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 Präteritum to describe past situations: patient histories, what happened yesterday, or what the doctor said.
| Person | Context | dürfen |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | durfte |
| du | you (one person, informal) | durftest |
| er/sie/es | he / she / it | durfte |
| wir | we | durften |
| ihr | you (several people, informal) | durftet |
| sie/Sie | they / you (formal, one or more people) | durften |
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 durftest Schokolade essen
You (informal, one person) were allowed to / might eat chocolate - Ihr durftet Schokolade essen
You (informal, several people) were allowed to / might eat chocolate - Sie durften Schokolade essen
You (formal) were allowed to / might eat chocolate
- Schokolade essen – eat chocolate
- Auto fahren – drive a car
- nach Hause gehen – go home
- das Zimmer verlassen – leave the room
- Affirmative: Ich durfte Schokolade essen.
I was allowed to / might eat chocolate - Negative: Du durftest Auto nicht fahren.
You (informal, one person) were not allowed to drive a car - Affirmative: Der Patient durfte nach Hause gehen.
The patient was allowed to / might go home - Affirmative: Sie durften das Zimmer verlassen.
You (formal) were allowed to / might leave the room - Question: Durftest du Schokolade essen?
Were you (informal, one person) allowed to eat chocolate? - Negative: Wir durften Auto nicht fahren.
We were 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) were allowed to / might eat chocolate
Show answer
Sie durften Schokolade essen.
Translate to German: You (informal, one person) were not allowed to drive a car
Show answer
Du durftest Auto nicht fahren.
Ask the question in German: Were you (informal, one person) allowed to go home?
Show answer
Durftest du nach Hause gehen?
Put the words in the correct order: das / verlassen / Zimmer / Der / durfte / Patient
Show answer
Der Patient durfte das Zimmer verlassen
- Meaning: dürfen means to be allowed to / may.
- Key forms: Präteritum forms of dürfen: ich durfte, du durftest, er/sie/es durfte, wir durften, ihr durftet, sie/Sie durften.
- Word order: Subject + Präteritum form of the modal + 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.