In German

dürfen

Meaning: may, to be allowed to

Example sentences

  • Ichdarfheutelängerbleiben.

    I'm allowed to stay longer today.

  • DarfichdasFensteröffnen?

    May I open the window?

  • Hierdürftihrnichtrauchen.

    You're not allowed to smoke here.

Grammar note

Present tense: ich darf, du darfst, er/sie/es darf, wir dürfen, ihr dürft, sie/Sie dürfen. The singular forms drop the umlaut, same irregular pattern as other modal verbs.

Common mistake

Don't use “dürfen” for ability — that's “können”. “Darf ich schwimmen?” asks for permission; “Kann ich schwimmen?” asks whether you're physically able to.

Quick check

Which modal verb expresses permission — “may, allowed to”?

More words on this topic

könnencan, to be able tomüssenmust, to have tosollenshould, to be supposed to

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Frequently asked questions

What's the negative form used for prohibition?

“Nicht dürfen”: “Du darfst das nicht machen” means “you're not allowed to do that”.

How is “dürfen” different from “können”?

“Dürfen” is about permission (being allowed to); “können” is about ability (being able to).