To say that something is not necessary, Dutch uses _niet hoeven te_ with an infinitive (the basic form of a verb, like _komen_): _Je hoeft niet te komen_ means "you don't have to come". Adding _niet_ to _moeten_ gives a very different message: _Je moet niet komen_ means "you must not come". On a birthday invitation, that difference matters.
The pattern
No need? Use _hoeven_ with _niet_ (or another negative word) and put _te_ plus the infinitive at the end: _Ik hoef morgen niet te werken._
- The forms: _ik hoef_, _jij hoeft_, _hij hoeft_, _wij hoeven_. When _jij_ comes after the verb, the _t_ drops, as with [other verbs](#/lesson/jij-inversion): _Hoef jij niet te werken?_
- _Hoeven_ almost always comes with _niet_, _geen_, _niets_, _nooit_ or _niemand_, or with _alleen_ or _maar_ (only).
- _Moeten_ is a [modal verb](#/lesson/modal-verbs) (a helper verb) that takes the infinitive without _te_: _Ik moet werken._
- With [separable verbs](#/lesson/separable-verbs) (verbs that split, like _meenemen_), _te_ goes between the two parts: _Je hoeft niets mee te nemen._
- On its own, _Dat hoeft niet_ means "that's not necessary".
- In relaxed speech you will hear _te_ dropped (_Je hoeft niet komen_). In writing, keep it.
Examples
| Je hoeft morgen niet te komen. | You don't have to come tomorrow. |
|---|---|
| Je moet morgen niet komen. | You must not come tomorrow. |
| Daan hoeft zaterdag niet te werken. | Daan doesn't have to work on Saturday. |
| Daan moet zaterdag werken. | Daan has to work on Saturday. |
| Bij de huisarts hoef je niet lang te wachten. | At the GP you don't have to wait long. |
| Je hoeft geen jas mee te nemen. | You don't need to bring a coat. |
| Bij de gemeente hoef je alleen je paspoort mee te nemen. | At the municipality you only need to bring your passport. |
| Hoef jij morgen niet te werken? | Don't you have to work tomorrow? |
| Wil je een tasje? Nee, dat hoeft niet. | Would you like a bag? No, no need. |
| Je hoeft het maar te zeggen. | Just say the word. |
Why it works this way
Think of _moeten_ as a rule. In _Je moet niet komen_, the rule stays and _niet_ moves inside it: the new rule is "don't come". _Je hoeft niet te komen_ deletes the rule itself. Come or stay home, both are fine.
English speakers trip here because _moeten_ covers both "must" and "have to". "Have to" becomes "don't have to", so _moet_ seems to become _moet niet_. It doesn't. German speakers know this trap from "du musst nicht", but they also get a gift: "du brauchst nicht zu kommen" is built exactly like _Je hoeft niet te komen_.
_Hoeven_ is also picky about its company, a bit like English "need" in "you needn't worry" and "you need only ask". In a plain positive sentence, switch back to _moeten_: _Ik moet vandaag werken_.
Remember: _hoeft niet_ means "no need", _moet niet_ means "don't".
Watch out
- Not: _Je moet niet te komen._ Say: _Je hoeft niet te komen._ (_moeten_ takes no _te_, and "no need" is _hoeven_)
- Not: _Ik hoef vandaag te werken._ Say: _Ik moet vandaag werken._ (_hoeven_ needs a negative or _alleen_ or _maar_)
- Not: _Je hoeft niet te terugbellen._ Say: _Je hoeft niet terug te bellen._ (_te_ goes between the parts of a separable verb)
- Not: _Hoeft jij morgen niet te werken?_ Say: _Hoef jij morgen niet te werken?_ (no _t_ when _jij_ follows the verb)
Quick check
- Fill in _hoeven_ or _moeten_ in the present tense: _Het is zondag, dus Bas ... vandaag niet te werken._
- Fill in _hoeven_ or _moeten_ in the present tense: _Ik ... morgen om zeven uur beginnen._
- Your neighbour Joris offers to feed your cat this weekend, but Yara is already doing it. Choose what you say to Joris: _Je hoeft niet te komen._ or _Je moet niet komen._
- Fix the sentence so it means "Mei doesn't have to cook tonight": _Mei moet vanavond niet te koken._
Answers
- _hoeft_: _niet_ plus _te_ calls for _hoeven_, and _Bas_ takes the _hij_ form.
- _moet_: the sentence is positive and has no _te_.
- _Je hoeft niet te komen._: it is simply not necessary; _Je moet niet komen_ would sound like a ban.
- _Mei hoeft vanavond niet te koken._: "no need" is _hoeven_, and _moeten_ takes no _te_.
Use it today
When a cashier asks _Wil je het bonnetje?_, answer _Nee, dat hoeft niet._ Then tell someone at home three things they don't have to do this week, like _Je hoeft vanavond niet af te wassen._