The pattern
In a statement, the modal is conjugated (it changes to match the subject) and stands in position two. The other verb goes to the end as an infinitive (the dictionary form), without te.
- kunnen (can, be able to): ik kan, jij kunt, hij kan, wij kunnen
- moeten (must, have to): ik moet, jij moet, hij moet, wij moeten
- willen (want): ik wil, jij wilt, hij wil, wij willen
- mogen (may, be allowed to): ik mag, jij mag, hij mag, wij mogen
- zullen (shall, will): ik zal, jij zult, hij zal, wij zullen
- With jij you also hear kan, wil and zal, and these are correct too. With hij and zij (she), kan, wil, mag and zal get no extra -t. More forms are in irregular verbs in the present.
- In a yes/no question the modal comes first, and the infinitive still goes to the end: Mag ik hier zitten?
Examples
| Ik wil morgen fietsen. | I want to cycle tomorrow. |
| Mei wil een nieuwe fiets kopen. | Mei wants to buy a new bike. |
| Sanne kan goed zwemmen. | Sanne can swim well. |
| Daan moet vandaag tot zes uur werken. | Daan has to work until six today. |
| Fatima moet om acht uur bij de huisarts zijn. | Fatima has to be at the GP at eight. |
| Mag ik hier zitten? | May I sit here? |
| Je mag hier niet roken. | You are not allowed to smoke here. |
| Ik zal je morgen bellen. | I will call you tomorrow. |
| Zullen we koffie drinken? | Shall we have a coffee? |
Why it works this way
Think of the modal and the infinitive as two bookends. The modal stands in second place and does the grammar work: it matches the subject. The infinitive stands at the end and only names the action. Everything else (morgen, goed, een nieuwe fiets) goes in between. You will meet this two-place pattern again and again; see the verb bracket.
English helps you here. You already say I can swim, not I can to swim. Dutch treats all five modals that way, so willen works like can: Ik wil zwemmen, with no te.
Willen is a false friend: ik wil means I want, not I will. To promise something, use zullen: Ik zal je helpen. For plans, people often just use the present tense: Ik bel je morgen. More in Zullen.
When a direction follows, Dutch often leaves out the second verb: Ik moet naar de gemeente. (I have to go to the town hall.) One related verb does need te: hoeven, as in Je hoeft niet te komen. That is the next lesson.
Remember: the modal does the paperwork in second place, and the infinitive just waits at the end, unchanged, like a bike parked at the station.
Watch out
错误Ik wil te fietsen.
正确Ik wil fietsen.
no te after a modal
错误Ik wil eten een appel.
正确Ik wil een appel eten.
the infinitive goes to the end
错误Hij wilt naar huis.
正确Hij wil naar huis.
hij wil has no -t
错误Mei kan goed zwem.
正确Mei kan goed zwemmen.
use the full infinitive, not the stem
Quick check
- Fill in the right form of willen: Bas ... morgen fietsen.
- Fill in the right form of mogen: ... ik hier mijn fiets parkeren?
- Fix the sentence: Wij moeten te werken.
- Put the words in order, starting with Ahmed: koken, kan, goed.
显示答案
- wil: with hij or a name like Bas, willen has no -t.
- Mag: ik mag, and in a question the modal comes first.
- Wij moeten werken.: no te after a modal.
- Ahmed kan goed koken.: the modal comes second, the infinitive goes to the end.
Use it today
Tonight, say three sentences out loud about your plans for tomorrow: one with moet, one with wil and one with kan, such as Ik moet morgen boodschappen doen. Check that the second verb comes at the end each time.