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 Konjunktiv II to give softer advice or to discuss hypothetical situations with patients and colleagues.
| Person | Context | dürfen |
|---|---|---|
| ich | I | dürfte |
| du | you (one person, informal) | dürftest |
| er/sie/es | he / she / it | dürfte |
| wir | we | dürften |
| ihr | you (several people, informal) | dürftet |
| sie/Sie | they / you (formal, one or more people) | dürften |
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 dürftest Schokolade essen
You (informal, one person) might / would be allowed to eat chocolate - Ihr dürftet Schokolade essen
You (informal, several people) might / would be allowed to eat chocolate - Sie dürften Schokolade essen
You (formal) might / would 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 dürfte Schokolade essen.
I might / would be allowed to eat chocolate - Negative: Du dürftest Auto nicht fahren.
You (informal, one person) might not be allowed to drive a car - Affirmative: Der Patient dürfte nach Hause gehen.
The patient might / would be allowed to go home - Affirmative: Sie dürften das Zimmer verlassen.
You (formal) might / would be allowed to leave the room - Question: Dürftest du Schokolade essen?
Might you (informal, one person) be allowed to eat chocolate? - Negative: Wir dürften Auto nicht fahren.
We might not be 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) might / would be allowed to eat chocolate
Show answer
Sie dürften Schokolade essen.
Translate to German: You (informal, one person) might not be allowed to drive a car
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Du dürftest Auto nicht fahren.
Ask the question in German: Might you (informal, one person) be allowed to go home?
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Dürftest du nach Hause gehen?
Put the words in the correct order: dürfte / verlassen / Zimmer / das / Patient / Der
Show answer
Der Patient dürfte das Zimmer verlassen
- Meaning: dürfen means to be allowed to / may.
- Key forms: Konjunktiv II forms of dürfen: ich dürfte, du dürftest, er/sie/es dürfte, wir dürften, ihr dürftet, sie/Sie dürften.
- Word order: Subject + Konjunktiv II 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.