dürfen
to be allowed to / may
dürfen means to be allowed to / may.
Use dürfen for permission or prohibition. It answers the question: Is this permitted?
We use the present tense to talk about what a patient can or is able to do right now.
| Person | Context | dürfen |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | darf |
| du | you (one person, informal) | darfst |
| er/sie/es | he / she / it | darf |
| wir | we | dürfen |
| ihr | you (several people, informal) | dürft |
| sie/Sie | they / you (formal, one or more people) | dürfen |
German has three ways to say you:
- du – informal, one person
- ihr – informal, several people
- Sie – formal, one or more people (always capitalised when it means “you”)
The word sie (lowercase) can also mean she or they. Context and the verb form tell them apart:
- sie ist = she is
- sie sind = they are
- Sie sind = you are (formal)
Clinical register: In medical practice, use Sie with patients. Du/ihr are for colleagues, friends, or family.
Medical examples with the three you forms:
- Du darfst Schokolade essen
You (informal, one person) may / be allowed to eat chocolate - Ihr dürft Schokolade essen
You (informal, several people) may / be allowed to eat chocolate - Sie dürfen Schokolade essen
You (formal) may / be allowed to eat chocolate
- Schokolade essen – eat chocolate
- Auto fahren – drive a car
- nach Hause gehen – go home
- das Zimmer verlassen – leave the room
- Affirmative: Ich darf Schokolade essen.
I may / be allowed to eat chocolate - Negative: Du darfst Auto nicht fahren.
You (informal, one person) are not allowed to drive a car - Affirmative: Der Patient darf nach Hause gehen.
The patient is allowed to go home - Affirmative: Sie dürfen das Zimmer verlassen.
You (formal) may / be allowed to leave the room - Question: Darfst du Schokolade essen?
Are you (informal, one person) allowed to eat chocolate? - Negative: Wir dürfen Auto nicht fahren.
We are not allowed to drive a car
- Conjugation — type the correct form for each person.
- Multiple choice — pick the verb that fits the sentence.
- Fill in the blank — type the missing modal form.
- Reorder — put the words in correct German order (modal in position 2, infinitive at the end).
- Dialogue — fill in the missing verb at the start of a doctor-patient question.
- Error correction — find and fix the wrong verb form.
- Translate — write the German sentence from English.
- Match — pair persons with forms or verbs with meanings.
Translate to German: You (formal) may / be allowed to eat chocolate
Show answer
Sie dürfen Schokolade essen.
Translate to German: You (informal, one person) are not allowed to drive a car
Show answer
Du darfst Auto nicht fahren.
Ask the question in German: Are you (informal, one person) allowed to go home?
Show answer
Darfst du nach Hause gehen?
Put the words in the correct order: Zimmer / Der / Patient / verlassen / das / darf
Show answer
Der Patient darf das Zimmer verlassen
- Meaning: dürfen means to be allowed to / may.
- Key forms: Present forms of dürfen: ich darf, du darfst, er/sie/es darf, wir dürfen, ihr dürft, sie/Sie dürfen.
- Word order: Subject + modal verb (conjugated) + main verb at the end.
- Register: Use Sie with patients; du/ihr with peers, friends or family.
Practice this verb with exercises, or take a mixed test with all verbs.