Originally posted by: Simius https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/24981849
Modal verbs are used to indicate how an action is performed, in other words whether it's voluntary, permitted, etc. The following table lists the most common modal verbs:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| willen | to want to |
| kunnen | can/to be able to |
| moeten | must/to have to |
| mogen | may/to be allowed to |
| blijven | to keep (doing sth.), to stay |
| laten | to let |
| komen | to come (in order to do sth.) |
Modal verbs are followed by the infinitive of another verb, which is placed at the end of the clause. This can be the end of the sentence, but doesn't have to be if there also subordinate clauses present.
In Dutch, the infinitive is always the same as the plural form of the present simple (usually ending on -en). Note that, with the verbs listed above, the infinitive does not get the word te in front! Some examples:
- \"Ik wil zemmen.\" = I want to swim.
- \"Ik kan zwemmen.\" = I can swim.
- \"Ik mag zwemmen.\" = I am allowed to swim.
Several of the modal verbs have an irregular conjugation:
| willen | kunnen | mogen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | wil | kan | mag |
| jij/u | wil/wilt* | kan/kunt* | mag |
| hij/zij/het | wil | kan | mag |
| wij/jullie/zij | willen | kunnen | mogen |
**both are possible, but in formal writing you should use the form ending on -t.*
Zien, horen & voelen
These three verbs, all describing sensations, are not modal verbs, but they can behave in exactly the same way. When you see, hear or feel somebody (or something) performing an action, the infinitive comes at the end of the sentence:
- \"Ik zie hem zwemmen.\" = I see him swim.
- \"Ik hoor haar praten.\" = I hear her talk.
Because these verbs have a direct object, they are sometimes referred to as transitive auxiliary verbs.
Hoeven
There is one Dutch modal verb that is a little different from the others: hoeven. This verb requires the word te to go before the infinitive. Furthermore, it is (nearly) only ever used with a negation.
Niet hoeven describes a lack of obligation. Usually it is translated as do not have to. In Dutch, niet hoeven and niet moeten are not interchangeable, which can be tricky for English speakers. Some examples might make this more clear:
* Je hoeft niet te zwemmen. = You do not have to swim.
*Je moet zwemmen. = You have to swim.
- Je moet niet zwemmen. = You must not swim.
Note: this last sentence is not the most natural and not one you are likely to encounter. It serves here only to show the difference between hoeven and moeten.
Modal verbs and the Present Perfect
Something strange happens in Dutch when you want to use the present perfect or past perfect in combination with a modal verb (such a \"willen\", \"kunnen\", \"laten\", etc). Instead of using the past participle (formed with the prefix ge- and suffix -d or -t for regular weak verbs), the infinitive is used. That is why this quirky grammar rule is known as the \"vervangende infinitief\" in Dutch, or the replacement infinitive. Snobby linguists would say infinitivo pro participio (infinitive instead of participle).
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik zie haar. | I see her. |
| Ik zie haar dansen. | I see her dance. |
| Ik heb haar gezien. | I have seen her. |
| Ik heb haar zien dansen. | I have seen her dance. |
This last sentence is in the past tense, yet none of the verbs use a past tense conjugation! That can be very confusing, if you are not aware of the construction. Note that \"zien\" acts as an auxiliary verb in the last sentence, whereas it is the main verb in the third.
The rule does not apply to auxiliary verbs that use \"te\"+infinitive, such as \"proberen\". Only the verbs that you learned in the Modal skill are affected. One exception is the odd modal verb \"hoeven\", which does use the replacement infinitive.
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