Modal Verbs: Willen and Kunnen
In Dutch, willen means "to want" and kunnen means "can" or "to be able to". They express a desire, ability, or possibility.
They are highly irregular:
| Pronoun | Willen | Kunnen |
|---|---|---|
| Ik | wil | kan |
| Jij / U | wilt / wil | kunt / kan |
| Hij / Zij / Het | wil | kan |
| Wij / Jullie / Zij | willen | kunnen |
Standalone Use
When the context is clear, you can use these modal verbs on their own as the main verb.
| That is possible! | Dat kan! |
| I do not want that. | Ik wil dat niet. |
Modals with Other Verbs
Modal verbs are usually paired with another action (like "I want to sing"). Dutch follows a strict word order for this:
- The modal verb is conjugated and takes the second position.
- The main verb goes to the very end of the sentence in its full infinitive form.
Notice how the infinitives sit at the end of these examples:
| I cannot sing well. | Ik kan niet goed zingen. |
| I cannot hear the music. | Ik kan de muziek niet horen. |
Asking Questions
In questions, the conjugated modal verb moves to the front (or immediately after the question word). The main verb stays at the end.
| Can you dance well? | Kunnen jullie goed dansen? |
| Why does he not want to dance? | Waarom wil hij niet dansen? |
Adding Nuance
Pair willen with graag (gladly) to express what someone "would like" to do. To talk about what might happen, add misschien (maybe).
| She would like to sing that song. | Ze wil graag dat lied zingen. |
| Maybe we can come tomorrow. | We kunnen misschien morgen komen. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io