen
The five Dutch modal verbs, what each means, and how they push the main verb to the end as a bare infinitive.
A modal verb says how an action stands: whether it is possible, required, allowed or wanted. Dutch has five: kunnen (can), moeten (must), mogen (may), willen (to want) and zullen (will). They pair with a second verb: Ik kan zwemmen. (I can swim.)
What does each one mean?
| Modal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kunnen | to be able to, can | Ik kan koken. (I can cook.) |
| moeten | to have to, must | Je moet nu gaan. (You have to go now.) |
| mogen | to be allowed to, may | Je mag hier parkeren. (You may park here.) |
| willen | to want to | Wij willen blijven. (We want to stay.) |
| zullen | will, shall | Ik zal het doen. (I will do it.) |
Zullen mainly builds the future tense and polite offers (Zal ik helpen? — Shall I help?). Willen can also stand on its own with a noun: Ik wil een ijsje. (I want an ice cream.)
How do modal verbs change the word order?
The modal is the working verb and takes second position in the sentence; the other verb moves to the very end in its plain dictionary form — the infinitive — with no te in front of it. This plain form is called the bare infinitive.
- Put the modal verb in second position, matched to the subject: Ik moet ...
- Send the main verb to the end of the clause as a bare infinitive: Ik moet mijn huiswerk maken. (I have to do my homework.)
So the sentence is clamped between the two verbs: everything else sits in the middle. Zij wil volgend jaar in Amsterdam wonen. (She wants to live in Amsterdam next year.) Compare this with verbs that need te before the second verb — see te + infinitive.
How are they conjugated?
Modal verbs are irregular in the singular present: they change their vowel and add no -t in the hij/zij-form. The plural is regular (the full infinitive).
| kunnen | moeten | mogen | willen | zullen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ik | kan | moet | mag | wil | zal |
| jij | kan / kunt | moet | mag | wil / wilt | zal / zult |
| hij / zij | kan | moet | mag | wil | zal |
| wij / jullie / zij | kunnen | moeten | mogen | willen | zullen |
For jij, both kan and kunt are correct, and both wil and wilt. The simple past forms are also irregular: kon (could), moest (had to), mocht (was allowed), wilde (wanted) and zou (would). More high-frequency irregular verbs are collected in common irregular verbs.
Mistakes to avoid
The most common error is adding te before the second verb. English has want to, so learners write ik wil te gaan. In Dutch a modal takes a bare infinitive: Ik wil gaan. One verb, hoeven (to need to), looks modal but does take te — Je hoeft niet te komen (You do not have to come); it belongs with the te + infinitive verbs, not here.
- Vul in: *Ik ___ vanavond niet komen.* (kunnen)
- kan
- kann
- kunt
- kunnen
The *ik*-form of *kunnen* is **kan** (irregular, vowel change, no ending) → *Ik kan vanavond niet komen.*
- Which sentence is correct?
- Wij willen te blijven.
- Wij willen blijven.
- Wij willen blijft.
- Wij willen te blijft.
A modal verb takes a **bare infinitive** — no *te* and no ending → *Wij willen blijven.*
- Where does the main verb go? *Zij moet morgen naar de dokter ___.*
- gaat, right after moet
- gaan, at the end of the sentence
- te gaan, at the end
- ging, at the end
The modal *moet* is second; the main verb goes to the end as a bare infinitive → *Zij moet morgen naar de dokter **gaan**.*
- Which form is wrong?
- hij mag
- hij moet
- hij magt
- hij wil
Modal verbs add no *-t* in the *hij*-form, so *magt* is wrong — it is simply *hij mag*.
- What does *mogen* mean?
- to be able to
- to have to
- to be allowed to
- to want to
*Mogen* means **to be allowed to / may**: *Je mag hier roken* (You may smoke here). *Kunnen* is 'to be able', *moeten* 'to have to', *willen* 'to want'.
Test yourself
Question 1 of 5
Vul in: Ik ___ vanavond niet komen. (kunnen)