TOP
Welcome - Site Maps: Mobile - Desktop
~ Desktop/Tablet Version of This Page
Smartphone Verbs Home

Dutch Verb mogen ('may,' 'to be allowed to') - Smartphones Page

Conjugation
Sample Sentences
Related Words

'mogelijk' - possible
'misschien' - maybe

'Mogen' click to hear 2 is an irregular verb: the vowel change between singular and plural in the present tense is very unusual, and also note that there is no T-ending for the second and third person singular. The English verb is also irregular in that regard: English doesn't say 'he mays.'
'Mogen' is hard to translate into English, there is no straight equivalent. Study the sample lines for a better understanding of the verb.
Compare with 'kunnen' click to hear ('can,' 'to be able to') that has similar irregularities and problems.
See also Verbs Combined

overview
mogen 'may,' 'to be allowed to'
ik mag 'I may'
wij mogen 'we may'
ik mocht 'I might'
wij mochten 'we might'
ik heb gemogen I was allowed
click to hear

simple present tense
mogen 'may,' to be allowed to
ik mag 'I may'
jij mag 'you may' (singular, informal you)
hij mag 'he may'
wij mogen 'we may'
jullie mogen 'you may' (plural, informal you)
zij mogen 'they may'
U mag 'you may' (polite you)
click to hear

simple past tense
(mogen) 'may,' 'to be allowed to'
ik mocht I was allowed to
jij mocht you were allowed to
hij mocht he was allowed to
wij mochten we were allowed to
jullie mochten y'all were allowed to
zij mochten they were allowed to
U mocht you were allowed to
click to hear

The past participle 'gemogen' is very unusual. It's not really wrong to say:
Ik heb dat nooit gemogen click to hear 2 I was never allowed to do that but it feels a bit awkward. It's better (and easier) to say:
Dat mocht ik nooit click to hear 2 3 I was never allowed to do that also:  Ik mocht dat nooit click to hear I was never allowed to do that (another use)
When in the perfect tense combined with other verbs, mogen is not in the form of the past participle but as an infinitive - more

ik heb mogen ... click to hear 2 3 I was allowed to ... Ik heb even de eeuwigheid mogen aanschouwen click to hear 2 3 [I have been allowed for a moment to view eternity] - I was allowed a brief glimpse of eternity 't Had niet mogen gebeuren click to hear 2 [It should not have been allowed to happen] - It shouldn't have happened

auxiliary verb hebben

Sample Sentences

'Mogen' is a bit hard to translate in English. It means something like 'being allowed to,' but in English that's often said in a variety of ways like 'may' or 'should' or even 'can.' Study the examples below for a better understanding.

Ik mag geen varkensvlees eten click to hear [I'm not allowed to] I can't eat pork (doctor's orders, religion)

Als ik dat vragen mag click to hear [If I'm allowed to ask] - If I may ask [that]

Als 't licht groen is mag je doorrijden click to hear 2 When the light is green you may drive on

't Mag de pret niet drukken click to hear 2 3 [It's not allowed to dampen the enjoyment] - We can't let it spoil the fun

't Mag geen geld kosten click to hear 2 [It cannot cost any money] - I/We don't want to pay serious money for it

't Mag nooit meer gebeuren click to hear 2 3 [It may never be allowed to happen again] - We cannot allow it to ever happen again - Never again!

't Had niet mogen gebeuren click to hear 2 It shouldn't have happened

Mag dat? click to hear 2 3 Is that allowed?
toegestaan click to hear 2 allowed ‑>>
verboden click to hear 2 forbidden, not allowed - German 'verboten'
verboden toegang click to hear no admittance, no trespassing, keep out!

[no admittance sign, no trespassing]

'Mag ik ...' click to hear 2 3 ('May I ...' ) is a quite common start of a polite question. It can be variously translated as 'Could I have ...' or 'Can I please ...' but sometimes English would be 'Allow me ...' or things like that.

Mag ik wat water? click to hear Could I have some water? Mag ik een glas water? click to hear 2 Can I have a glass of water please? Mag ik een beetje kaas? click to hear 2 Could I have some cheese? Mag ik wat meel? click to hear Could I have some flour?

Mag ik zonder cafeïne? click to hear Can I please have decaf?

Mag ik de rekening? click to hear 2 3 Can I have the bill, please? Check, please!

Mag ik het recept? click to hear 2 3 Could I get the recipe?

Mag ik de boter? click to hear 2 3 Can I have the butter? Please pass the butter

Mag ik U een verfrissing aanbieden? click to hear Literally, a formal way to offer a refreshment, but usually said in jest when opening a window in a stuffy room

Mag ik me even voorstellen? click to hear 2 Allow me to introduce myself

Mag ik even? click to hear 2 3 4 5 Allow me ... ~Excuse me ... The common word for 'excuse me' is the Dutchified French 'pardon' click to hear

Je mag er alleen maar naar kijken click to hear 2 3 [You're only allowed to look at it] - You can only look at it (don't touch!)

Je mag 't hebben click to hear 2 3 4 You can have it

Mag ik U iets vragen? click to hear 2 3 Could I ask you something?

Mag het iets meer zijn? click to hear 2 3 Is it OK if it's a little more? For instance, the butcher has cut off a much larger piece than you asked for

Wie 't weet mag 't zeggen click to hear 2 Those who know the answer may speak up - often said after a question with no answer

Je hoeft geen 'U' te zeggen click to hear 2 3 4 You don't have to say 'U' (the polite address) Je mag wel 'je' zeggen click to hear 2 It's OK to say 'je' now (the informal address)

Jullie mogen wel Nederlands praten click to hear 2 It's OK for you to speak Dutch ("I can understand it, I won't feel shut out") You could just as well say:
Jullie kunnen wel Nederlands praten click to hear 2 3

Ze mogen wel oppassen click to hear 2 They should watch out, they'd better be careful Je mag wel oppassen click to hear 2 3 You should watch out, you'd better be careful

Jullie mogen niet klagen click to hear You guys shouldn't complain We mogen niet klagen click to hear 2 We shouldn't complain
Things are not ideal, but good enough, there is really no reason to complain

Mochten er problemen zijn ... click to hear 2 If, in case that there are problems ... Mochten er vragen zijn ... click to hear If, in case that there are questions ...

We mochten geen foto's maken click to hear 2 We were not allowed to take pictures
Hij mocht er niet in click to hear 2 He was not allowed to go in, he was denied entry

't mocht niet zo zijn click to hear 2 It was not to be (a hoped-for outcome didn't come about)

Wanneer mag je liegen? click to hear 2 3 4 When [are you] is it allowed to lie, tell untruths? Dat mag helemaal niet! click to hear 2 3 That's absolutely not allowed

't Mag niet van haar vader click to hear 2 3 It's not allowed by her father, her father doesn't allow it

Dat ik dit nog mee mag maken click to hear 2 [That I still can see this] - Amazing (or unexpected) that I still came to this experience, that I lived to see this

'Baten' click to hear is an old-fashioned verb meaning 'to be benificial, to help' - 'to avail.' It is only found in expressions, like:
't Mocht niet baten click to hear 2 It didn't help (it was too late, too little - it was of no avail)

't Most niet magge click to hear (slang) It shouldn't be allowed, How does the Lord allow? - in 'proper' Dutch it would be:
" 't Moest niet mogen " click to hear 2 3 4
but that's a little exaggerated

'Graag mogen' click to hear 2 3 means to like a person, to get on well with someone

Ik mag hem graag click to hear I like him, we get on well

Ik heb hem nooit gemogen click to hear 2 3 I never liked him

mogelijk click to hear 2 (mogelijke click to hear) is 'possible,' onmogelijk click to hear 2 is 'impossible' and (de) mogelijkheid click to hear 2 3 is '(the) possibility'

zo spoedig mogelijk click to hear 2 as soon as possible zo lang mogelijk click to hear 2 as long as possible zo weinig mogelijk click to hear 2 3 as little as possible

Met alle mogelijke middelen click to hear 2 'With all possible means'

Hoe is 't mogelijk? click to hear 2 3 4 5 6 How is it possible? How can it be?

't Is haast onmogelijk click to hear 2 It's almost impossible

Misschien click to hear is 'maybe, perhaps'
Misschien niet click to hear 2 'maybe not'

Nederlands is een mooie taal ... click to hear Dutch is a beautiful language... ... maar misschien niet om te zingen click to hear ... but maybe not for singing

Misschien kunnen we wel buiten zitten click to hear Maybe we can sit outside (the weather looks promising)

Misschien is 't toevallig click to hear 2 Maybe it's a conincidence

Misschien lijkt 't maar zo click to hear 2 3 4 Maybe it only looks that way, maybe it's not like that

Misschien valt 't mee click to hear 2 3 4 Maybe it won't be as bad as we feared ‑>> Misschien valt 't wel mee click to hear 2 3 Maybe it won't be as bad as we feared - 'wel'

Misschien is 't iets onschuldigs click to hear Maybe it's something [innocent] harmless (worrying about something that could be serious)

Missschien was 't niet zo slim click to hear Maybe it was not very clever, maybe it was not a good idea

Zoals ik je misschien wel eens verteld heb ... click to hear 2 3 As I may have told you sometime ...

Dit is misschien iets voor jou? click to hear 2 3 Maybe this is something for you

Misschien heb je Jan gekend? click to hear 2 3 Maybe you have known Jan? Have you known Jan?

Misschien gaat 't gewoon niet click to hear Maybe it's just not possible

Misschien heeft 't daar ook mee te maken click to hear 2 3 Maybe it has to do with that too, maybe it's connected, related to that (is there a connection?)

't Was misschien beter geweest ... click to hear 2 3 4 (Possibly) Maybe it would have been better ...

'Wellicht' click to hear 2 3 (German 'vielleicht') is an old-fashioned word for 'perhaps'


Compare 'mogen' with: kunnen ('can,' 'be able to')

to 'let,' allow is laten click to hear
See the 'Laten' page

Smartphone Verbs Home

More Good Dutch Smartphone Pages

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2015.
All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten,
redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Gij zult niet stelen click to hear 'Thou shalt not steal'