HomeLessons › Verbs

Modal verbs and the bare infinitive

A2Verbs · lesson 16 of 79

Modal verbs indicate how an action is performed: compulsory, voluntary, permitted, etc. Technically, not all verbs below are modal verbs, but this is a linguistic issue that you should not be bothered with.

blijven | to stay, keep | hij blijft zich afvragen | he keeps wondering

gaan | to go | hij gaat een stukje lopen | he goes for a little walk

komen | to come | hij komt vanavond eten | he comes for diner tonight

kunnen | to be able | zij kunnen niet zingen | they cannot sing

moeten | to have to | zij moet haar huiswerk doen | she has to do her homework

mogen | to be allowed | ik mag niet zingen | I am not allowed to sing

willen | to want | wij willen hier blijven | we want to stay here

zullen | 'to' will | jij zult lekker slapen | you will sleep well

_Komen_ is also mentioned in the list of auxiliary verbs that are followed by [te + infinitive](#/lesson/Verbs.Au12). However, note the semantic difference: he verb _komen_ without _te_ just means _to come_ in a literal sense, while _komen te_ means _to be about to_ (happen).

Auxiliary verbs and the bare infinitive Transitive verbs and the bare infinitive
Practice this, don't just read it

Play the grammar games (de/het, die/dat, geen/niet, word order and more), track your streak, and get feedback on every answer. Part of the full Dutch Fluency dashboard. 7 days free, then €19/month, cancel any time.

Start 7 days free Play the games