dürfen

may, to be allowed to

German Irregular

The German verb "dürfen" means "may, to be allowed to" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "dürfen" across all 7 tenses.

How to Conjugate "dürfen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I darf
du you (informal) darfst
er/sie/es he/she/it darf
wir we dürfen
ihr you all (informal) dürft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) dürfen
Er darf das nicht sagen.
He is not allowed to say that.

How to Conjugate "dürfen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I durfte
du you (informal) durftest
er/sie/es he/she/it durfte
wir we durften
ihr you all (informal) durftet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) durften
Er durfte das Spiel sehen.
He was allowed to watch the game.

Want to actually remember these?

VerbPal drills "dürfen" in real German sentences using spaced repetition.

Try VerbPal Free

How to Conjugate "dürfen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe gedurft
du you (informal) hast gedurft
er/sie/es he/she/it hat gedurft
wir we haben gedurft
ihr you all (informal) habt gedurft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben gedurft
Er hat mitspielen dürfen.
He has been allowed to play along.

How to Conjugate "dürfen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte gedurft
du you (informal) hattest gedurft
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte gedurft
wir we hatten gedurft
ihr you all (informal) hattet gedurft
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten gedurft
Er hatte mitkommen dürfen.
He had been allowed to come along.

How to Conjugate "dürfen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde dürfen
du you (informal) wirst dürfen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird dürfen
wir we werden dürfen
ihr you all (informal) werdet dürfen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden dürfen
Er wird das Auto fahren dürfen.
He will be allowed to drive the car.

How to Conjugate "dürfen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I dürfe
du you (informal) dürfest
er/sie/es he/she/it dürfe
wir we dürfen
ihr you all (informal) dürfet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) dürfen
Er sagt, er dürfe gehen.
He says that he may go.

How to Conjugate "dürfen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I dürfte
du you (informal) dürftest
er/sie/es he/she/it dürfte
wir we dürften
ihr you all (informal) dürftet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) dürften
Er dürfte das Auto jetzt fahren.
He might be allowed to drive the car now.

Frequently Asked Questions About "dürfen"

Is "dürfen" regular or irregular in German?
"Dürfen" is an irregular German verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "dürfen" mean in English?
The German verb "dürfen" means "may, to be allowed to" in English.
How do you conjugate "dürfen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → darf, du → darfst, er/sie/es → darf, wir → dürfen, ihr → dürft, sie/Sie → dürfen.
How many tenses does "dürfen" have in German?
"Dürfen" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.

Master German verbs for real

Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.

Try VerbPal Free

7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.